Big Evs (Ire)

Some of us may be attempting to look the other way but with the Breeders' Cup behind us and the November Handicap now just a matter of days away we are going to have to admit that it is well and truly jumps season. There is some Flat excitement still in store on the international calendar with the potential appearance of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in the Japan Cup at the end of this month but...

Owner Paul Teasdale of RP Racing has described Big Evs (Ire) as "a horse of a lifetime" as the Mick Appleby-trained colt prepares for his career swansong in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2. Named after Paul Evans, a friend of Teasdale who died of lung cancer in 2022, Big Evs won four of his six starts in a memorable two-year-old campaign, including at Royal Ascot where he shed his maiden tag with victory in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes. Group-race successes followed...

The Breeders' Cup-bound duo of Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Big Mojo (Ire) (Mohaather {GB}) both pleased trainer Mick Appleby after taking spins around Southwell on Thursday. The pair, owned by Paul and Rachael Teasdale's RP Racing, will be ridden at Del Mar next month by Tom Marquand, who was aboard for Thursday's activities. In a similar move that resulted in Grade I accolades last term, Big Evs galloped five furlongs along the home bend before finishing at the one-furlong mark in company with stablemate Blind Beggar (Ire)...

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. Monday's Observations features a half-sister to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs.   18.00 Wolverhampton, Nov, £6,300, 2yo, f, 7f 36y (AWT) Jaber Abdullah's QUEEN OF THE ROSES (IRE) (Ribchester {Ire}) gets a second chance at making her debut after a change in track conditions forced the...

Fosnic Racing's multiple group winner Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {Ire}) is eyeing another G3 Bengough Stakes win this autumn, trainer Mick Appleby revealed. The 5-year-old won that six-furlong race last October, before taking second in a Lingfield listed race in his 2024 debut. Successful in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in February, the entire was unplaced in the G1 Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock in September, but displayed a return to form when third in the G3 World Trophy Stakes on Sept. 21. He has also been penciled in to contest...

With Europe's sprinting division positioned in a kind of limbo over the past year or so, the presence of Australian raider Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) has added some spice and it is with a tinge of sadness that Britain bids farewell to her after Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Her European tour has included success in the G1 King Charles III Stakes and a second in Goodwood's G2 King George Stakes, where she just failed to get to Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), and...

Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes has attracted a field of 14, with just one of the 15 overnight contenders, Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), dropping out of York's third and final Group 1 contest of the week at Wednesday morning's declaration stage. The straight five-furlong dash will act as an unofficial championship decider between Australian raider Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) and Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who are one apiece in sprint showdowns this year, with the former annexing Royal Ascot's G1 King Charles III Stakes...

Crack sprinters Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) will square off for the third time in York's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday, Aug. 23. The duo feature among 15 confirmations for the sprint contest, with the race an ideal setting to determine who holds supremacy between the pair. The Henry Dwyer-trained filly rattled home fourth in the G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock in May, before taking the G1 King Charles III Stakes by a length at Royal Ascot in June over...

Taking his revenge on his Royal Ascot conqueror Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}), Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Hana Lina {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) returned to winning ways in Friday's G2 King George Qatar Stakes on Goodwood's fast downhill five-furlong strip over which he had won the 2023 G3 Molecomb Stakes. Third to the Australian runner in last month's G1 King Charles III Stakes, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero was sent off the 13-8 favourite and raced in second early under Tom Marquand with Ponntos...

The lack of top-class talent in this season's sprint division was laid bare by Timeform on Tuesday as the organisation revealed that the class of 2024 currently rank well below the 10 highest-rated sprinters to have raced in Europe since 2015. Australian-trained sprinter Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) achieved a rating of 122 when winning the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, a figure that was matched this month by Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) when he gained his first Group 1 success in the July Cup at Newmarket,...

Noor Elaine Farm's multiple pattern-race winner Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}--Golden Child {Aus}, by I Am Invincible {Aus}), who placed twice in elite-level sprints Down Under, benefitted from a Oisin Murphy masterclass and pounced late to secure a sixth renewal for Australia in Tuesday's G1 King Charles III S., the rebranded King's Stand S., at Royal Ascot. It is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in the autumn. The Henry Dwyer-trained mare broke smartly and accepted a tow from Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}), racing...

Sunday saw the confirmations for 2024 Royal Ascot's opening day fixture, where the G1 St James's Palace S. is the rightful stage for the coming together of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroes Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). The latter has been supplemented for the mile contest and is joined by fellow French raider Darlinghurst (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), while Ballydoyle rely on last year's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero Henry Longfellow (Ire)...