Capulet

The recent Dee S. winner Capulet will leave Ballydoyle to continue his career in Hong Kong.  The son of Justify has been purchased privately by prominent owner Peter Lau, who has enjoyed phenomenal success with the globetrotting eight-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). It is believed that Capulet will join the stable of Romantic Warrior's trainer Danny Shum. The agreement to purchase the colt was brokered by Newmarket-based Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock in partnership with Hong Kong agent Eric Sze, who operates as Standard Bloodstock.  Confirming...

TIPPERARY, Ireland -- Aidan O'Brien walks into the semi-covered ride, shakes hands with each member of the assembled press pack and apologises for the rain. Within his private fiefdom of Ballydoyle there is plenty that he can control, particularly via the earpieces on each of his 50 riders currently warming up in front of him, but the weather isn't one of them. The rain fell on his parade at Newmarket just over a week ago when the longed-for procession of City Of Troy (Justify) in the 2,000 Guineas failed to...

Coolmore's Capulet (Justify--Wedding Vow {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) followed up an Aug. 15 debut victory at Dundalk with placed efforts in September's G2 Golden Fleece S. and G2 Royal Lodge S., and went postward for Thursday's Listed Boodles Raindance Dee S. at Chester coming back off a third over one mile at Chelmsford, behind the reopposing Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), on sophomore return last month. Sent into an immediate lead by Ryan Moore, the 7-2 chance held sway throughout the extended 10-furlong test and stayed on relentlessly under continued...

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. Thursday's Observations features a well-bred son of Dubawi (Ire). 15.05 Chester, Listed, £100,000, 3yo, c/g, 10f 70yT GOD'S WINDOW (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) tackles the Listed Boodles Raindance Dee S. as he preps for one of the European Derbys, having already proven himself at the top level when third in...

A total of 72 horses have been entered for the 2024 G1 Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 1, the richest race in Britain with total prize-money of £1.5 million. Of the 72, 23 are trained in Ireland, including the outstanding juvenile of 2023, City Of Troy (Justify), last seen winning the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket by three and a half lengths in impressive fashion. He is one of 17 entries for Aidan O'Brien, the most successful trainer in the history of the Classic having saddled nine winners since...

Unbeaten entering Saturday's G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket but untried in black-type company, Jeff Smith's Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) came through the test with flying colours to count himself among the 2024 Classic contenders. Always travelling easily in the wake of Ballydoyle's front-running G2 Champions Juvenile S. runner-up Capulet (Justify), the 100-30 second favourite who hails from the Juddmonte family of a former giant to master this Rowley Mile in Zafonic took the measure of that 7-4 favourite when sweeping to the fore two out. Pushed out...

The name of brilliant 2yo Dundalk winner (and later G2-second) Capulet (Justify) gets one thinking, with the obvious connection to the famous tale of Romeo and Juliet. It also makes perfect sense that the dam is called Wedding Vow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}): Shakespeare's play is very much about the tragic conflict between two different matrimonial projects--the arranged marriage of Juliet with older man Count Paris versus the young girl's unlikely and passionate love for her "only hate" Romeo Montague. The play could very well be re-titled "Two Weddings and Five...

Aidan O'Brien had already won nine of the 16 renewals of Leopardstown's revamped G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. and delivered another on Saturday with a stable one-two in the bargain. This race is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in California. Despite the impressive attitude of Capulet (Justify) at the head of affairs, it was the 8-15 favourite Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Sweepstake {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) who proved master of ceremonies as he took over a furlong from home en route to a...

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. Tuesday's Insights features TDN Rising Star Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) in a Deauville Conditions test. 14.33 Deauville, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT Baron Edouard de Rothschild's ALCANTOR (FR) (New Bay {GB}), a half-brother to G2 Union-Rennen winner Boscaccio (Ger) (Mount Nelson {GB}), looked a class act when...