Charlie Appleby

Godolphin's Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who bettered a Jan. 8 first-up second over 12 furlongs at Kempton with a breakthrough tally over that same course and distance the following month, prevailed by nine lengths going 12 furlongs in an Apr. 1 Leicester novices' heat on turf debut last time and continued his march forward with a battling victory in Tuesday's Listed Cazoo Blue Riband Trial at Epsom. Sent to the front after extended early skirmishes and nudged along on the lead with three furlongs remaining, he came under a drive...

The betting for the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas suggests that Godolphin has a very strong hand for Europe's early Classics, with Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a solid favourite and Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a clear second pick. However, such strength in depth brings its own complications. The European calendar boasts three principal Guineas races (chronologically, in Great Britain, France and Ireland) and the obvious aspiration when one has the two most likely candidates is to win all three.  It is a tough, albeit not impossible, assignment for one horse alone,...

As statements of intent go, the results for Charlie Appleby's stable over recent weeks speak loudly as to his determination to retain the trainers' championship in 2022. Twenty-three runners have emerged from Moulton Paddocks in the last fortnight, and 13 of them have returned home as winners, most importantly Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the champion 2-year-old in Europe last year whose triumph return in the G3 Craven S. got the season off on a proper footing. Of that baker's dozen, four were by the trainer's reliable old friend...

He was 1-4 and there were no anxious moments as Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB) simply turned up and repeated his juvenile antics in Wednesday's G3 bet365 Craven S. at Newmarket. Taking some strides to organise himself as he had on this track and the July Course at two, the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S.-winning European champion juvenile got motoring out of the "dip" to brush aside the long-time leader Star of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and score by 3 1/2 lengths from the...

The G3 Autumn S. winner Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made all three of his juvenile starts in Newmarket and he returned to the Rowley Mile on Wednesday morning for a racecourse gallop ahead of his intended start in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Ridden by William Buick and accompanied in his seven-furlong piece of work by stable-mates King Of Time (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and Falling Shadow (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Coroebus pulled easily clear of that duo as he quickened out of the dip. "That was just what we needed really,"...

Godolphin's G1 2000 Guineas second Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had been gelded since finishing seventh in Ascot's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. last term and remained on target for Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. with a snug victory in Tuesday's G3 bet365 Earl of Sefton S. tackling nine furlongs at Newmarket. The 5-4 favourite, who annexed the 2020 G2 Superlative S. and this meeting's G3 Craven S. last year, was positioned in a handy fourth after a slick getaway. Inching closer once leaving the half-mile pole...

Charlie Appleby trainee New Science (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who ran seventh in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S., followed up a first black-type win in July's Listed Pat Eddery S. with a fourth in ParisLongchamp's Sept. 5 G3 Prix La Rochette and lined up match fit for Tuesday's Listed bet365 European Free H. coming back off a third in Meydan's Feb. 4 Listed Jumeirah Classic. Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana Select yearling was steadied to race in fourth after the break and remained there through halfway. Looming large at the quarter-mile...

Last year's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will return in the June 3 G1 Coronation Cup S., Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby revealed on Saturday. Fourth in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, one place behind stablemate Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in October, the strapping bay ended his season with a fifth after racing too freely in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Oct. 16. "Going forward the plan would be to start him off in...

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 full-sister to dual juvenile Group 1 winner Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal). 5.00 Southwell, Novice, £7,300, 3yo, 8f 13y (AWT) SHARP FRANK (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is an intriguing newcomer for his owner-breeders Cayton Park Stud, being a son of the GII Lake Placid S. winner and GI...

Godolphin's progressive 5-year-old gelding Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) made a favourable impression when winning the Listed Dubai Sprint by 2 1/2 lengths off a 10-month break on Jan. 28, and he built on that promise in a big way on Saturday when running away with the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, the local prep for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night. Man Of Promise raced prominently on the stands' side rail as the field broke into three groups up the Meydan straight. William Buick was...

It was a Godolphin exacta in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. at Meydan on Friday as Royal Fleet (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a paternal grandson of the race's namesake, defeated last year's winner Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by a short head. Away without incident, which could not be said for the slow-starting Lucius Tiberius (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the Charlie Appleby trainee was aggressive as the field left the short chute and found an ideal position in a pressing second as Marie's Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) cut out the...

With the Saudi Cup card taking top billing among this weekend's Gulf action, Friday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan has a quieter look than its predecessors in recent weeks, with just one black-type event. Godolphin holds a strong hand in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. named for its 2000 G1 Dubai World Cup winner and contested over 2000 metres on the grass, and its four runners-two apiece for Charlie Appleby and Saeed bin Suroor-are headed on ratings by Appleby's 6-year-old Star Safari (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the...