Big Evs (Ire)

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)...

City Of Troy (Justify) and Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) head the betting for the G1 Derby after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. Of the 69 set to run in late April, just 41 remain after the latest scratching deadline for the Classic, which will be run at Epsom on Saturday, June 1. A baker's dozen haven been entered by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, anchored by City Of Troy, despite his puzzling ninth-place finish in last Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Last season's G1 Dewhurst S....

Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) has been ruled out of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night having picked up a respiratory illness in transit. Trained by Mick Appleby, Annaf was last seen securing a lucrative payday for his connections when landing the $2-million G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia, bursting clear in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length. The five-year-old had another big pot in his sights in the shape of the $1.5-million Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Saturday, March...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victories of Team Europe at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.   Auguste Rodin Carves BC Masterpiece Already a four-time Group 1 winner including both the Derby and the Irish version, Coolmore partners' Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) delivered another win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf last Saturday (video) for Aidan O'Brien. The 'TDN Rising Star' had been bred by Coolmore, and...

All five of the 'Future Stars Friday' winners at Santa Anita appeared to emerge from the efforts unscathed, with connections looking forward to their Classics campaigns in 2024. The very domination of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) will likely have put the colt at the head of the class for champion 2-year-old honors, and the Repole Stable homebred looked good Saturday morning. "We were extremely happy with the way Fierceness ran," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "The race kind of unfolded the...

RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) will make his next start in the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, trainer Mick Appleby confirmed on Tuesday. The colt has won three of five career starts, including the G2 Flying Childers S., G3 Molecomb S. and Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot, and has banked £180,665. "He's in good form, we've just freshened him up a bit and he seems in good order," said Appleby. "Hopefully he stays that way until he goes, he...

RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Hana Lina {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) finished among the tailenders in last month's G1 Nunthorpe at York and rebounded in style with a scintillating pillar-to-post triumph in Friday's G2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers S. at Doncaster. The Michael Appleby trainee, who had earlier left his stamp on Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle and Glorious Goodwood's G3 Molecomb, hit the ground running as the traps opened and held an immediate advantage before turning the screw with a 10.72 second furlong. Clear of...

   Friday sees the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. take centre stage at York with the returning heroine of last year Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) the star turn in the line-up for the Win-and-You're-In contest ahead of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Emphatic 12 months ago when dismissing the 2-year-old The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), the John Quinn-trained 6-year-old has to do it all again with another juvenile Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) lurking with his 21-pounds weight-for-age swing. Having come up...

Day 2 of York's Ebor Festival plays host to a stellar edition of the G1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks and features a mouthwatering rematch between the G1 Irish Oaks first and second Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}). The former's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has annexed six editions since the turn of the century, but is still three shy of the record nine held jointly by Mathew Dawson and Sir Michael Stoute. Savethelastdance's three career wins, which include a 22-length romp in May's Listed Cheshire Oaks, have all...

Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), winner of the Windsor Castle S. and later the G3 Jaeger Lecoultre Molecomb S., has been supplemented to the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York on Friday with Andrea Atzeni set to ride. Jason Hart, who was onboard for those two victories, maintains his partnership with three-time Group 1 winner Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). Big Evs will be the only 2-year-old in contention. "It's [been] a long time since a two-year-old has won the Nunthorpe [Kingsgate Native, 2007]. So,...

RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}--Hana Lina {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) shed maiden status with an impressive win in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. and once again showcased raw speed over the same five-furlong trip to garner Wednesday's G3 Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb S. at Goodwood. The Michael Appleby representative was the sharpest of eight into stride and seized an immediate lead racing underneath the stands' side rail. Comfortable on the front end until nudged along passing the quarter-mile marker, the 9-4 joint-favourite was strongly pressed by 'TDN...

Choosing the big stage to provide Darley's first-crop sire Blue Point (Ire) with his first black-type winner, RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) stormed to an emphatic success in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. which closed Wednesday's card. Alert from the stalls under Jason Hart, the Michael Appleby-trained 20-1 shot who had been second to the re-opposing Hala Emaraaty (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) at Redcar last month was soon in the clear racing towards the stand's side. Powering to the line, the 50,000gns Book 2 purchase issued a three-length beating to...