Magic Wand (Ire)

At €65,000, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) was the most expensive horse to retire to stud in 2022, with a racetrack performance and pedigree that justified the fee. After all, he was the world-champion three-year-old, European champion two-year-old and Cartier Horse of the Year, with a race record that included five straight Group 1 wins, from the Dewhurst at two straight through to the Irish Champion Stakes the following autumn. By Siyouni (Fr) out of the Galileo (Ire) Group-winning mare Cabaret (Ire), he is a half-brother to the Classic winner Magna...

So what became of the likely lads and lassies? Since 2011, there has been a seven-figure top lot each year at the Arqana August Sale.  We are talking about some of the best-bred horses in Europe here. Yearlings that have been given the best possible chance of being good from the day that they were born. But did time prove them worthy of their top lot status? We all know that, in this business, money doesn't guarantee anything. If that was the case, what a boring sport this would be....

Building on her debut third at Leopardstown last month, Ballydoyle's Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}--Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made experience count with an impressive win to become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star in Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary. Positioned on the tail of the leader early by Ryan Moore, the 2-1 second favourite was sent to the front passing two out and powered clear for an emphatic 3 1/4-length success from Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), with Juddmonte's highly-regarded and well-supported 6-5 favourite...

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...

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 2:34 p.m. ET. I SEE YOU LOOKIN (City of Light) makes his first start Sunday for trainer Todd Pletcher. The $400,000 Keeneland September Sale grad is a half-sister to MGSP Lady Aces (Constitution), who was purchased for $200,000 at Keeneland November last year by the China Horse Club. Dam Economy of Motion (Pleasantly Perfect) is herself a half to MGISW Paradise Woods (Union Rags). Digging deeper into this extended female family, we find this debut runner's third dam is a half-sister to MGSW Mr. Greeley...

There was every reason to believe that a genuine future star of the 2021 Classic season was on display at Saint-Cloud on Tuesday as Godolphin, Ecurie des Monceaux and Ecurie Skymarc Farm's Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made light work of the G3 Prix Penelope over the 10 1/2-furlong Prix de Diane distance. Off the mark by a short neck from the subsequent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Tasmania (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) in a debutantes contest over a mile at ParisLongchamp in September, the Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to the G1 Irish...

Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Prudenzia {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}), a winner of the 2019 G1 Mackinnon S., has been retired from racing and will join Coolmore Stud's broodmare band in Ireland next year, Coolmore Australia tweeted on Thursday morning. The 5-year-old was due to defend her title in the Mackinnon S., but was withdrawn with a foot abscess prior to the race. "Following a foot abscess as she was preparing for a second tilt at the Mackinnon S., Magic Wand has been retired and will join our broodmare band in...

As if Saturday's action did not sate to the full, it is time to gorge while you can on Sunday with another seven top-level contests across Ireland, France and Germany. First up on the schedule is the delayed G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris for the 3-year-old Arc aspirants, which affords the opportunity to welcome back the shock G1 Epsom Derby hero Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the first time since his authoritative success in the July 4 blue riband. It will be fascinating to see how he copes with...

ParisLongchamp's card on Thursday played host to a significant debutante as Godolphin, Ecurie des Monceaux and Ecurie Skymarc Farm's Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) struck at the first time of asking in the Prix de la Cascade over a mile. The €1.625million Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale topper is out of Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), which makes her a half-sister to the luminaries Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). 3rd-ParisLongchamp, €22,000, Debutantes, 9-3, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:43.10, g/s. PHILOMENE (IRE) (f, 2, Dubawi {Ire}--Prudenzia {Ire} {SW-Fr}, by...

Prince Khalid Abdullah's champion mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is bidding to become the first horse to take three editions of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., as she is one of eight to stand their ground at the latest entry stage. She sustained only her second career loss with a 1 3/4 second when going for a three-peat in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October and was the bridesmaid once again kicking off her 6-year-old campaign in Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse S....

Racing's star mare Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) will make her keenly-anticipated 6-year-old debut against six rivals in Sunday's G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. Her G1 Prince of Wales's S.-winning stablemate Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was not declared by John Gosden, but the field is still strong with Godolphin's impressive G1 Coronation Cup hero Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Ballydoyle's G1 Juddmonte International winner Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) engaged, with the latter set to carry the colours of his part-owner Masaaki Matsushima. Restricted this year as a 4-year-olds and up race,...

Jessie Harrington has begun the season with a flourish and all the stars could be aligned for Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to provide a first Classic success in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh. The Niarchos family's homebred has stronger claims at this stage of her career than the 2018 heroine Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), having won the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S. here in June and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp in October before finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf....