Le Havre (Ire)

Three wildcards and 10 supplements have been added to the Arqana February Mixed Sale, which already includes 356 lots. Leading the wild cards will be Leibovitz (Ire) (lot 50) offered by Christophe Ferland. A winner over 1200 metrers at Chantilly on debut, the 3-year-old daughter of Starspangledbanner (Aus) hails from the family of Group 1 winners Park Appeal (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), Cape Cross (GB), and Diktat (GB), etc. A pair of broodmares are also wildcards with Rouen Cathedral (GB) (lot 140), who is a daughter of Le Havre (Ire) out...

Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge went to €675,000 to acquire G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB})'s weanling half-sister by the late Le Havre (Ire) during Arqana's Vente d'Elevage in Deauville on Saturday. The bay foal was offered as part of the dispersal of Haras du Quesnay as lot 166. Also a half-sister to stakes winner and G2 Prix Greffulhe third Trois Rois (Fr) (Hernando {Fr}), the May foal counts the stakes-placed Trophee (Fr) (Mr. Sidney) as another half-sister. At stud, the latter has produced G2 Moonee Valley...

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 Observations features a half-brother to a Group 1 winner. 12.35 Fontainebleau, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 2yo, f, 9fT Jeff Smith's hitherto unraced SPELLBINDER (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is a homebred half-sister to MGSW G1 Prix Ganay placegetter Norse King (Fr) (Norse Dancer {Ire}). In common with that sibling and several...

G1 Racing's Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) steamed home impressively from near the back of the pack to take the G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin on Sunday. Sent off at 8-1, he is the first 3-year-old colt to defeat his elders in the race since Stelvio (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2018. Caught in midfield Serifos relaxed beautifully under Damian Lane as Piece Of Eight (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) raced hard on the steel while shadowed by Falconia (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), with that duo swapping positions in the backstretch....

The Prix du Jockey Club winner and Classic sire Le Havre (Ire) has died at the age of 16. The son of Noverre was euthanised at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux in Normandy just three weeks after his retirement from stud duties had been announced. Le Havre's owner Gerard Augustin-Normand told TDN at that time, "He has been the most important horse of my life. He was the beginning and it's very emotional for me. I wouldn't have been in the breeding business if he had not been there....

Capping Deauville's August festival on Sunday, Haras de Saint Pair's Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) justified 9-10 favouritism to prove a popular winner of the feature G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville. Asked to go beyond a mile and a quarter for the first time when taking the G3 Prix de Reux over this track and 12 1/2-furlong trip on his latest outing Aug. 8, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained homebred was patiently ridden in rear early by Cristian Demuro. Launched to take command 300 metres from the finish, the 9-10...

Successful when unveiled at Chukyo in a newcomers' heat in June, Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) made it two on the bounce with a first black-type and group score in the G3 Niigata Nisai S. on Sunday. Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, the Oiwake Farm-bred took advantage of his rail draw and saved every inch of ground against the fence in midpack through the early going as Otaru Ever (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) showed the way. After a half in :48.50, he was sitting sixth as that rival continued...

After the rain missed Saturday's fast-ground G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., Goodwood had an abundance of it in the interim to ensure that things fell in the favour of the re-routed Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) ahead of Saturday's G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. Too keen early tracking the leader Makawee (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) on the soft going she needs, Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine was eventually allowed to stride to the...

   With Goodwood Saturday centred around the Stewards Cup for the sprinters, the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. is the sole black-type contest on the closing card but it features one of Europe's best in Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine was forced to miss last Saturday's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. due to the fast surface and despite the ground drying out all the time here,  she...

Christopher Wright's Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) has been withdrawn from the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. at Ascot and will be pointed at Goodwood next week. With minimal rain hitting the Berkshire track, the G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine was taken out as expected by David Menuisier. "When you train a soft-ground horse you always need a bit of luck with races in the middle of the summer," he explained. "She's the...

Christopher Wright's Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who won the G2 Hardwicke S. last out at Royal Ascot, is targeting the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 24. Scratched out of this past Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse, she defeated Sunday's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the Hardwicke. In 2020, the filly scored in the G1 Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp on Arc Day, and doubled down at that level in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies...

Christopher dual Group 1 winner Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) is on target for a start in the June 4 G1 Cazoo Coronation Cup at Epsom. A winner of the G3 Prix Minerve last August, she scooped the G1 Qatar Prix Royallieu two starts later on Oct. 3 and doubled down with a win in the Oct. 17 G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot for trainer David Menuisier. The Coronation Cup will be her first start as a 4-year-old. Menuisier said, "I think the timing...