Galileo (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 Insights features a Ballydole Book 1 star and son of Frankel (GB). 13.55 Killarney, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, 8f 30yT THE EUPHRATES (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is one of two Ballydoyle representatives and the newcomer of the pair, with Seamie Heffernan on the 800,000gns Book 1 graduate who is 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. Friday's Observations features a full-brother to Grade I winner Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}). 16.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT SYMBOL OF POWER (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is the latest Charlie Appleby/Godolphin project to be launched in the local town and has the usual eye-catching connections as a full-brother...

It is the time of year when ideas begin to form about the following season's Classics and with Derbys in mind, Saturday's G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. at The Curragh offers food for thought. Aidan O'Brien's record in this mile staging post is plain remarkable, even by his standards, with a tally of 21 winners including St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Japan (GB) and Luxembourg (Ire) and the fact that he has a trio engaged in the race he missed out in 12 months ago for the...

The name of brilliant 2yo Dundalk winner (and later G2-second) Capulet (Justify) gets one thinking, with the obvious connection to the famous tale of Romeo and Juliet. It also makes perfect sense that the dam is called Wedding Vow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}): Shakespeare's play is very much about the tragic conflict between two different matrimonial projects--the arranged marriage of Juliet with older man Count Paris versus the young girl's unlikely and passionate love for her "only hate" Romeo Montague. The play could very well be re-titled "Two Weddings and Five...

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 the return of a 'TDN Rising Star'. 14.25 Doncaster, Cond, £300,000, 2yo, 6f 111yT JOHANNES BRAHMS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut at Naas in May and has done nothing wrong in two subsequent starts, meeting one too good in the Listed...

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. Tuesday's Insights features a half to G1 Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). 15.50 Galway, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, 8f 123yT GROSVENOR SQUARE (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) starts out in the maiden in which fellow Ballydoyle representative Alexandroupolis (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status 12 months ago and...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G2 Ribblesdale S. victrix Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Sea Siren {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was defiant when battling to a career high in last month's G1 Yorkshire Oaks and displayed her fighting qualities once again to garner Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp. As she had done on the Knavesmire, Warm Heart settled into a smooth rhythm racing off the pace in fourth, having broken from the stalls with her nose shaving the turf here. Making relentless headway under pressure in the straight, the 3-1...

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 Insights features a half-sister to the well-regarded Going Global (Ire) at Cork. 16.29 Cork, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, f, 8fT FOXTROT ZULU (IRE) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), a 450,000gns Tatts Book 1 purchase by Al Shira'aa Farms, gets going for the Ger Lyons stable and is an intriguing proposition as...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Bolshoi Ballet in a the Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga Race Course.   A Song And A Dance At Saratoga Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) delivered his second Grade I in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga on Saturday (video). Successful in the GI Belmont Derby two years previously, the 5-year-old entire...

Classic winner Magician (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been purchased by Chinese interests and will continue his stallion career in that jurisdiction for the 2024 season. The deal was brokered by Mattia Cadrobbi, who had been steward of the stallion in 2021 with Renew Italian Breeding during his single season at Allevamenti della Berardenga in Italy. Dr. Bernard Stoffel handled the veterinary clearance and Marco Bozzi acted as agent followed by Kevin Ren, who is now trustee of Magician. A winner of both the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the GI...

Trainer Aidan O'Brien indicated MG1SWs Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) would return in Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on Sept. 9. The stablemates were last seen in the G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 29, where Luxembourg was a hard-fought fourth while the dual Derby winner came home a distant 10th. Their conditioner could find no obvious reason for the poor showing but remained hopeful the son of the late Deep Impact could bounce back at Leopardstown....

A return to the state of New York proved just the right tonic for Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who snapped a nine-race skid in winning Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S., getting his picture taken for the first time since the 2021 GI Belmont Derby some 25 months ago.  Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) rallied belatedly for second ahead of longshot Pioneering Spirit (American Pharoah) in third. It was more or less a straight line out of the gates before Channel Maker (English...