George Strawbridge

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. Today's Observations features a half-sister to a champion and young sire. 1.30 Kempton, Novice, £6,500, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) NATASHA (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bids to go one better than her debut when runner-up to her owner-breeder George Strawbridge's Speak (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) over this course and distance...

Three-time group winner Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is going well in advance of a start in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York on Aug. 20 where she will face American invader Golden Pal (Uncle Mo). Undefeated in France in four starts, including the G3 Prix Sigy on Apr. 20 and the G3 Prix Texanita on May 17, the 3-year-old was eighth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup S. at Royal Ascot. Since then, the George Strawbridge colourbearer saluted in the G2 King George Qatar S. at...

Unbeaten bar a latest blip in testing ground in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) bounced back to her brilliant best in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Sent off at 7-1, the Apr. 20 G3 Prix Sigy and May 17 G3 Prix Texanita winner chased the frantic early pace which saw the four-times winner Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sitting off it throughout the early stages. Coming alive for William Buick at halfway, the Francois Rohaut-trained...

The unbeaten Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) appears primed for a start in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Owned by Georgiana Cabrero and trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias for her first two wins-in a Chantilly maiden on Oct. 13 and in the Nov. 10 Listed Prix Yacowlef there--the bay was sporting the silks of George Strawbridge for her 3 ½-length win in the G3 Prix Sigy when making her 3-year-old bow on Apr. 20 for new trainer Francois Rohaut. The budding star continued her winning skein on May...

George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) had registered wins for the Georgina Cabrero-Carlos Laffon-Parias axis in an Oct. 13 debutantes' heat going six furlongs at Chantilly before doubling up over 5 1/2 furlongs back there in the Nov. 10 Listed Prix Yacowlef. She maintained her perfect record when snagging last month's G3 Prix Sigy for new connections, with subsequent G3 Prix de Saint-Georges victrix Ideal Beauty (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in arrears, and continued the winning trend in taking fashion by turning Monday's G3 Prix Texanita, her fourth...

Jonathan Sheppard, a Hall of Fame trainer whose horses excelled on the dirt, on turf and over steeplechase fences, will retire from American horse racing, but will continue to train a small stable in Ireland, he announced Monday morning. Sheppard, who turned 80 last month, won every race and prize worth winning in American steeplechase racing over a 56-year career. He is the National Steeplechase Association's all-time leading trainer by wins (1,242) and purse earnings ($24,902,442). He has been the champion trainer by wins 26 times, and he has led...

Earning TDN Rising Star status on debut when winning over a mile at Yarmouth Aug. 30, George Strawbridge's Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made an impressively rapid jump forward to capture Thursday's G2 bet365 May Hill S. at Doncaster. Held up in last early by Frankie Dettori after an awkward start, the 10-3 second favourite was delivered with an eye-catching move stand's side to swamp the long-time leader Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Despite running green in front, the full-sister to the same connections' group...

Granted a much easier task after the 15-8 market-leader Lucid Dreamer (GB) (Dansili {GB}) refused to enter the stalls, George Strawbridge's Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) nevertheless cut a real dash on debut as she earned TDN Rising Star status at Yarmouth on Sunday. Due to start the 10-3 second favourite for the Norfolk venue's British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice S. over a mile with Khalid Abdullah's Lucid Dreamer having registered a promising debut win at Kempton, the full-sister to former celebrity Journey (GB) was slowly away and last...

5.15 Compiegne, Debutantes, €20,000, 3yo, 10fT BALTIC GOLD (IRE) (Golden Horn {GB}) is the first foal out of the G1 Prix Vermeille winner Baltic Baroness (Ger) (Shamardal) who debuts for the same Gestut Ammerland-Andre Fabre stable. The January-foaled descendant of the high-class Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) meets a trio of similarly well-connected peers in the fellow colts Scenario (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), a Waldemar Hickst-trained half-brother to the Group 1 winner Scalo (GB) (Lando {Ger}), and Westward (GB) (Dansili {GB}), George Strawbridge's full-brother to With You (GB) and We Are...

Fresh from a break having garnered the immensely valuable Longines Turf H. at Riyadh Feb. 29, George Strawbridge's Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) managed to continue the winning sequence in Sunday's G3 Prix de Barbeville at Deauville and book a potential trip to Royal Ascot. Prior to his Saudi venture, the homebred had been out of luck but always on the premises in seven starts since his defeat of Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) in the 2018 G1 Prix du Cadran at Paris Longchamp and it was that old...

Trainer Freddy Head will prepare George Strawbridge's Another Sky (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) for the Prix du Jockey Club after the colt made an impressive debut at Chantilly to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star.' The half-brother to 2016 G1 French Derby and G1 Champion S. winner Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) delighted the trainer, as he made most of the running and coasted home by 4 1/2 lengths, despite being eased down in the closing stages of the 1800-metre event over the all-weather track at Chantilly. Head revealed it...

The international favourites may have been humbled by locally trained runners in the first two turf contests on the $29-million Saudi Cup card at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, but European-trained runners powered back to fill the trifecta in the featured grass race, the $2.5-million Longines Turf Cup, with George Strawbridge's French-trained homebred Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) leading home the British-based Mekong (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Prince of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) in the 3000 metre contest. Call The Wind's trainer Freddy Head had earlier in...