Opera Singer

'TDN Rising Star' Ramatuelle (Justify) is set to retire to the paddocks after being bought by Coolmore for $5.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale on Monday. Trained by Christopher Head for owners including NBA Hall of Famer Tony Parker, Ramatuelle won four of her nine career starts and was last seen making the breakthrough at the top level with an emphatic victory in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp, before being withdrawn from Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on veterinary advice. The three-year-old was one...

The likely Ballydoyle runners for Arc weekend, led by G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), were unveiled by Aidan O'Brien on Tuesday. Fourth in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes, Los Angeles is one of two probable runners for O'Brien in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, where he will be joined by 2023 G1 St Leger hero and G2 Prix Foy third Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). "We think the most likely two are Los Angeles and Continuous," he said. "We think the ground probably isn't...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, 18 horses remain in contention for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, including the three-year-old Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who has topped the ante-post betting since registering his second consecutive victory over the course and distance in the G2 Prix Niel. He also won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on his previous start. Sosie is one of three potential runners for Andre Fabre, who will be seeking a record-extending ninth win in the Arc. Fabre is also set to...

Following the exploits of Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) on Saturday, it is the turn of Kyprios (Ire) to write one of the final stories of the grand epoch of Galileo (Ire) in his St Leger on Sunday. Heading back to The Curragh for the Irish equivalent he mastered in 2022, Moyglare's elite homebred seems to know no limitations to his supremacy in the staying division and it is highly likely he will augment Ballydoyle's group 1 haul during Irish Champions Weekend. Nothing can diminish him. Not the best...

There can't be many tracks that that deviate further from the standard American model than Goodwood. Even in Britain nobody today would dream of laying out a racecourse along a twisting ridge of downland, and we remain duly indebted to the militia officers who first eked out a little sport here 223 years ago. Not that the horses themselves share our appreciation for a gorgeous panorama of cornfields and woodland, focused as they are on keeping their balance over the swaying terrain and round sharp right-hand bends. Yet last week...

A total of 227 entries have been received for the five Group contests scheduled to take place on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot, it was announced on Tuesday. This is the largest number since 2018 and includes a record 56-strong entry for the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes, the feature race on the card slated for Saturday, October 19. The 56 horses entered for the Champion Stakes have won 37 Group 1 races between them, with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) boasting the most decorated CV as a six-time...

At the risk of making anyone who knows me choke on their cornflakes upon reading this, I'm rather enjoying the big sprint races this year. The rivalry between Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) now stands at honours even, though it was hard not to feel that Asfoora was a little hard done by when Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) edged left just at the moment the Australian was launching her challenge down the stands' side in the G2 King...

Aidan O'Brien knew he still had a top-class filly on his hands despite Opera Singer (Justify--Liscanna {re}, by Sadler's Wells) missing out on all the early-season mile monuments and the late Evie Stockwell's homebred who had wowed in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac duly delivered up in trip in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Able to control the 10-furlong contest from the front throughout, the 9-4 second favourite really turned it on passing the three-furlong pole and had to be brave late as the 16-1 shot See The...

Like stablemate Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), there is a sense that Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) is only just beginning to get her season underway as she steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. Reportedly ring-rusty when third in the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh and looking in need of further than a mile when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes, last year's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine has the opportunity to truly...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation Stakes placegetter Opera Singer (Justify) and supplementary entry Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are the leading lights left after 10 of 12 overnight nominees stood their ground for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Opera Singer, last term's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner, is on course to make her first start beyond the one-mile distance while it will be dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn's first visit to the Sussex Downs venue. The latter's Team Gosden stablemate Inspiral...

Dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has been supplemented at a cost of £40,000 to the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 1. Her addition brings the field to 12, with her rivals including both John and Thady Gosden stablemate Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and trainer Aidan O'Brien's Group 1 winner Opera Singer (Justify). Second in the G1 Oaks at three, the daughter of Hidden Brief (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) would go on to take the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes later...

Star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is set to spearhead the Ballydoyle team at Goodwood next week when he lines up in the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on the opening day of the meeting, Tuesday, July 30. The six-year-old spent the first few months of last season on the sidelines due to injury, denying him the opportunity to try and defend the Goodwood Cup crown he won so memorably when beating Stradivarius (Ire) and Trueshan (Fr) in a thrilling contest in 2022. However, this year he's set to return...