Darley

Harry Sweeney is one of Irish racing's finest exports. A qualified vet, he has been based in the Far East for 35 years, where he operates from the world renowned Paca Paca Farm as well as holding the position of President at Darley Japan.  From big-money pinhooks to sleepless nights after some frightening losses, breeding Japanese Derby winner Deep Brilliante and how he engineered a plan to be granted an owner's licence in the country, Sweeney makes for a fascinating and entertaining Q&A.  The Marco Polo of Irish racing sat...

Newmarket's G1 July Cup card began in style when Godolphin's hitherto unraced Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Promising Run, by Hard Spun) powered away from nine rivals to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette in Saturday's £21,000 Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes over seven furlongs. The homebred daughter of four-time Group 2 victrix Promising Run (Hard Spun) was a touch hesitant at the break and chased the leaders in fourth through the initial fractions. Nudged along soon after passing halfway, the 5-2 second favourite bounded to the fore...

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres in Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, "Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and...

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' and G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Golden Valentine {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) had yet to fire on all cylinders this year and bounced back from an eighth in last month's G1 Derby to regain the winning thread in Thursday's G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. The 6-4 favourite went forward to assume control after the initial strides of this 13-furlong test. Holding sway thereafter, he was asked to stretch with three furlongs remaining and kept finding for pressure inside the final quarter-mile to comfortably...

Godolphin's hitherto unraced Shadow Of Light (Ire) (Lope De Vega (Ire}--Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}), a homebred three-parts brother to dual Group 1-winning sire Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), shed maiden status at the first attempt with a one-length victory in Thursday's Weatherbys EBF Maiden Stakes at Great Yarmouth. 2nd-Great Yarmouth, £9,950, Mdn, 7-4, 2yo, 6f 3yT, 1:13.60, gd. SHADOW OF LIGHT (GB) (c, 2, Lope De Vega {Ire}--Winters Moon {Ire} {G1SP-Eng}, by New Approach {Ire}) broke on the front end and accepted a lead in fourth after the initial...

His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen's 3-year-old filly Rainbows Edge (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Memory {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a John and Thady Gosden trainee, backed up a debut victory at Newcastle in March with a taking 2 3/4-length success under a seven-pound penalty in Friday evening's Long Shot Seltzer Spring Fillies' Novice Stakes at Newmarket. 3rd-Newmarket, £10,000, Nov, 6-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:40.11, g/f. RAINBOWS EDGE (GB) (f, 3, Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Memory {Ire} {MGSW-Eng, $127,136}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who carried a seven-pound penalty...

Victorious Racing's Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}--Falls Of Lora {Ire}, by Street Cry {Ire}), who enjoyed a lucrative winter campaign snagging four of five starts in Bahrain, made a winning European comeback in last month's Listed Festival Stakes and stepped forward to secure an emotional victory for rider Callum Shepherd in Saturday's G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. The 16-1 chance was positioned fifth through the initial strides and improved one spot after the opening exchanges of this 12-furlong contest. Easing closer on the home turn and moving...

Coolmore's G3 Naas Fillies Sprint victrix Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Scintilating {GB}, by Siyouni {Fr}) looked booked for the also-ran slots in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, but unleashed a spectacular burst inside the final furlong to double her pattern-race tally in impressive fashion. The 425,000gns October Book 1 yearling and well-backed 15-8 favourite raced off the pace, nestled in the pack, through halfway in this straight six-furlong dash. Bustled along passing the quarter-mile marker, she made an exaggerated manoeuvre to the stands' side approaching the...

Great Yarmouth's £40,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' S., which witnessed a 'TDN Rising Star' display in the extended five-furlong dash last year, played host to another as Cheveley Park Stud's homebred 2-year-old filly Spherical (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}--Spatial {GB}, by New Approach {Ire}) powered to an impressive success in this year's renewal. In winning, she provided her second-crop sire with a third Rising Star in five days. Spherical, debuting in a field reduced by half to just three contenders, stalked both rivals in third through halfway. Easing into...

Second-crop sire Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) was without a 'TDN Rising Star' representative prior to Saturday, but James Fanshawe trainee Kind Of Blue (GB) rectified matters for the Kildangan Stud resident at Doncaster and €170,000 Arqana October graduate Tiego The First (Fr) doubled the tally with a sparkling last-to-first triumph in Monday's Prix Hunyade at Saint-Cloud. Tiego The First dwelt badly at the break and forfeited several lengths to his rivals, but recovered to latch on to the tail of the field and raced with just one behind passing through...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Scintilating {GB}, by Siyouni {Fr}) was usurped by Sparkling Sea (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) on debut at Naas last month and returned over the same six-furlong strip to exact revenge on that reopposing rival in Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint. Ryan Moore was keen to settle the 6-5 favourite into a smooth rhythm and anchored his mount at the tail of the six-runner field through the initial exchanges of this straight dash. Easing closer onto the heels of the...

With the late scratching of Germany's leading marathoner and morning line favourite Lordano (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), jockey Rene Piechulek made the switch to Gestut Ittlingen's alternate Alessio (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}--Alandia {Ire}, by Adlerflug {Ger}) and made the most of that ownermate's absence to register a career high in Sunday's G2 Comer Group International 53rd Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten. Alessio, who ran sixth in 2022's G1 Deutsches Derby, notched a first pattern-race win in October's G3 The Land Trophy at Baden-Baden and brought the curtain down on 2023 with a runner-up finish...