Calandagan (Ire)

Multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is now the highest rated filly or mare in the world at 127 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday. A winner of the G1 Turnbull Stakes and G1 Cox Plate in October, she added the G1 Champions Stakes in November and is equal to G1 Derby/G1 International Stakes/G1 Eclipse winner City Of Troy (Justify). The highest rated horse in the world is Laurel River (Into Mischief) at 128. Next in the rankings are the...

Racing fans are now able to vote on the 2024 Cartier Racing Award nominees, with voting beginning at noon on Wednesday. Their votes make up 35% of the final total for each horse. Points earned in Pattern races (30%) and the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) make up the rest of the percentage needed to determine the recipients for each of the eight equine awards. The nominees are as follows: Cartier Horse of the Year Anmaat Bluestocking Charyn City Of Troy Economics Goliath Kyprios Notable Speech Rebel's...

A truly international cast of 191 horses, among them 58 Group/Grade 1 winners, have been entered for the 2024 edition of the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin on Dec. 8. Billed as the 'Turf World Championships', the races will offer record total prize-money of HK$126 million (£12,521,226/€15,043,683/$16,215,920). Group 1 riches will be offered for the following quartet of races:  the HK$40-million Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$36-million Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m), HK$26-million Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and HK$24-million Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m). The locals...

Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes threw up a major shock as Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}--African Moonlight {UAE}, by Halling) swooped late to register a 40-1 success and provide further evidence of the skill and guile of Owen Burrows. Contesting his second group 1 having scored on his only previous try in the Prix d'Ispahan last May, the 6-year-old was coming off a below-par fifth in the G2 Prix Dollar 13 days ago but at least had his favoured testing ground to aid his cause. Travelling strongly in a pocket...

It's QIPCO British Champions Day, so it stands to reason that we are talking about autumn soft ground as the European flat season continues to turn on its axis. Where the summer specialists City Of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) are missing for varying reasons, the way is open for those who relish the kind of test this surface provides. Every one of the five pattern races on Ascot's fixture boasts at...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 17 horses remain in contention for Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot, including the top-class three-year-olds Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) in what has the makings of a blockbuster clash. Trained by William Haggas, Economics is unbeaten in four starts this season, culminating with a first Group 1 victory in last month's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, while French challenger Calandagan confirmed himself a major force to be reckoned with when filling the runner-up spot behind the outstanding City Of Troy (Justify)...

His Highness The Aga Khan's homebred Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) is progressing well toward a start in the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 19, according to trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. The gelding, a winner of the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and a strong second in the G1 International Stakes behind City Of Troy (Justify) at York, is fresh and well ahead of his QIPCO British Champions Day assignment. He will likely face William Haggas trainee Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) the winner of...

Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) has been ruled out of Sunday's G1 Preis von Europa at Cologne due to a minor setback, it was announced on Thursday. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Goliath has been off the track since his shock 25-1 victory in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, with prominent American owner John Stewart subsequently purchasing a majority share in the four-year-old from Philip Baron von Ullmann. Goliath had been set for a rematch with King George third Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})...

After setting a new course record in the G1 International Stakes, City Of Troy (Justify) is now the second-highest rated horse in the world on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday. He improved from 123 to 127 with his victory. The G1 Eclipse Stakes and G1 Derby winner is behind only G1 Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River (Into Mischief), who holds a mark of 128. Second behind City Of Troy at York is G2 King Edward VII Stakes hero Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who...

Brilliant horses like City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) are always on the line when it comes to reputation and aura and there was no disguising the fact that Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International represented his moment of truth regardless of prior achievements. Despite coming to York as a clear-cut 2-year-old champion, an impressive Derby winner and the current holder of an Eclipse, there was a tension in the atmosphere on the storied Knavesmire expanse that was accompanied by threatening and brooding clouds and a strange autumnal air....

Coolmore's G1 Derby and G1 Eclipse hero City Of Troy (Justify) is set to face one dozen rivals from stall five in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International after 13 were declared for the £1.25-million feature on the opening day of York's Ebor Festival. Trainer Aidan O'Brien will also be represented by Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}) after trimming weekend winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and G1 Irish Derby victor Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) from his overnight team of four. The home defence is headed by G1 Derby runner-up and...

G2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will likely get a break after his exploits at Royal Ascot. Since he is ineligible for some French Group 1 races after being gelded--namely the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and the G1 Arc de Triomphe--trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is in no rush to plot what the next assignment will be for the multiple Group winner. "We know how hard it is to be competitive and win at Ascot, so we are delighted with this win of course," Graffard said. "He...