Churchill (Ire)

Owen Burrows snagged the 2020 edition of Doncaster's Simon Piggott Memorial EBF Novice S. with subsequent G2 Champagne S. runner-up Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal) and he has another contender for the upper levels after Brook Farm Bloodstock's War Rooms (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Apticanti, by Aptitude) powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' with an impressive debut display in the seven-furlong test. The 11-2 chance raced in mid division after a stuttering start. Easing closer to the front rank once past halfway, he surged to the front in taking fashion approaching the final furlong and...

Anyone privy to the sensational closing sectionals of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Derby will be approaching Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh with great anticipation of what he can do next. While Epsom's final three furlongs lend themselves to electric fractions, the 33.01 that Ballydoyle's latest celebrity covered them in is nothing short of remarkable and already places him in exalted territory among the very elite to have conquered the demands of the Blue Riband. Now that the only marginally less brilliant...

As Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Queen Blossom {Ire}, by Jeremy) dominated the final 300 metres of Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines, there was time for collective appreciation of the arrival of a new starlet for France. In pounding her peers in Chantilly's 10 1/2-furlong Classic by upwards of four lengths, the early gift from the racing gods to Leopoldo Fernández Pujals's fledgling breeding operation entered revered territory as only the fourth to add this prize to the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Doing...

Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim's Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), fourth in the G1 Betfred Derby, has emerged from the race in good order and will aim for the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on July 2, trainer Jessica Harrington revealed. A winner of the G3 Derby Trial S. at Leopardstown in May, the bay was a solid fourth in the Blue Riband, and, if all goes well, will be ridden again by Shane Foley. Foley broke his collar bone riding at Gowran Park on Monday evening. "Sprewell will go to the...

There was as much uncertainty as to what would start favourite for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. than what would emerge on top in York's time-honoured Derby trial, but in the end it was one of the benchmark horses The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Tanaghum {GB}, by Darshaan {GB}) who held the bragging rights. King Power Racing's G2 Royal Lodge S. winner had been undone by Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket last month but appreciated this step up to an extended 10...

There were no complications other than a slightly tardy break for Yeguada Centurion SL's Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Queen Blossom {Ire}, by Jeremy) in Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches as the admirably straightforward as well as high-class 3-5 favourite ruled the roost once again at ParisLongchamp. Needing stoking up at the start by Aurelien Lemaitre to race in the box seat behind the leader Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), the homebred who had mastered the course-and-distance G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G3 Prix de la Grotte attacked that...

Group winner The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), second in the G3 Craven S. to Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) last month, is likely for the G2 Dante S. at York mid-month, according to jockey Oisin Murphy. The King Power runner secured Newmarket's G2 Royal Lodge S. in September, and he will be trying the 10-furlong distance for the first time at York. "He's a lovely horse," said Murphy, who rode the colt in the Craven at Newmarket. "In hindsight I wish I had just followed Indestructible a bit longer. "We felt...

Susan Roy's homebred 4-year-old gelding Grand Alliance (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Endless Love {Ire}, by Dubai Destination) was winless in six starts since registering early-season scores at Chelmsford and Donaster last year and, with dual Classic hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) failing to fire on seasonal return, stepped forward to notch as shock victory in Saturday's G3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise S. (John Porter S.) at Newbury. Fourth over course and distance in October's G3 St Simon S. when last seen, the 18-1 outsider was patiently ridden from the outset...

Returning to the same ParisLongchamp course and mile distance over which she had dominated the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, Yeguada Centurion SL's Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Queen Blossom {Ire}, by Jeremy) continued where she left off with an all-the-way success in the G3 Prix de la Grotte on Sunday. Sporting a red hood for the preliminaries, the even-money favourite was sent straight to the front by Aurelien Lemaitre and was asked to extend two out. Responding generously without the need for the whip, the bay had...

With the doors to the breeding sheds set to open any day, the TDN has been talking to owners and breeders about what matings they have planned for their top mares in 2023. Up today: Peter Brant, whose mares in America are profiled in today's TDN American edition, and his European mares below. Click here to read about his American mares. ROSA BONHEUR (15, Mr. Greeley-Rolly Polly {Ire}, by Mukaddamah) to be bred to Churchill (Ire) Rosa Bonheur is the dam of Raging Bull and the dam of a nice...

Dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, will remain in training at four and aim to go one better in the ParisLongchamp showpiece next October, owner/breeder The Aga Khan's Racing Manager Georges Rimaud revealed on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. A winner of the G3 Prix de Guiche in May, the bay claimed the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on June 5 and doubled up at the highest level in the Eclipse S. against his elders...

After the success for Nurlan Bizakov in the Lagardere, it was the turn of another rising force in French breeding Yeguada Centurion to enjoy the limelight as Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) lit up ParisLongchamp in the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland in November. Coming off a course-and-distance win in the G3 Prix d'Aumale Sept. 8, the Christopher Head trainee had the perfect tow in third as Aurelien Lemaitre contained her enthusiasm. Let loose...