Gleneagles (Ire)

Joseph O'Brien trainee Velocidad (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) took the eye when making an impressive winning debut tackling six furlongs at Fairyhouse last month and doubled up in style to claim a first black-type score over the same trip in Sunday's G2 Airlie Stud S. at The Curragh. Racing a shade keenly in second after breaking third of the four runners, the 85-40 second choice loomed large on the bridle at the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once seizing control soon after to comfortably account for Coolmore and Westerberg's Yet...

Passed over by Frankie Dettori and one of the outsiders for Thursday's G2 Ribblesdale S., Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who carries the colours of Trevor Harris's Lordship Stud nevertheless held the John and Thady Gosden stable's bragging rights as she showed admirable toughness to upgrade her profile. Sent forward from her wide draw by Robert Havlin and avoiding the scrimmaging between keen-going fillies toward the rail as a result, the 18-1 shot stayed out of trouble tracking the leader Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) throughout the early stages. Committed...

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. Monday's observations features a daughter of a Classic heroine. 1.45 Gowran Park, Mdn, €12,000, 2yo, f, 7fT CONCERT HALL (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the fourth foal out of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who starts out for the Derrick Smith-Susan Magnier-Michael Tabor-Westerberg combination. Aidan O'Brien...

Gestut Brummerhof's Novemba (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) may have appeared to set an unsustainable pace when scooting off in front under Sybille Vogt in Sunday's G2 Wempe 101st German 1000 Guineas at Dusseldorf, but she was not for catching and powered further clear of toiling rivals to secure an impressive 7 1/2-length triumph. Vogt's enterprising tactics also yielded a first Classic success for a female rider. Novemba took two goes to shed maiden status, which she did at Hannover in August, and ran seventh in Baden-Baden's Sept. 12 G3 Zukunftsrennen before...

Classical Wave (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot 33) brought 240,000 guineas to top the fourth Tattersalls Online Sale which was held on Tuesday. The price is a new record for a colt/gelding in training on the online platform. Purchased by Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock from the Highfield Bloodstock draft, the 4-year-old gelding is a dual winner on the all-weather and is a half-brother to G1 Irish St Leger third Weekender (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and that gelding's full-brother Media Stream (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was third at listed level at Saint-Cloud. The...

Fit from an Apr. 3 10 1/2-furlong conditions heat triumph at Saint-Cloud, Jean-Louis Bouchard's 3-year-old colt Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) was back over that course and distance to win Saturday's G2 Prix Greffulhe. He had earlier bettered a Sept. 3 debut second tackling one mile at ParisLongchamp with an Oct. 16 maiden score back over that trip at Fontainebleau in his only other starts. Settled second early by Stephane Pasquier--in this staging post for Chantilly's June 6 G1 Prix du Jockey Club won by Study of Man (Ire) (Deep...

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 MG1SW Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). 5.35 Kempton, Nov, £6,300, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) Khalid Abdullah's MAYTAL (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is kin to four black-type performers, headed by MG1SW distaffer Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), and faces one dozen rivals in...

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 Insights features a half-brother to Garswood (GB). 12.15 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 8fT Coolmore and Westerberg's FRILL (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-sister to G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest-winning sire Garswood (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and one of three representing Aidan O'Brien in this debut. The 900,000gns...

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 an expensive son of Kingman (GB). 5.30 Dundalk, Mdn, €14,000, 2yo, 7f (AWT) Coolmore's BLUE PLANET (GB) (Kingman {GB}) became the fifth-highest priced lot when knocked down for 1.8-million guineas at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 fixture and the April-foaled bay is handed a low-key...

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 Insights features three well-bred Wertheimer et Frere representatives. 1.10 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, c/g, 9fT ZILEO (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of three well-connected Wertheimer representatives in this contest and is the son of the multiple graded-stakes placed Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer) who cost the operation $2.35million at the...

Michael Tabor's Star Seeking (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) played the diva role during an elaborate loading process for Monday's British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice S. at Leicester and justified joint-favouritism with an impressive perfomance in the straight seven-furlong test to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status on debut. Boxed up separately to rider William Buick, the 3-1 chance was a keen fifth through the early strides until settling into a smooth rhythm behind the leaders. Inching closer once beyond halfway, she seized control approaching the final furlong and quickened clear in...

Second choice on the board at 3-1, Shock Action earned his first black-type badge in the G3 Niigata Nisai S. at Niigata on Sunday. Positioned in the center of the track in fifth for the backstretch run, he began to inch into contention on the bend despite still racing wide. In a contested third 600 metres out, he motored up toward the leaders inside the final quarter mile, seized command a furlong from home and won going away by 1 3/4 lengths. Blue Symphony closed to take second, a half-length better...