Leopardstown

World Pool will be part of the G1 Irish St Leger Day at the Curragh on Sept. 15 for the first time, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. It is one of three race meetings the globally commingled pools will be active at across the world that weekend, joining G1 Irish Champions Day on Sept. 14 and Makybe Diva Stakes Day at Flemington in Australia earlier that same day. With this addition, the entire Irish Champions Weekend will be part of the World Pool for the first...

Coming off a Curragh maiden success last month, the Silverton Hill Partnership's Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Azenzar {GB}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was on top at the end of Leopardstown's G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes to provide the Jessica Harrington stable with a double on Thursday. Settled in the wake of the Ballydoyle pace-setter Swagman (Ger) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) throughout the early stages, the 100-30 second favourite was sent upsides that rival by Shane Foley at the furlong pole and asserted to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with...

She was highly unlikely to be as impressive as at Royal Ascot and while Ballydoyle's Listed Chesham Stakes-winning TDN Rising Star Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) wasn't as ruthless in Thursday evening's G3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes, her class duly told in Leopardstown's joint-feature. Settled behind her course-and-distance-winning stablemate Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) by Ryan Moore, the 1-16 favourite was pulled out of her slipstream approaching the furlong pole and sent onwards to a 3 1/2-length success. There was another 1...

Tackling Leopardstown's often-informative Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden with vital experience, Marc Chan's homebred Green Impact (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Emerald Green {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) made that edge count as he denied a pair of Ballydoyle bluebloods to open his account in the mile contest. Slowly away before rushed up to shadow the leader in second, the Jessica Harrington-trained 11-8 favourite was committed by Shane Foley approaching the furlong pole and stayed on strongly to account for Ryan Moore's pick of the Aidan O'Brien-trained duo Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) by...

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 Observations features a seven-figure sales graduate. 14.40 Sandown, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT Godolphin's RULING COURT (Justify) caused a stir when realising a whopping €2.3-million at this year's Arqana Breeze-Up sale and makes his eagerly awaited debut in a contest won in recent years by Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi...

Thursday's stakes action centres on a trio of juvenile heats at Leopardstown and Sandown, with runaway Listed Chesham Stakes victrix and 'TDN Rising Star' Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) the star attraction in the G3 Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes over an extended seven furlongs at the Foxrock track. The five-runner field also features her Aidan O'Brien stablemate Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and last month's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes fourth Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}), from the Jessica Harrington yard. Ballydoyle is also represented by another 'TDN Rising Star'...

Such an eye-catcher when fourth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp in May, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Sweepstake {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) who failed to stay the mile and a half of Royal Ascot's G2 King Edward VII Stakes roared back to form dropping to nine furlongs in Thursday's G3 Meld Stakes at Leopardstown. Kept wide early by Ryan Moore, the 8-11 favourite took up a prominent position and when sent for home two out stretched his rivals to breaking point en route...

Leopardstown staged the mile maiden on Thursday which had seen Opera Singer (Justify) prevail 12 months earlier and there was another promising winner as Juddmonte's Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Hot Snap {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) made a winning start for the Dermot Weld stable. Out of the operation's G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes-winning and G1 Nassau Stakes-placed half-sister Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the homebred was held up in rear early by Chris Hayes. Looming wide on the home turn, the 12-1 shot swooped on the experienced 11-4 favourite Valencia (Ire) (Lope...

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 Observations features a daughter of Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).   18.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 8fT Coolmore homebred ECSTATIC (JPN) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is one of two nominees for Aidan O'Brien and the first foal produced by G1 Mackinnon Stakes heroine Magic Wand...

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 Observations features a returning winner by American freshman sire Maximum Security. 13.40 Clairefontaine, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 8fT ROSA SALVAJE (IRE) (Maximum Security) is one of very few by her sire running in Europe and got off to the ideal start when winning at Saint-Cloud last month. Ecurie Francky...

Billionaire Luke Comer lost an appeal against the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board to overturn a three-year-suspension of his training license, the organization confirmed in a statement Thursday. The suspension is scheduled to begin July 15. The three-person appeals body was chaired by Justice Peter Kelly in addition to Laurence McFerran and Dr. Paddy Molony. Suspended last September, the trainer was ordered to pay in excess of €750,000 in fines and legal costs after traces of the prohibited substances methandienone (MD) and methyltestosterone (MT) were found in 12 of his horses....

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 Observations features the second foal out of a four-time Group 1 winner. 16.45 Leopardstown, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, f, 7f 47yT The Niarchos Family's homebred filly PROXIMA CENTAURI (IRE) (Circus Maximus {Ire}) is the second foal thrown by four-time Group 1-winning Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman...