Kirsten Rausing

Kirsten Rausing's homebred 5-year-old mare Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), unbeaten through five tests last term, disposed of esteemed rivals in last month's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on seasonal return and maintained her winning streak with a decisive success as the 7-4 favourite in a stellar edition of Thursday's G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks on the Knavesmire, a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November. Successful in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin, G1 Preis von Europa and G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern...

Jockey David Probert described Kirsten Rausing's Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) as a having been a "forgotten horse" following her success in Tuesday's G2 World Pool Lennox S. at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but last year's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. and G3 Albany S. winner made sure she was back in the headlines at a seven-furlong trip that may prove her niche. Already signalling a return to her best when fighting out the finish of the G1 Falmouth S. with Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB})...

British Racing School Chief Executive Grant Harris will move on to a new role as the Chief Executive of the Alborada Trust on Jan. 1, 2023. A search for his successor will begin immediately. The Alborada Trust is Kirsten Rausing's private philanthropic charitable trust. Harris replaced Rory MacDonald when he retired in 2014. Prior to working with the BRS, Harris was a journalist for the NTF, BHB and Weatherbys. Harris said, "It's been my great privilege to run the British Racing School. I took over a thriving organisation and I...

This season we appear to have been gifted an above average crop of 3-year-olds, along with some truly exciting older horses who have remained in training. It is as it should be, but things don't always work out that way.  France and England exchanged Group 1 races at the weekend: on Saturday it was a case of veni, vidi, vici for Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), who gave France a first victory in the race since 1960, when it was won by the Percy Carter-trained Javelot (Fr) (Fast Fox {Fr}). The...

Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was making her comeback in Sunday's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, but there was no sign of rustiness as she overwhelmed a deep field for a fourth consecutive top-level victory. Now unbeaten in her last six starts including the G2 Lancashire Oaks, G1 Grosser Preis Von Berlin, G1 Preis Von Europa and G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern, the Sir Mark Prescott-trained grey was held up early travelling notably strongly for Luke Morris in rear of mid-division. Unleashed wide at the top of the straight,...

Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase was staged over 14 furlongs, but it took a pixel study for the judge to call it as TDN Rising Star Eldar Eldarov (GB) inched out Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to continue the fine week for Dubawi (Ire). KHK Racing's unbeaten colt had launched his season with a win over 10 furlongs on Newcastle's Tapeta May 24, but Roger Varian had plumped for this staying test of all the options here and ultimately was fully justified as the £480,000 Arqana Breeze Up graduate needed every yard...

A group of Italians who call South Florida home banded together last year to form Miami IP Stable, a racing stable of American-bought horses to race in Italy. The partners' initial investment worked out so well, they plan on restocking at the upcoming yearlings sale and this time they hope to make use of evolving technology to increase their buying power. Paolo Romanelli, whose roots in Italian racing run deep, spearheaded the partnership. "I have this passion for horse racing because of my family tradition," Romanelli said of the origins...

The flag at Somerville Lodge in Newmarket is at half-mast. For the inhabitants of that famous stable it is of course a deeply personal gesture as Maureen Haggas and her family mourn the death of her father Lester Piggott. Over the decades they will have become accustomed to the fact that the head of their family was also a racing icon--a man not just whose name is the first jockey a random member of the public can call to mind, but for many longstanding fans of racing the man who...

Three-time Group 1 winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will step out in the June 3 G1 Cazoo Coronation Cup at Epsom for her first start of the year, according to trainer Sir Mark Prescott. Raced by breeder Kirsten Rausing, the 5-year-old delivered five victories in five starts in 2021, including three straight German Group 1s: August's Grosser Preis von Berlin, September's Preis von Europa and the Grosser Preis von Bayern on Nov. 7. Prescott said, "She is fine and we intend to run her in the Coronation Cup. We have...

Kirsten Rausing experienced a season to remember last year, with triple German Group 1 winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), G3 Albany S. and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. victress Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) and the dual Group 1-placed Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) the highlights of a handful of talented fillies and mares on the racecourse. All three of those train on in 2022, and Rausing has plenty to look forward to in her stallion ranks at Lanwades Stud, too; Sea The Moon (Ger) stands for £25,000, his highest fee yet,...

Kirsten Rausing's 4-year-old filly Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had yet to taste defeat in four prior outings this term and lined up for Sunday's G1 Allianz Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich coming back off wins in Hoppegarten's Aug. 8 G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and Cologne's Sept. 26 G1 Preis von Europa last time. The homebred grey's second dam Albanova (GB) (Alzao), who was also conditioned by Sir Mark Prescott, had rattled off a trio of German Group 1 triumphs in a nine-week spree during 2004 and she emulated...

Classic winner and Group 1 sire Sea The Moon (Ger), who has sired 13 2-year-old winners in 2021 and whose yearlings sold for up to 300,000gns at Tattersalls October, leads the Lanwades Stud roster for 2022. He will command a fee of £25,000. G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Study Of Man (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will have his first yearlings in 2022, and he will stand for £12,500. The Lanwades roster is completed by Bobby's Kitten-a leading second-crop sire this year and the sire of G2 Duchess of Cambridge...