Rajapour

Trainer Christopher Head and owner-breeder Leopoldo Fernando Pujals have already taken home the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches trophy with Blue Rose Cen (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and their year could become even more memorable should favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) take another step forward in an impressive season to date. There's a strong homebred feel to the line-up, and only five of the runners have ever appeared at an auction. Four are graduates of the Arqana August Yearling Sale, while Winter Pudding (Fr) will be flying the flag...

Is it just me or should France be known as the bloodstock land of opportunity? This is the country that saw Wootton Bassett (GB) and Walk In The Park (Ire) pull themselves up by the bootstraps after entering the stud book at relatively modest sums. There are few serious racing nations that provide as much of a chance for a stallion to flourish than France does. Take Kauto Star (Fr), the greatest staying chaser of the modern era, as an example. He hailed from the largely unheralded Village Star (Fr)...

For all that the annual parade of TDN Rising Stars is generally a formidable one, there are always those that just miss the cut and who forge on to bring that familiar sense of regret and longing from our team here. Of the Europeans who were closely considered but ultimately left out of the picture, none stings more than Ballydoyle's rugged Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), who first appeared in the five-furlong Dundalk maiden in early April won in the past by Scat Daddy's high-achieving Caravaggio and Skitter Scatter. Mostly...