Caravaggio

Bouncing back from a disappointing effort when last in the July 9 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, Scott Heider's G2 Debutante S. and G3 Silver Flash S. winner Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) was at her dynamic best as she made all under Declan McDonogh to capture Friday's G3 Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge S. at Tipperary. Dropping back from a mile and a quarter to 7 1/2 furlongs here, the Joseph O'Brien-trained 6-4 favourite had only stablemate Night Of Romance (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to worry about in the...

Deauville's four-week bonanza begins on Tuesday with an array of class across four pattern races headed by the G1 Prix Rothschild, which brings together two of Europe's leading fillies in Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and Tenebrism (Caravaggio). While the former's stamina for this mile is assured and proven, TDN Rising Star Tenebrism has yet to confirm that the trip is within reach. Saffron Beach, who had already displayed her quality at this level when overpowering her rivals in Newmarket's G1 Sun Chariot S. in October, arguably performed to...

Coolmore America's Triple Crown winner Justify, a son of Scat Daddy, never raced at two, and he famously became the first unraced 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882 to win the Gl Kentucky Derby. Midway through July, however, Justify is already represented by a Group 2 winner in Europe and a Grade III winner in North America from his first crop of 2-year-olds, and through Monday he sat second by less than $30,000 on the first-crop sire list by progeny earnings behind Spendthrift's Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), a rival he defeated...

It was a weekend in which the Scat Daddy sire-line shone through, at Newmarket and in Deauville, with Group 1 victories for his grand-daughters Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Tenebrism (Caravaggio). No Nay Never now has five crops of racing age and has twice supplied the winner of the July Cup: first Ten Sovereigns, who is now his stud-mate at Coolmore, and now Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free, whose transformation from miler to sprinter has added an interesting element to what is unfurling into an extraordinarily good season. The...

Delivering the potent acceleration that had seen her claim joint-champion status among the juvenile fillies in the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket in September, TDN Rising Star Tenebrism (Caravaggio) was firmly in command under optimum conditions in Deauville's seven-furlong G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat on Sunday. Able to draft in mid-pack early, Ballydoyle's 13-2 shot who sports the Westerberg silks was unleashed between Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Rozgar (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and after gaining the lead 100 metres from the line stayed on strongly to...

Stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time, Ballydoyle's Galleria Borghese (Ire) (Caravaggio--On Ice {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) showed the extra stamina requirement held no fears when making all to capture Wednesday's Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial at Naas. Sent straight to the front by Wayne Lordan, the 12-1 shot who had been second at Limerick five days earlier showed resilience to hold Alizarine (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) by half a length, with the strong-finishing Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) a nose...

William Haggas' Newmarket stable is firing on all cylinders at present and continued its dominance when Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's unbeaten Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) overcame a slow start to maintain his perfect record in Sunday's G2 37th Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen - German 2000 Guineas at Cologne. The April-foaled bay went postward for this first black-type outing coming back off an Apr. 18 all-weather conditions win at Kempton, having made a successful debut over seven furlongs on the Doncaster turf in March. Repeating his slow start at Kempton, the 3-1 second favourite forfeited...

This week shed tears of sadness as we bid farewell to a fan favorite, and enjoyed a tonic of elation as we regaled a historic riding double and the newest 'Star' on the horizon. Break out the tissues for the sensitive souls, and join us as we reminisce careers, and revere achievements. Botta Bing, Botta Swing--to Rising Stardom... If there was a louder and prouder way to declare one's talent to the world, 'TDN Rising Star' Botta Swing (Not This Time) came close to topping it. Continuing her sire's hot...

The first Hong Kong starter for Coolmore's successful young stallion Caravaggio, Circuit Nine (Ire) closed off strongly down the center of the Sha Tin 1000-meter straight course to cause a 7-1 upset in Sunday's Argonaut Plate for griffins, 2- and 3-year-olds that are unraced prior to their import. Off as the third choice on debut, Circuit Nine was slowly into stride from gate three and raced in a detached last early as the hot $1.30 (3-10) favorite Glory Bo Bo (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) was eased down onto the stands'...

The catalogues for the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses-in-Training Sale were released on Wednesday. There are currently 206 2-year-olds and 120 horses-in-training ready to go under the hammer on Apr. 28. Beginning at 9 a.m. local time on Apr. 26, the breezes will take place over Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse. They will be shown live on the Tattersalls website and on the Tattersalls Facebook page. Graduates of the sale won group races in Britain, France, Germany and the U.S. in 2021, led by top-level winners Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and...

In this penultimate edition of the Value Sires Series, we look at stallions that had their first runners last year, and will therefore have their first 3-year-olds in 2022. With the numbers for 2021 tallied, this group actually appears to be a deep one, with plenty of them having done enough to go into their second years with a legitimate shot to still make it as a sire. While the last two cohorts produced runaway leaders in Mehmas (Ire) and Night Of Thunder (Ire), this year the riches were much...

It was extremely unlikely that any first-season sire this year would even get close to the record-breaking 56 winners for Mehmas (Ire) in 2020. That feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that the start of the Flat season was delayed for several months by the pandemic-induced shutdown of racing. Leaving this huge tally aside, in any other year 35 first-crop winners at a strike-rate of 40% would be more than respectable, and it is this number, and £788,531 in progeny earnings in 2021, that sees Mehmas's...