Fantastic Moon

The connections of Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), eleventh in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, have declined an invitation to the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, December 8, and the four-year-old has been officially retired, Liberty Racing's Lars-W. Baumgarten confirmed Monday on X. Fantastic Moon will enter stud in 2025 at Gestut Ebbesloh as previously announced. "Finishing 11th in the Japan Cup, Fantastic Moon appeared a bit tired in the final furlong. It was a long season for him. We'll pass on the...

Three of Europe's top 2400-metre gallopers face an 11-strong local challenge in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, looking to snap an 18-year run of success for Japanese-based horses. While it has become next to impossible for the raiders to walk away with the Tokyo spoils, that was not always the case. In the first 17 renewals, horses from overseas prevailed on no fewer than a dozen occasions, including theretofore unprecedented consecutive winners for Sir Michael Stoute with Singspiel (Ire) and Pilsudski (Ire) in 1996 and 1997, respectively. But since that time,...

Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) took to the grass at Tokyo racecourse on Wednesday ahead of the last race of his career in the Japan Cup on Sunday. His trainer Aidan O'Brien has also arrived in Japan to oversee the final stages of his preparation. "He did a lovely seven furlongs on the grass this morning, just to show him the track, and he looked comfortable," said O'Brien. "He's a horse that has speed and class, has long strides and a big action and is great at the mile-and-a-half...

In the blink of an eye, that's another turf season in the books, which means that this is the final Seven Days column for 2024. Next week Adam Houghton will be starting a new column which aims to keep tabs on those two-year-olds who are rising three and could make more of a name for themselves next year. An eagle-eyed former Timeform employee, Adam guarantees that if the next Notable Speech (GB) is out there, about to make his debut on the all-weather this winter before marching on to Classic...

Fantastic Moon (Ger) has emulated his sire Sea The Moon (Ger) not just by winning the G1 Deutsches Derby but now also in being crowned German Horse of Year for 2023. The colt, owned by Liberty Racing, won the oldest public vote in the history of German sport, which took place on his fourth birthday, March 21. "We are very proud of this title. Fantastic Moon absolutely deserves it," said Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, the co-founder of the colt's ownership syndicate Liberty Racing. "His magnificent victory in the 2023 German Derby and his...

The 3-year-old colts Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), winners of the St Leger and Deutsches Derby respectively, have been supplemented for Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Sixteen horses remain engaged for the weekend's €5 million showcase race at ParisLongchamp. Eleven of the potential field are already Group 1 winners, including another Classic-winning colt of 2023, the unbeaten Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}), who is currently favourite. With Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) holding multiple entries...

Despite having run out the convincing winner of the G2 Prix Niel, one of Sunday's key Arc trials at Longchamp, the Deutsches Derby winner Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) will not run in this year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Instead he has potential trips to America and Japan on his agenda, according to Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, who manages the colt's ownership syndicate Liberty Racing.  "We have decided not to sell him. We've had big offers from all over the world but we have decided to run him....

IFFEZHEIM, Germany--Baden-Baden, so good they named it twice. Okay, so the BBAG sales complex and its neighbouring grand racecourse may be in the small nearby village of Iffezheim but it is Baden-Baden that lends its name to the current stop on the European yearling sales tour, now that Donville is in the rear-view mirror. The caravan rolls on, and it is always wise to stay on for a few days in Baden-Baden if time allows as, whether you're a pedigree purist or you simply enjoy a good day out at...

Newbury's G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. has been a happy hunting ground for some top fillies in recent times and Saturday's renewal features another as TDN Rising Star Laurel (GB) (Kingman {GB}) takes aim at the colts. Dazzling with her sectionals in a Kempton novice in September, the daughter of Promising Lead (GB) (Danehill) was sent into battle for the G1 Sun Chariot S. by the normally more-reserved Gosdens just days later and justified that risk by beating all bar Fonteyn (GB) (Farhh {GB}) in the Newmarket contest. With a...