Ballydoyle

There were only four runners, but what Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse lacked in numbers it more than made up for in sheer buzz as the 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was in scintillating form in Sandown's prestige contest. Heavily-backed into even-money favouritism beforehand, Ballydoyle's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero tracked Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) throughout and when launched by Ryan Moore passing the two-furlong pole quickly subdued his elders en route to an emphatic 3 1/2-length...

'TDN Rising Star' Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) entered Saturday's Listed Chesham S. with a substantial reputation from Ballydoyle and while it was hard work in Ascot's slow ground he duly delivered as the 10-11 favourite. Held on to this time unlike when successful by 5 1/2 lengths over this seven-furlong trip on yielding ground at The Curragh June 2, the full-brother to Broome (Ire) edged ahead with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and despite veering left denied The Queen's Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) by half...

Long absent and much-missed, Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) returned to the big time at Royal Ascot on Wednesday and had to be as tenacious as she is classy to see off Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) under a perfectly-judged front-running ride in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf this fall. Last year's G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine had been denied what had looked to be a match with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})...

   Frankie Dettori left it late to win his second consecutive jockey's title at Royal Ascot in 2020, so this time he will be looking for an instant boost via Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the opening G1 Queen Anne S. on Tuesday. If form is any guide, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's 'TDN Rising Star' can be fully expected to hand the Italian a 74th winner at the meeting, having been his 73rd on the Saturday of the last renewal when causing a minor surprise in the...

As far as passages around Chantilly's circuit go in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) enjoyed one as perfect as is possible on Sunday as he toyed with his rivals in the 181st edition of the Classic. Hardly breaking sweat to become the fourth colt to complete the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-Prix du Jockey Club double since 2005, Ballydoyle's 14-5 favourite was slotted behind the pace-setting Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) from his ideal draw by Ioritz Mendizabal and...

Aidan O'Brien saddled five in Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, but ultimately there was only one that mattered as Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) ran away with the prize by a record-setting margin of 16 lengths under Frankie Dettori. Serving notice that she had turned around her fortunes from a largely disappointing juvenile campaign when making all in the G3 Musidora S. at York May 12, the 11-2 shot arrived from rear under a tight hold to brush aside Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) passing two out. Sprinting...

Group 1-placed Innisfree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), second in the 2019 G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy in his last start, is making progress toward a start later this year, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien. Second at Naas in July of 2019, the colt broke his maiden at Galway in July and captured the G2 Beresford S. at The Curragh that September, just like his year-younger full-brother High Definition (Ire), who is headed to the G1 Cazoo Derby on Saturday. After his Vertem Futurity Trophy second, Innisfree sustained an injury in 2020 and...

Jim Bolger had been at it on Saturday, but 24 hours later it was his former prodigy Aidan O'Brien who was filling the first two places in a Curragh Classic as Empress Josephine (Ire) narrowly denied Joan of Arc (Ire) in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas for another Galileo (Ire) forecast. Runner-up in Gowran Park's Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. over an extended nine furlongs last time May 5, the winner who is a full-sister to Minding (Ire) was anchored towards the rear early by Seamie Heffernan and travelled...

One of the prestige races missing from Aidan O'Brien's resume before Wednesday, York's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. is now in the bag for the Ballydoyle master after Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) proved a rare outsider to win for the stable as she made all in the extended 10-furlong Oaks trial. Last seen finishing eighth when the subject of the notorious mix-up with stablemate Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in Newmarket's G1 Fillies' Mile in October, the relative of Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was soon in front under Ryan Moore...

Like Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) on Thursday, Ballydoyle's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also got his campaign off to a flyer on Chester's "Roodee" 24 hours later with a smooth success in the G2 Melodi Media Huxley S. Settled last of the four who tackled the extended 10-furlong contest, last year's G3 Royal Whip S. winner, G1 Cox Plate runner-up and G1 Irish Champion S. third swept around the outside to take over a furlong out en route to a three-length defeat of Sangarius (GB) (Kingman {GB}). "He is a very...

Chester hosts just the one black-type event on Friday, with the G2 Melodi Media Huxley S. over an extended 10 furlongs acting as the first port of call in 2021 for Ballydoyle's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Surprising a few judges when third at 66-1 and in front of Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish Champion S. in September, the bay went on to show that was no fluke when runner-up to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in Moonee Valley's G1 Cox Plate on...

Providing Aidan O'Brien with a 12th renewal of The Curragh's G2 Coolmore Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. on Monday, Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) continued his own success story with a third black-type win in 2021. Having taken the Listed Devoy S. at Naas Mar. 28 and the Apr. 17 G3 Alleged S. over this track and 10-furlong trip, the 4-9 favourite was forwardly placed in second by Ryan Moore and ridden to take command approaching the last two furlongs. Pressed by Helvic Dream (Ire) (Power {GB}) from there, he kept...