Bathrat Leon

UK trainer Mick Appleby, who burst onto the international scene with a win in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) last year, doubled up on the world stage with a victory in the $2-million G2 Saudi National Bank 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia by Fosnic Racing's ANNAF (IRE) (h, 5, Muhaarar {GB}--Shimah, by Storm Cat). Japan's La La Christine (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) finished second while Byline (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) was third. Last year's winner, Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), was...

The plane carrying the Japanese contingent to Riyadh for next Saturday's Saudi Cup meeting touched down at King Khalid International Airport, and each of the nation's four entrants for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup appear to have taken the flight in good order. Looking to make it back-to-back successes in the world's richest horse race following the stunning all-the-way victory by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) last February are Japan's champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid); reigning G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}); Derma...

Japanese horses flexed their muscles at the Saudi Cup meeting in February and again in Dubai the following month and a quartet of gallopers that made the short trip over for Sunday's Korea Cup (1800m) and Korea Sprint (1200m)--each carrying international Group 3 status--made their presence felt yet again in front of a packed house at Seoul Racecourse. Japan took the first three runnings of the Cup in which they were represented from 2016-2018 and finished third with favored Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) last year as Winner's Man (Kor) (Musket...

Making just his third start in Dubai and stretching out to a mile for the first time in over two years, RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) never gave his 13 rivals a chance in Saturday's G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by One Zaabeel as he put on a powerful front-running display to carry visiting jockey Tyler Gaffalione to an easy 5 1/2-length victory. Not the fastest away from the stalls in the mile chute, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between horses to take up the running linking up...

Had the distance for the G3 1351 Turf Sprint Presented By STC been set just a few metres longer, Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) may well have been recording his second victory in the race for Bill Mott on Saturday, but it was the front-running Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) who clung on from the fast-finishing runner-up to open the floodgates for the Japanese raiders on Saudi Cup night. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who would go on to win the Saudi Cup with Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Bathrat Leon was...

NEWMARKET, UK--Newmarket's 'July week' has always been the perfect blend of parties and parades, on the racecourse and stallion farms. But at the centre of all this fun, there is plenty of serious business to be done at Tattersalls, which hosts its three-day mixed July Sale from Wednesday.  A sizeable delegation of Australians has already arrived in town, now free from the travel curbs of Covid, and it is a safe bet that they will be joined by breeders, trainers and agents of myriad nationalities at Park Paddocks over the...

Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), a son of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), will look to return to winning ways as one of the top couple of betting choices in Sunday's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Toyko Racecourse. The bay colt graduated at third asking over 1400 metres at Hanshin last November, then belied odds of 16-1 to upset future G1 Satsuki Sho third Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity going this distance in mid-December....