Ghaiyyath

The calendar has turned at last, with likely many more than usual looking for a fresh start in a new year. Even outside the midst of a global pandemic, the excitement of a new sire crop typically provides plenty of reason for excitement and optimism, despite the fact the very few of the 30-something young pretenders preparing to stand their first seasons in the UK, Ireland and France will truly 'make it.' But isn't that the point? Those made of thick enough stuff to be involved in the breeding and...

Godolphin's four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) has scooped the top honours at the 30th annual Cartier Awards. The five-year-old son of Dubawi is the third Cartier Horse of the Year for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation following Daylami (Ire) in 1999 and Fantastic Light in 2001. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Ghaiyyath also claimed the Cartier Older Horse category ahead of Addeybb (Ire), Enable (GB) and Magical (Ire). There was further success for the Maktoum family when Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and...

Four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}-Nightime {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing after exhibiting muscle soreness. He will stand at Darley's Kildangan Stud next year. Bred by the Weld family's Springbank Way Stud, Ghaiyyath was a standout from the start being out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime. He cost Godolphin €1.1-million at the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale and showed promise soon after joining trainer Charlie Appleby, breaking his maiden at second asking at two before taking the G3 Autumn S. Ghaiyyath...

Trainer Charlie Appleby has confirmed that Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is likely to bypass the Oct. 4 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in favour of the G1 Qipco Champion S. on Oct. 17 or the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7. The 5-year-old beat just two home in last year's Arc, but since then has won four of his five starts including the G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Coral-Eclipse and G1 Juddmonte International. Ghaiyyath suffered his first defeat of the season when second to Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in...

There are few days in the European racing calendar as replete with top-class action as Saturday, with Doncaster's St Leger festival reaching its climax as the Irish Champions Weekend begins at Leopardstown. With the exception of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Godolphin's phenomenon of 2020 Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has emerged to dominate the middle-distance division and he bids to extend that to Ireland as he takes in the G1 Irish Champion S. With Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in opposition, on paper his task involves a simple repeat of his G1...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will line up for Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown after coming through a Thursday morning gallop in good order, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. This season's G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Coral-Eclipse S. and G1 Juddmonte International winner is the favourite for the 10-furlong contest and will face five rivals including Ballydoyle's Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as this season's G1 Prix Ganay victor Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). "It was a routine piece of work to check his well-being,...

James Doyle will renew his partnership with Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp, which frees up William Buick to ride Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in next Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. should the 5-year-old take up that assignment. As an elite sportsman, Doyle will need to quarantine for eight days upon returning to the UK from France and provide two negative COVID-19 tests. Ireland's quarantine rules were adjusted on Thursday to allow jockeys to travel to the country to ride at Group 1 meetings, paving...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won his second consecutive Group 1 on Sunday when turning back Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse, leads the latest edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020 with a mark of 127 for that latest effort. Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) finished 2019 as the world's highest-rated stayer, and he maintains that position after earning a rating of 125 for his third victory in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Japan's Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and...

There were days when we were drumming our fingers on our at-home desks or dining tables wondering what on earth to write about for tomorrow. But now that the shock of racing's shutdown has been completely erased by the return, finally, of racing in Ireland to complete a European full set, the panic is not what to write but how on earth to keep up with it all. No complaints here. The last few weeks since the French return in mid-May and Britain just over a week ago have provided...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had not been seen since beating just two home in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 6, and upon return in Thursday's G3 Dubai Millennium S. going 2000 metres on the Meydan turf he looked much more like the horse that won the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden by 14 lengths last summer, blowing apart an overmatched field by 8 1/2 lengths. An exciting proposition at two off the back of a five-length maiden win and a score in Newmarket's G3 Autumn S.,...