Galway

Fitted with blinkers after two defeats, Ballydoyle's Trinity College (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Hermosa {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) took a mighty leap forward at Galway on Tuesday to bring the stable's tally of TDN Rising Stars among its juveniles in 2024 to a dozen. Fourth last time behind fellow TDN Rising Star Hill Road (Quality Road) at Leopardstown, the 10-11 favourite tanked his way to the front soon after the start of the card's opening extended-mile maiden with Wayne Lordan unable to contain him in the first-time headgear. Producing a sustained surge...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred 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 the return of a 'TDN Rising Star'. 15.15 Newmarket, Novice, £8,500, 2yo, 7fT DESERT FLOWER (IRE) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) became another Godolphin TDN Rising Star at the July Festival here and returns to the scene of that impressive debut to bid to defy a seven-pound...

The Galway Festival's seven-furlong fillies' maiden on the Tuesday card has proved a rich font of budding luminaries and Ballydoyle's Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never--Lumiere Noire {Fr}, by Dashing Blade {GB}) looked no exception as she became the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Fourth behind the stable's subsequent G3 Silver Flash Stakes runner-up Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) on debut at Leopardstown earlier this month, the full-sister to the G1 2,000 Guineas runner-up Wichita (Ire) travelled with ease under Wayne Lordan stalking the early pace. Sent forward to take control a...

Putting an indifferent debut effort at The Curragh firmly behind him, Ballydoyle's Rock Of Cashel (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Best In The World {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made all to take the often-informative seven-furlong maiden on the opening card of the Galway festival and become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Only eighth as the 7-4 favourite in the Barronstown Stud Maiden on Irish Derby day, the half-brother to the brilliant Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was quickly away under Wayne Lordan and placed straight on the front end. Harrassed throughout,...

They say the Galway Festival has an unrelenting ability to provide a springboard for young jockeys. Ride a winner at the Galway Festival on terrestrial television and it's worth 10 around the country tracks.  Think of the baby-faced Colin Keane storming to Topaz Mile glory aboard Brendan Brackan (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) for his boss Ger Lyons back in 2013 as a five-pound claimer.  Just last week, we had local boy Danny Gilligan earning the plaudits for his front-running masterclass aboard Gordon Elliott's Ash Tree Meadow (Fr) (Bonbon Rose...

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 promising daughter G1SW Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 18.10 Galway, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, f, 7fT Aidan O'Brien representative MAYFAIR (IRE) (Justify) is a full-sister to recent Listed Cairn Rouge S. runner-up Unless out of G1 Cheveley S. victrix Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full-sister to...

Ado McGuinness has described the Galway Festival as a place for the ordinary man to make a name for himself and revealed that he will be aiming up to 20 horses at this year's seven-day bonanza, headed by the remarkable Current Option (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).  Bidding for a fourth successive triumph in the "Ahonoora" Handicap next month, Current Option will be joined by Galway regulars Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), Sirjack Thomas (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Casanova (GB) (Frankel {GB}), all of whom were seen stretching their legs on the...

Unleashed in the seven-furlong Galway maiden in which Dermot Weld had saddled the winner 14 times since 1990, The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) surged to TDN Rising Star status on Tuesday evening with a performance full of Classic promise. Sent off the 7-2 second favourite for the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden, the February-foaled half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) who was third in this four years ago was always travelling comfortably tracking...

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 Observations features a half to three-time Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal). 6.10 Galway, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo f, 7fT TAHIYRA (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a fascinating newcomer from the Dermot Weld stable which has such a rich history at this festival and in this maiden in particular with...

Trainer Jessica Harrington has been fined €2,000 after the incorrect horse was saddled and won a 2-year-old maiden at the Galway Festival. Harrington's Alizarine (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) appeared to win the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden on debut July 27. Instead, it was discovered that the Harrington-trained 3-year-old Aurora Princess (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) had run instead. The latter was marked a non-runner in a handicap race later on the card and the race was instead awarded to Twinkle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). After calling the incident...

Trainer Jessica Harrington took to Twitter on Wednesday to apologize for the error that saw the wrong horse run in, and cross the wire first, in a 2-year-old maiden at Galway on Tuesday. Harrington's first-time starter Alizarine (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) had been entered for the race and appeared to run out an eye-catching winner, but it was soon discovered that the stable's 3-year-old filly Aurora Princess (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}), who had nine prior starts for two wins, had mistakenly run instead. Galway stewards disqualified the winner, meaning...

A mix-up between two fillies trained by Jessica Harrington led to the first past the post in Galway's second race, the Colm Quinn Irish EBF Fillies Maiden, later being disqualified.  The juvenile contest initially appeared to have been won by Kirsten Rausing's debutante Alizarine (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}). Following an objection and stewards' enquiry, the filly transpired to be her 3-year-old stable-mate Aurora Princess (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}), a dual winner in June who was set to be making her tenth start. She was subsequently withdrawn. An initial enquiry...