Dancing Gemini (Ire)

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a full-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains second Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). 18.00 Dundalk, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT) Fishdance's hitherto unraced DANCING TEAPOT (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) is a homebred full-sister to this term's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains second Dancing Gemini (Ire)....

Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) could continue to follow in the footsteps of Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) after keeping the G1 Deutsches Derby trophy in the hands of owners Liberty Racing with his victory at Hamburg on Sunday. Trained by Henk Grewe and ridden by German-born jockey Thore Hammer-Hansen, Palladium ran out a surprise winner of the Classic as he edged ahead in the final strides to get the verdict by a neck, having raced away from the other principals after being brought over to the stand's side...

Ballydoyle's Derby-winning TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify) will face seven rivals in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown following Thursday morning's confirmation stage. While the self-titled "clash of the generations" is missing key representation among the older brigade after it was announced that White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) would be missing from the line-up, the four other 3-year-olds preparing to take on the long odds-on favourite include Jeff Smith's smart Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and trainer Clive Cox is hopeful of a bold show. "I think we are all realistic...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, City Of Troy could face up to 10 rivals as he attempts to become the first Derby winner since Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 to follow up in Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. Disappointing on his first start of the campaign in the G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, City Of Troy bounced back to form with a sparkling performance at Epsom, fully confirming the promise he showed when unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old. The son of Justify is as short as 8-15 with the...

Saturday's G1 Derby winner City Of Troy (Justify) and progressive four-year-old Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) head the betting for the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. after the latest entries were released on Tuesday. A total of 40 horses remain in contention for the first big clash of the generations in the middle-distance division, which will be run at Sandown on Saturday, July 6 and offers total prize-money of £750,000. Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 was the last Derby winner to follow up in the Eclipse and trainer Aidan O'Brien identified this race as...

Aidan O'Brien will be represented by a trio in Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby, with Ryan Moore staying loyal to last year's champion juvenile City Of Troy (Justify) over the stable's other kingpin Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). As the draw for the Blue Riband took place on Epsom High Street, there was a very public blow to TDN Rising Star City Of Troy's chances as he was handed the dreaded stall one with all its disadvantages, with Los Angeles who will be partnered by Wayne Lordan faring slightly better in...

Scheduled 40 minutes after the fillies' Classic, Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains offered a dramatic contrast with a heavy downpour greatly affecting the aesthetics at ParisLongchamp and to an extent the ground also. In the event, the race was off 40 minutes de retard due to the thunderstorm before Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}--Alianza {GB}, by Halling) provided another surprise result on the afternoon by overcoming higher-profile peers at 24-1. Unbeaten in two juvenile starts before finishing fifth in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Fontainebleau last month, the Mario...

If it goes ahead, it's going to be tough at Doncaster on Saturday with the G1 Kameko Futurity Trophy being staged on ground that failed to survive an inspection for the Friday card. If there was a horse physically designed for such conditions, it is surely Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) who went through Newmarket's testing surface with relish when winning the G3 Autumn S. over this mile trip a fortnight earlier. Supplemented for this prize given how strongly he emerged from that experience, he bids...