Quantanamera (Ger)

French jockey Marie Velon is counting down the days until her return to Ascot on Saturday when she reunites with her beloved Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) in a red-hot edition of the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes, with top-class three-year-olds Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) featuring among the likely opposition. Trained by Jean-Pierre Gauvin, Iresine provided his rider with a landmark success in October 2022 when winning the Prix Royal-Oak, the first Group 1 victory of Velon's career. The pair struck again last year in...

Relishing front-running tactics, the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) returned to winning ways in Monday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Never in any serious danger once Maxime Guyon had committed, the Andre Fabre-trained 7-5 favourite who was runner-up in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Allez France last month gave generously to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Quantanamera (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). It was at this track that Prix Rose de Mai started to look like a genuine Classic prospect last Spring when winning the Listed...

So far, the dazzling TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) has ruled the roost among the fillies of her native France and it is time to go up the ladder again in Sunday's six-furlong G2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly. Successful in her opening salvo and the G3 Prix du Bois by a cumulative margin of 9 1/2 lengths at this venue, Infinity Nine Horses' Christopher Head trainee was denied in between by fellow TDN Rising Star and Listed Prix Roland de Chambure winner Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in...

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. Sunday's Observations features the seasonal bow of Quantanamera (Ger), who will prep in the contest for Group company. 13.30 Hannover, Cond, €20,000, 3yo, 12fT QUANTANAMERA (GER) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has her seasonal bow in this Derby-Trial which formerly carried listed status and is quite a presence, having beaten...

Nominations for next season's G1 154th IDEE Deutsches Derby and G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana (German Oaks) close Wednesday. The former contest, scheduled for July 2 at Hamburg, has already attracted a swathe of notable entries including Paul Vandeberg's hitherto unraced filly Tiara Hilleshage (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), who is a homebred full-sister to last term's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (Ger). "She is an elegant filly who, like her brother, needs time and the focus is on her 3-year-old season," said trainer Marcel Weiss earlier this year....

Jurgen Sartori's unbeaten 2-year-old filly Quantanamera (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Quaduna {GB}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) posted an impressive three-length debut success tackling nine furlongs at Dortmund last month and blitzed those that dared once more in Sunday's G3 BBAG Preis der Winterkonigin, Germany's premium event for juvenile fillies, at Baden-Baden. The well-backed 6-4 favourite was sharply into stride from the outside stall and bowled along under a firm hold on the front end. Settling the contest in an instant when shaken up at the top of the straight,...