Ballylinch Stud

Jurgen Sartori's unbeaten 2-year-old filly Quantanamera (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Quaduna {GB}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) posted an impressive three-length debut success tackling nine furlongs at Dortmund last month and blitzed those that dared once more in Sunday's G3 BBAG Preis der Winterkonigin, Germany's premium event for juvenile fillies, at Baden-Baden. The well-backed 6-4 favourite was sharply into stride from the outside stall and bowled along under a firm hold on the front end. Settling the contest in an instant when shaken up at the top of the straight,...

Caught off guard in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}) made it third time lucky at the highest level when upsetting the hitherto undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and a stellar field in Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot. The race is a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland next month. Having appeared set fair to join the upper echelons when routing his rivals...

NEWMARKET, UK--With almost 100 lots still to sell, the turnover for Book 2 had already surpassed the tally set in 2021 and, just as witnessed last week at Tattersalls, this second catalogue of four for the October Yearling Sale, bettered all markers of a year ago. There was a broader spread of buyers, but Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, whose principal Anthony Stroud had been so busy on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation during Book 1, was again active throughout, with the agency ending Book 2 as the leading buyer with...

Breeder Ballylinch Stud offered a bay filly (lot 1303) by their resident stallion Lope De Vega (Ire) on Wednesday and she was knocked down for 650,000gns to Anthony Stroud. The daughter of Gallitea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full-sister to the winning Oviedo (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was third in the G3 Acomb S. in August. Gallitea is a half-sister to the ill-fated G1 Shadwell Fillies Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Chriselliam (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and Lope De Vega's triple Group 2 scorer Very Special...

NEWMARKET, UK--A marker in bloodstock history was plunged firmly into the ground at Tattersalls on Wednesday, when those present at Park Paddocks bore witness to the highest-grossing day of horse trade that has ever taken place in Europe. An eye-watering sum of 49,545,000gns was spent on 144 yearlings throughout the eight-hour session, including the most expensive yearling in the world this year--a colt by Frankel (GB) sold for 2.8 million gns. He was one of eight bought for seven-figure sums, bringing the number of million-plus youngsters from the first two...

Al Shaqab Racing's Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Traffic Jam {Ire}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), off the track since failing to land a blow in Chantilly's June 19 G1 Prix de Diane, exacted revenge on that Classic's winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), with a late rush to secure a career high in the flickering embers of Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines at ParisLongchamp. The €260,000 Arqana August graduate had earlier annexed Saint-Cloud's Apr. 29 G3 Prix Cleopatre before taking second behind another 'TDN...

The first major yearling sale of the autumn in Britain or Ireland, the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale provided entertainment from the beginning to the end, but most importantly, boasted impressive figures. Brian Sheerin was in attendance and discusses the major talking points from the sale. Figures on the up The team at Goffs UK could hardly have wished for a better start to the Premier Yearling Sale. The day one figures were off the charts. Of the 218 lots offered on Tuesday, 199 were sold, representing a clearance rate...

This is the week where the first serious claims are staked for future bragging rights in the stallion ranks and the season's hopes and waffle that goes with first-season sires are cast aside as the market provides some shape and substance.  There seems to be a strong whiff of No Nay Never in the air after the devastatingly-good performance of Little Big Bear in Saturday's G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh. This, of course, is great news for Coolmore as Ten Sovereigns (Ire), one of No Nay Never's best sons,...

Last term's G1 Sun Chariot S. victrix Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Falling Petals {Ire}, by Raven's Pass) posted a fourth in Meydan's Mar. 26 G1 Dubai Turf before regaining the winning thread in Royal Ascot's June 15 G2 Duke of Cambridge S. and continued on a roll with a decisive victory in Tuesday's G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville. The 3-5 favourite was swiftly into stride and held sway in the centre of the track from the outset of this straight one-mile test. Drawing the sting out of her six...

Jaber Abullah's Alia's Rose (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Quanzhou {Fr}, by Dubawi {Ire}) was let go as a 33-5 chance for Sunday's Prix de la Butte Blanche, a maiden for unraced fillies, at Chantilly and returned to the winner's circle with a 'TDN Rising Star' tag after producing a breathtaking display from off the pace in the seven-furlong test. Racing at the tail of the field through halfway, she made smooth headway on the bridle out wide in the straight before quickening impressively for control approaching the final furlong and...

They have reached dizzy heights as breeders and now Gillian and Vimal Khosla are concentrating on achieving big-race success as owners with Fennela (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of their outstanding broodmare Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}), in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. The Khoslas know a thing or two about breeding top-notchers. Green Room is the dam of three Group 1 or Classic winners and the owner-breeders behind the 20-year-old blue hen are hoping there is still more to come.  Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) was the first horse to...

There was so much focus on The Queen's Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the build-up to Thursday's G3 Hampton Court S., it had almost assumed the air of a foregone conclusion but in the final analysis the Royal runner was second-best to the G3 Craven S. runner-up Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}). With Frankie's day about to get even worse, Adam Kirby set off in front on Mary Slack's 7-1 second favourite and refused to let the Gosden runner past when it came down to...