Auguste Rodin (Ire)

Anyone privy to the sensational closing sectionals of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Derby will be approaching Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh with great anticipation of what he can do next. While Epsom's final three furlongs lend themselves to electric fractions, the 33.01 that Ballydoyle's latest celebrity covered them in is nothing short of remarkable and already places him in exalted territory among the very elite to have conquered the demands of the Blue Riband. Now that the only marginally less brilliant...

Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will have eight peers to overcome on Sunday in his bid to become the fifth Derby winner for Aidan O'Brien to double up in the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh. Among them are the Derby third White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) and fourth Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), the only runners not representing the O'Brien family with the Donnacha-trained Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Joseph-trained Up And Under (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) the others taking on a Ballydoyle...

Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) is now in the top five on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings at a joint 123, after the latest results were released on Thursday. Well ahead of his rivals is Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) on 129, and fellow Japanese runner Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) is fourth on 124. Hong Kong's crack sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) has improved one pound to 125 after a win in the G3 Sha Tin Vase and is tied with Golden Sixty...

Bouncing back from his disappointment in the 2000 Guineas, TDN Rising Star Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Rhododendron {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) conquered Epsom's undulations to carry off a ninth G1 Betfred Derby for Aidan O'Brien. Sent off at 9-2 as the punters dallied over this year's favourite, the G1 Futurity Trophy winner was kept back from the early action by Ryan Moore worse than mid-division. Launched wide as the 66-1 shot King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) cut loose approaching two out, the bay took until the last 100...

Following a draw conducted live in Epsom's hallowed circle, a final field of 14 has been confirmed for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby. Ballydoyle number one Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has pulled "lucky" stall 10, still the most beneficial draw in Derby history having housed Shahrastani, Reference Point (GB), Nashwan, Quest For Fame (GB), Generous (Ire), Galileo (Ire), Sir Percy (GB), Ruler of the World (Ire) and Masar (Ire). Chief market rival Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will exit from next door in nine, while leading contenders Passenger (Ulysses...

Persistent rain in the lead-up to Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas turned the ground to soft at Newmarket and while several of the race's big names floundered, Juddmonte's ultra-professional Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Suelita {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) stayed straight and true to win with authority. Providing Frankie Dettori with the ultimate final ride in the mile Classic, the Andrew Balding-trained 7-2 second favourite tracked TDN Rising Star Hi Royal (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) up the centre and as that 125-1 shot began to veer left heading into the dip and...

Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas asks the usual set of questions, with the Classic generation due to be examined for the first time with their raw material and any flaws about to be exposed on Newmarket's Rowley Mile which was the scene of thundery conditions on Friday afternoon. Aside from the ever-present quandary of pace positioning and ground conditions, with the latter scenario complicated by the sight of looming dense clouds on Guineas eve, there is the annual unknown of just how dominant last year's leading 2-year-olds still are. Will...

The G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas sees a contentious field of 14 try their hands at gaining an all-important Classic next to their names. Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners bring two striking colts to the fray in potential G1 Betfred Derby headliner Auguste Rodin and G1 Phoenix S. winner Little Big Bear. Juddmonte's star Chaldean is looking for redemption after dislodging retiring reinsman Frankie Dettori in the G3 Greenham S. last month. If the latter duo succeed, it would be the Italian's fourth Guineas. We took a look at the...

   Heading into a weekend when celebration is the keyword in Britain, Newmarket's three-day QIPCO Guineas Festival begins on Friday with some action designed to build the intensity towards the main events. Fittingly, the fixture's opener is the Listed Newmarket S., the race once used by the Derby-winning icons Shirley Heights (GB) and Slip Anchor (GB) and this year hosting one of The King and Queen Consort's outside squeaks at a blue riband runner in Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}). Just a Salisbury novice winner at present, the colt...

Aidan O'Brien will rely on G1 Futurity Trophy hero Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and G1 Phoenix S. victor Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, with both featuring among a confirmed field of 14 for Britain's first Classic of the year. The trainer's G3 Killavullan S. winner Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) was the only absentee when final declarations were made Thursday morning. Auguste Rodin, who is set to be partnered by Ryan Moore, has been drawn on the wing in stall 12...

Despite losing Frankie Dettori once the gates flew in the G3 Greenham S. on Saturday, Juddmonte's Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) remains part of the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas field. After Tuesday's latest scratching stage, 20 colts are still entered in the first Classic of the British season on Saturday, May 6. A winner of four of his six starts, the G1 Dewhurst S. hero is one of two in the one-mile race for Andrew Balding. Second in the Dewhurst, G2 Richmond S. scorer Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will attempt...

Group 1 winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), favoured for both the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Derby, is likely to step out for a racecourse gallop after racing at the Curragh on Saturday. The 'TDN Rising Star', a winner of three of his four starts including the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S., the bay could be joined by 'Rising Star' and G1 Phoenix S. victor Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never). "Little Big Bear and Auguste Rodin are good, everything has been good so far anyhow," said...