Andre Fabre

Victor Ludorum. With such a name should we ever have doubted him? Fifteen years after his late sire Shamardal blazed to glory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains for the first half of his own Classic double, Victor Ludorum (Ire) set up a double of a different kind at Deauville on Monday, passing the Godolphin baton to his fellow colour-bearer and last year's champion juvenile Pinatubo (Ire) to attempt to complete a posthumous Classic double for Shamardal within a week. Should the much lauded Pinatubo resurface in the manner which...

After all the worry and uncertainty of the past few weeks, the first of the European Classics to be staged in the time of COVID-19 provided a reassuring outcome as Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) made class tell over the straight mile at Deauville. As it was before the huge disruption wrought by the virus, so it remains at least in this sphere with the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner confirming the form of the Arc card's juvenile highlight to regain the winning thread in Monday's G1...

Nine colts will go postward for Monday's €360,000 G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Deauville. Godolphin's Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) is one of three nominations from the Andre Fabre stable and has drawn stall two for the straight one-mile test. Stablemates Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and Arapaho (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) are housed alongside and will exit gates three and one, respectively.

Eleven runners remain in the potential line-up for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and 16 for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, both of which are to be run on Monday at Deauville. With French racing remaining restricted to domestic runners until mid-June, all foreign-trained horses have been removed from the initial list of entries. A notable domestic defector among the colts is the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), who was scratched from his intended comeback run in the G3 Prix de...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a pair of 3-year-olds by standout young sire Kingman. 1.25 Deauville, Debutantes, €20,000, 3yo, c/g, 8fT EDGE OF VICTORY (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is a son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was bought by White Birch Farm...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the first runner for highly anticipated first-season sire Shalaa (Ire). 10.10 Deauville, Mdn, €22,000, unraced 2yo, 5fT Lady Bamford's €250,000 Arqana August acquisition CHERIE AMOUR (FR) (Shalaa {Ire}) becomes the first representative for Haras de Bouquetot-based freshman sire Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in this five-runner...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features the highly regarded Mare Australis (Ire). 12.10 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €20,000, 3yo, c/g, 8fT HURRICANE CLOUD (GB) (Frankel {GB}) debuts in the silks of his breeder Guy Pariente and is a half-brother to his resident sire Goken (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), a very sharp juvenile who took the...

   Where the preceding G3 Prix de Fontainebleau was a steadily-run affair, the G3 Prix de la Grotte proved a true test and it was Lady Bamford's classy and dependable Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who came out comfortably on top in the trial for the upcoming G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Last seen finishing third when encountering significant late trouble in running in the six-furlong G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket in September, the G3 Prix Six Perfections and G2 Prix du Calvados winner waited in third early with a suitable...

France is on the cusp of mirroring neighbour Germany by staging race fixtures once again and, while both countries emerge from lockdown in phased measures, it's not all that links the pair. Gestut Schlenderhan--having celebrated its 150th anniversary last year--has transferred a tranche of promising 3-year-olds across the border, sending the colts Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the filly Shenouni (Ger) (Siyouni {Fr}) to Andre Fabre. All three former Jean-Pierre Carvalho trainees will race in the colours of Corinna Baronin von Ullman. Taking delivery...

French racing will return behind closed doors on Monday after being off since Mar. 16 due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, and the initial three cards at ParisLongchamp, Toulouse and Compiegne have drawn a whopping 1,069 entries. ParisLongchamp, which received clearance on Monday to stage its meeting in the nation's capital, has drawn a total of 257 entries across 10 races. The card's feature races are the G2 Prix d'Harcourt and Group 3 Prix la Grotte, Prix de Fontainebleau and G3 Prix de Saint-Georges. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a half-brother to champion 3-year-old Almanzor. 2.25 Chantilly, Debutantes, €25,000, 3yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) ANOTHER SKY (FR) (Le Havre {Ire}) is an intriguing newcomer on the card which sees the Dubai World Cup trials as a half-brother to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and...

The four finalists for the People's Choice Award were announced by Dubai Racing Club on Tuesday. A fan-voted accolade recognizing the most compelling 2019 moment in horseracing and part of the HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Horseracing Excellence Awards, the 2019 finalists are: retired champion jockey Pat Smullen's greatest race, who, despite battling pancreatic cancer, has raised nearly $3 million for Cancer Trials Ireland; Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), a burn victim of the San Luis Rey Downs fire, who would go on take the GI Breeders' Cup...