Brian Meehan

Group winner and Classic runner-up Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has been retired and will stand at Newsells Park Stud next year. His fee has been set at £7,000, SLF. Bred by Elaine Chivers, the chestnut was a £92,000 purchase by Sam Sangster Bloodstock out of the Goffs UK Premier and Silver Yearling Sale in 2021. He won the G2 Superlative Stakes as a juvenile, and also added the G3 Greenham Stakes at three in the colours of Manton Thoroughbreds. Bought by Wathnan Racing, his next start was...

DEL MAR, USA -- From the 2,000 Guineas to the Breeders' Cup Classic, he is the horse who has kept us captivated, wondering and engaged, through to season's end. And that, really, is why we are all fans of horse racing. That longing to know what can't be known for sure until those gates spring open, the skirmishes are had, and the winning post looms.  In the end, for City Of Troy (Justify), unbeaten and burgeoning with promise at two, redeemed in the Derby and then some at Sandown and...

European shipper Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) died following the running of Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The 3-year-old finished the race, but collapsed during the gallop out. According to a statement put out by the Breeders' Cup, Jayarebe suffered what appears to have been a cardiac event.  He was immediately attended to by a team of veterinary experts led by Dr. Brent Cassady, but unfortunately passed away. His jockey, Sean Levey, was uninjured. "Our thoughts and condolences go out to Jayarebe's connections and the many fans whose lives he touched,"...

DEL MAR, USA -- Ahead of the big day on Saturday, Friday's Breeders' Cup card is all about the youngsters, and the European trainers have come mob-handed with two-year-olds.  After last year's triumphs for Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and Juvenile Turf, expectations are again high that these trophies can be smuggled out of the country.  In the former, the form of the G2 Flying Childers Stakes could well be key, as the first three home at Doncaster...

Iraj Parvizi's Arqana October graduate Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}--Alakhana {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}), who annexed Royal Ascot's Hampton Court Stakes in his penultimate start, was rewarded for his consistency with a pillar-to-post triumph in Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp. The April-foaled bay, a last-out second to subsequent G1 Irish Champion Stakes victor Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in Deauville's Aug. 15 G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, was let go as the 29-10 second choice and broke well to seize an immediate advantage here. Untroubled on the lead until...

Royal Ascot winner Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is set for a step up in trip on his next start as connections of Brian Meehan's colt have identified the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh as a likely target for the shock 80-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes.  Rashabar came close to providing Meehan with a third success in the Prix Morny when narrowly failing to reel in Aidan O'Brien's Whistlejacket at Deauville earlier this month. "There's a fair few options, but we will be sticking in Group 1...

The G1 Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday, August 18 has been identified as the "obvious target" for Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) after he defied odds of 80-1 to gain a first career victory in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Beaten in two previous starts at Newbury and Chester, Rashabar found significant improvement to come out on top in a field of 22 for Ascot's premier two-year-old contest, showing a good attitude to hold on by a nose having raced away from the other principals. It...

Iraj Parvizi's Listed Dee Stakes third Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}--Alakhana {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}), who made an impressive black-type breakthrough in April's Listed Feilden Stakes, bounced back in style to secure a career high in Thursday's G3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. Jayarebe broke smartly from the outside gate, but was trapped wide in a prominent position before accepting a tow in a share of third. Looming large when taking closer order off the home turn, the 7-1 chance hit the front passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven...

Having secured a maiden pattern-race win in Germany earlier in the campaign, fledgling jockey Billy Loughnane registered a career high when steering the twice-raced maiden and Brian Meehan trainee Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}--Amazonka {Ire}, by Camelot {GB}), racing in the famed Robert Sangster silks, to a narrow victory in Tuesday's G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. The 80-1 outsider, who placed in maidens at Newbury and Chester prior to this black-type bow, broke smartly and raced in a leading wave of three at the head of the smaller...

Iraj Parvizi's Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}--Alakhana {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) backed up an Aug. 25 debut win at Newmarket's summer venue with a sixth in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last time and stepped forward to notch an impressive success on sophomore return in Wednesday's Listed bet365 Feilden S. back at HQ. The 11-1 chance raced on the front end after an alert getaway and settled into a rhythm stalking the pace in close-up second for the most part. Shaken up to regain an edge passing the quarter-mile marker, he...

Leading French 2,000 Guineas fancy Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) has been sold to the Qatari-based Wathnan Racing in a deal that was brokered by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.  Isaac Shelby won the G3 Greenham S. in the colours of Manton Thoroughbreds on his reappearance at Newbury last month, after which, his trainer Brian Meehan revealed that he would sidestep Newmarket in favour of the French Classic at ParisLongchamp.  The colt remains firmly on course for Sunday's race and will represent an exciting first European runner for...

There was high drama at the beginning of Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury when Frankie Dettori parted company with G1 Dewhurst S. hero and leading G1 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upon exiting the stalls, which allowed Manton Thoroughbreds VII's reopposing Dewhurst seventh Isaac Shelby (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Kentucky Belle {Ire}, by Heliostatic {Ire}) a free run to make all for a second pattern-race triumph in the seven-furlong feature. Last term's G2 Superlative S. victor was swiftly into stride, away...