Bated Breath

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 full-sister to Grade I winner Viadera. 4.25 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT SACRED BRIDGE (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) is a full-sister to last year's GI Matriarch S. heroine Viadera (GB), who before joining Chad Brown spent her formative period with this filly's trainer...

Master horseman Jim Bolger may have been ensconced in Ireland during this weekend's Guineas Festival, but his influence was felt far and wide across the Rowley Mile. The fact that Bolger bred, trained and raced the 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire})-in addition to the small feat of breeding his sire and first two dams and training his grandsire and third dam-has been well documented in the following days. But Bolger's fingerprints were likewise on the G1 1000 Guineas the next day: he had trained the winner...

Gift List scored her first Stateside victory in style with a dominant score in Churchill's GII Edgewood S. Friday. Previously undefeated favorite Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), last seen winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, faded to fifth. Sent off at 4-1, Gift List tracked from a ground-saving third as the chalk dictated terms, clocking early splits of :24.32 and :49.03. Biding her time on the backstretch run, Gift List dove between horses to overtake Aunt Pearl at the top of the stretch and powered clear...

As breeding sheds prepare to swing open their doors in the coming weeks, we bring you the final installment of our 2021 Value Sires series. Gone are the days of dissecting sales averages and speculating on the comments of the judges; these elder statesmen have proven their mettle on the racecourse, and a few of them are even available at their lowest ever fees. While value exists in all price brackets and for all budgets, we have chosen to limit the scope of this analysis to stallions standing in Europe...

While Group 1 racing has wound down for the season in Europe, it rolls on across the Atlantic, and somewhat lost in the shuffle of the breeding stock sales was an excellent weekend on Nov. 28 and 29 for Juddmonte sires in California. Domestic Spending (GB) became the third Group 1 winner for Kingman (GB) when kicking late to take the Hollywood Derby going 1800 metres on the turf, while Viadera (GB) made it a first Group 1 winner for Bated Breath (GB) in the one-mile Matriarch S. on the...

It has been quite the year for Bated Breath (GB), the Juddmonte stallion who could be all too easily overlooked against some of his more in-vogue stud mates but who nevertheless continues to provide a decent ratio of stakes winners. One of his most reliable performers in this regard is Breathtaking Look (GB), who heads to the Tattersalls December Mare Sale (lot 1662) from Diomed Stables. Her combination of speed, class and consistency gives the 5-year-old a profile with a commercial outlook. Of her six victories for trainer Stuart Williams...

It was 11 years ago that Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) became only the second group winner for his trainer Clive Cox when landing the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. under Adam Kirby. In the intervening years, Cox and Kirby have become a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the major sprint contests and often with horses bought relatively inexpensively by the trainer. Xtension was himself a €15,000 yearling purchase from his breeder Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, and he was later sold on as a 3-year-old to race in...

Juddmonte has released details of some of the foals already on the ground at Banstead Manor Stud this year, including a colt by Kingman out of the multiple Grade I winner Proviso (GB) (Dansili {GB}). The March-foaled colt is one of a number by his exciting young sire to have been welcomed by Juddmonte so far in 2020, along with a filly out of another Grade I winner, Ventura (Chester House {GB})), who is already the dam of G3 Prix de Lieurey winner Fount (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Listed winner Mirror...

The dams of G2 Coventry S. and Pavilion S. winner Calyx (GB), dual Group 2 winner Headman (GB) and G3 Hampton Court S. winner Sangarius (GB) are among the Juddmonte mares set to visit Kingman (GB) in his sixth year at stud this year. Also on the books of the 2014 Cartier Horse of The Year are Juddmonte's Group 1 winners Capla Temptress (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Romantica (GB) (Galileo {Ire}); Group 2 winner Starformer (Dynaformer); Amser (GB) (Frankel {GB})-a half-sister to Group 1 winners Timepiece (GB) and...

In this TDN series we ask a group of experts for their predictions for the 2020 flat season in Europe. Today we hear from Alex Elliott. TDN: Who do you think will be the leading first-season sire this year? AE: I like the idea of Mehmas (Ire). He was a high-class 2-year-old, is bred on the same cross as Dark Angel (Ire), and Tally-Ho Stud are amongst the best in the game when it comes to producing 2-year-old winners. It should prove a potent combination in the race to be...