Dark Angel (Ire)

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. Saturday's Observations features multiple Group 1 winner Angel Bleu (Fr). 14.40 Wolverhampton, Listed, £57,500, 4yo/up, 7f 36y (AWT) Marc Chan's 2021 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International hero ANGEL BLEU (FR) (Dark Angel {Ire}) makes his seasonal comeback in this Listed Spreadex Sports Lady Wulfruna S., a...

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 pair of Godolphin bluebloods. 14.35 Newcastle, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo/up, 10f 42y (AWT) Godolphin's THROUGH THE AGES (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) is a gelded son of the stakes-winning Rumh (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and thus kin to a quintet of black-type performers headed by three-time top-level victrix...

Out and about on the opening day of the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail One of the early highlights of the year for pedigree buffs and casual observers, the Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail, got underway with a bang on Friday with heavy footfall reported at over 30 of the stallion farms taking part in the two-day extravaganza.  The TDN Europe team were out and about in the Kildare area on Friday and visited Kildangan Stud, The Irish National Stud, Yeomanstown Stud and Derrinstown Stud before venturing further south on Saturday.  Don't...

MGISW Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was represented by his first foal, a filly, born Jan. 5, Gainesway Farm announced. "We're excited to see the first foals by Raging Bull starting to hit the ground," said Gainesway Stallion Director Ryan Norton. "There's a lot to like about this stallion and we look forward to seeing him pass his traits along to his offspring." Raging Bull entered stud at Gainesway in 2022 and currently stands the 2023 season for $10,000 LFSN.

Covering numbers are more an indication of fashion than of success but, this being, as we so often hear, "a numbers game", it is worth having a closer look at the Flat stallions in Britain and Ireland who have been gifted books into three figures this year. We will also be looking in more depth at the French covering numbers in the coming days. According to the statistics recently published by Weatherbys in the annual Return of Mares, there were 62 stallions who covered 100 or more mares in 2022,...

The insatiable demand for foals was evident in the figures recorded at Goffs last week with turnover rising 16% to €29,561,000 and the average climbing 16% to €40,110. At the top end of the market, Kingman (GB) dominated with three foals by the Juddmonte-based stallion selling for a combined €1,540,000 and one of Europe's leading pinhookers Philipp Stauffenberg signing for the €550,000 top lot by the sire.  Tally-Ho Stud may be best known for being sellers but they pipped Stauffenberg for the biggest spenders title by signing for 19 foals...

Sons of Dubawi (Ire) shot the lights out at Goffs on Tuesday as a colt by first-season sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) topped the November Foal Sale at €185,000 followed by a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt who made €180,000. Ghaiyyath himself was sold at this sale in 2015 for €1,100,000 before proving himself a world-class performer on the track for Godolphin and the Kildangan Stud-based sire has enjoyed a good start at Goffs this week. The Ridge Manor Stud-drafted colt was sold to Pier House Stud, whose Brendan Morrin revealed that...

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 half-sister to QIPCO British Champions Day hero Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}).   17.20 Kempton, Mdn, £6,800, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT) James Wigan's hitherto unraced homebred STORMY SEA (GB) (Territories {Ire}) is a Sir Michael Stoute-conditioned half-sister to last month's G1 Champion S.-winning stablemate...

Dark Angel (Ire) and Invincible Army (Ire) may not be the only exciting stallions at Yeomanstown Stud with David O'Callaghan outlining his hopes that Shaman (Ire) can lay down a marker at Goffs this week when some of the Group 2-winning son of Shamardal's first foals go through the ring. A colt foal by Shaman fetched €22,000 at the inaugural Tattersalls Ireland Sapphire Sale on Saturday and O'Callaghan thinks the best is yet to come from a sire who is due to have 22 foals go through the ring over...

Leading sire Dark Angel (Ire) will remain at €60,000 for 2023 as Yeomanstown Stud released fee details on Friday.  Battaash (Ire) and Harry Angel (Ire) flew the flag for Dark Angel at the highest level in recent seasons and the 17-year-old broke new ground with French Classic scorer Mangoustine (Fr) this term.  First-season sire Invincible Army (Ire) remains at €7,500 while Supremacy (Ire) has been dropped to €10,000 from €12,500. Shaman's (Ire) first foals sell this autumn and he remains at €5,000. Gay O'Callaghan said, "Dark Angel has had another...

Owen Burrows trainee Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is pleasing his trainer in advance of a start in the £600,000 G3 Bahrain International Trophy on Friday, Nov. 18. One of 14 left in the 1 1/4-mile contest, the Shadwell homebred is riding a three-race winning streak coming into the contest, having landed a Pontefract listed race in July. He followed up with the G3 Strensall S. at York a month later, and was last seen running out a 1 1/4-length victor in the G3 Darley S. at Newmarket on Oct....

What you want to hear from a major owner-breeder like Trevor Stewart, the man who has set up a mini-empire off the back of buying wondermare Cassandra Go back in 1997, is that there is a nuanced approach to breeding and, with the right blend of skill and hard work, you too can make this game pay. The trouble is, Stewart does not believe that is the case. Not only does he put buying top-class racemare-turned-blue hen Cassandra Go down to good luck, but he also points to fortune favouring...