Emaraaty Ana (GB)

LEXINGTON, KY--It's pretty pointless rolling back to the clock, to so very different an era, to contrive a blasphemous conflation between "the 'F' word" and "the 'S' word." But even if we leave the polemics over Flightline (Tapit) and Secretariat to run their trite course to futility, in one respect the 39th Breeders' Cup made it feel just like old times for the Europeans, as well. True, a similar caveat should be applied to the notion that Godolphin and Ballydoyle here reprised the kind of rivalry that reached such intensity...

Haydock missed the rain on Friday night and Saturday and so the depleted line-up for the feature G1 Betfair Sprint Cup needed a stimulant. It got that and then some in the form of Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who came to the fore in scintillating fashion to become yet another in a long line of star sprinters operating in the Shadwell livery. Looking ready for this career-defining moment when storming to success in Newbury's G3 Hackwood S. on a similarly fast surface over this six-furlong trip July 16, the 7-2...

Placing herself in a different stratosphere of sprinters, John Fairley's Breeders' Cup-bound homebred Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) powered to glory in Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York only a dozen days after her tour de force in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Returning to the scene of her emphatic G2 1895 Duke of York S. success May 11, the 5-1 shot enjoyed an ideal lead throughout the early stages from the three-years-younger The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) before taking the...

It was tight at the end of Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, with Andrea Atzeni celebrating a black-type treble on the day on Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) who denied Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in a photo. Revived of late, the 5-year-old who had been second in the five-furlong G1 Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20 tanked along early off the pace but had plenty left to take over approaching the final furlong. Clinging on late as the even-money favourite found his stride...

Bidding to follow in the steps of Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}), Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is the latest G1 July Cup hero to attempt a notable double in Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock. Only third behind Marianafoot (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) on unsuitably soft ground in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville Aug. 8, David Ward's homebred is back on his favoured fast surface over the six-furlong trip of his July 10 Newmarket victory. Trainer Ed Walker...

Haydock hosts the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup S. on Sept. 4, and Group 1 winner Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) is one of 14 signed on in the six-furlong affair. A winner of the G1 Darley July Cup S. ahead of Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) on July 10, the David Ward colourbearer ran third, one better than Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest to Marianafoot (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) at Deauville on Aug. 8 for trainer Ed Walker. Fellow Group 1 winner Glen...