Caravaggio

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 daughter of the late Galileo (Ire). 5:30 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 8fT MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) debuts for Zhang Yuesheng and Jessie Harrington and is a 305,000gns Book 1-bought half-sister to the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., G1 Grosser Preis...

Peter Savill's 2-year-old filly Dizzy Bizu (Ire) (Caravaggio) posted a May 11 debut score tackling five furlongs at Chantilly and returned over the same strip to remain perfect in Sunday's Listed Prix La Fleche, providing her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy) with a first black-type success. Breaking sharply to race in a prominent second from flagfall, the 21-5 chance came under pressure on all sides passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out inside the final furlong to assert by an ultimately comfortable 1 3/4 lengths from Anterselva (Fr) (Fast...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a full-brother to Niarchos start Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). 1.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 6f 171yT DISCOVERIES (IRE) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is the latest progeny out of the Niarchos Family's remarkable Alpha Lupi (Ire) (Rahy), which makes her a full-sister to the accomplished Alpha Centauri...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a full-brother to MGSW Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}). 4.30 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 7fT POINT LONSDALE (IRE) (Australia {GB}) is a full-brother to the current Ballydoyle stalwart Broome (Ire) who cost 575,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1. Described as a sharper type...

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. Today's Observations features a recent breeze-up sale topper. 3.10 Naas, Cond, €37,500, 2yo, 5fT CADAMOSTO (IRE) (No Nay Never) has been a non-runner on four occasions either side of his impressive winning debut from the re-opposing Silver Surfer (GB) (Caravaggio) over this trip at Dundalk last month, so it...

Another Caravaggio, another TDN Rising Star as the highly impressive Contarelli Chapel (Ire) made her mark in a smart-looking field gathered for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over near six furlongs at Naas on Monday. A half-sister to last year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the January-foaled grey who races for Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor and Smith was marginally in front from the break and completely comfortable setting the pace under a motionless Ryan Moore. It was passing the...

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. Today's Observations features a half-sister to 2020 Classic scorer Fancy Blue. 1.25 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT CONTARELLI CHAPEL (IRE) (Caravaggio) is a half-sister to last year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who debuts for Westerberg, Magnier,...

NEWMARKET, UK—"That's what I love about this place," one shopper complained on Tuesday afternoon as a consignor extolled the virtues of the horse being paraded before him. "There's never any bad news." Well, he must have spent the last year under a rock. Pretty universally, all that anyone in the European industry sought from the new breeze-up cycle at Newmarket this week was a renewed sense of stability. And, while the closing session of the Craven Sale at Tattersalls proved somewhat tougher going for vendors than the first day, there...

Young filly Tenebrism (f, 2, Caravaggio--Immortal Verse {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}), the dramatically fast winner of the first race at Naas on Mar. 28, carries a brilliant and astute name. "'Tenebrism', from Italian tenebroso (dark, gloomy, mysterious), also occasionally called 'dramatic illumination', is a style of painting using especially pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image," states Wikipedia. And who is generally credited with the invention of this technique? None other than Michelangelo Merisi, also known...

When it comes to the freshman sires, I should start by saying I have already put my reputation on the line by purchasing a Caravaggio (out of a Galileo {Ire} mare) for $200,000 at Keeneland. With that kind of price tag it goes without saying that I really loved the horse and he was the Caravaggio that I wanted, so I'm confident he will make an impact when he hits the track this season. The Profitable (Ire)s looked racy and they sold very well, particularly for a sire that started...

The first runner for her exciting first-season sire, Tenebrism (Caravaggio) also carried the mantle of Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner of 2021 into Sunday's five-furlong juvenile opener at Naas. Not that she comprehended the gravitas of the moment, but the manner in which the daughter of the high-class Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) dealt with the task in hand could not have been more pleasing for her high-profile connections. In readily dismissing her peers in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden staged on soft ground, she instantly set a lofty standard...

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. Sunday's observations features the first Ballydoyle juvenile runner of 2021. 1.15 Naas, Mdn, €14,000, 2yo, 5fT TENEBRISM (Caravaggio) is Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner of 2021 and carries significance as his exciting first-season sire's potential first winner. Representing a partnership between Coolmore, Georg von Opel's Westerberg Limited and John Moores...