Reach For The Moon (GB)

If Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) could talk, and by now it's almost as if he can, he would probably sound like Ali as he approaches his own version of the legendary "Rumble In the Jungle" at an Ascot with a suitably high reading on the thermometor. "I'm gonna dance!" he would shout. "There's nothing to be scared of." Whether he's been busy handcuffing lightning or chopping down trees ahead of his great hour fighting to regain his title in Thursday's G1 Gold Cup only connections know, but his...

Charlie Appleby calls it "the Olympics" and few would challenge that claim. Royal Ascot has been too long enmeshed in the fabric of British culture to be anything other than a truly special occasion, but in the Platinum Jubilee year it has even greater allure, a higher purpose. Four of the top nine horses in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, including the one who sits atop, will be here this week and several more that have yet to reveal themselves as members of that exclusive club. We will know them...

William Haggas's stable is in scintillating form at present and Sunderland Holding's My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) further emphasised that with success in Thursday's Listed Heron S. at Sandown. Sent off the 7-4 joint-favourite alongside the returning G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), the Apr. 16 Newbury maiden winner was settled in third early by Tom Marquand as the other market-leader set off in front. Wound up in early straight, the homebred half-brother to Wednesday's 12-length Listed Rothesay S. winner My Astra (Ire)...

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 Queen's group winner Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).   5.16 ParisLongchamp, Listed, €55,000, 3yo, f, 9fT RACLETTE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) lines up for this Prix Finlande on the back of a disappointing eighth in the G3 Prix de la Grotte here...

The Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who will not point to the G1 Cazoo Derby, has been entered in Thursday's Listed Coral Heron S. at Sandown instead. A runner for John and Thady Gosden, the colt won the G3 Solario S. as a juvenile. He will face his stablemate, Cheveley Park Stud's imposing Group 1 winner Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), in that contest.

John and Thady Gosden have been dealt a hammer blow over the fact that the Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will miss the G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom June 4. Winner of the Solario S. as a 2-year-old, Reach For The Moon (GB) had been a general 7-1 chance for Derby glory, and the news of his absence at Epsom comes just a week after the Gosden team were forced to rule Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) out of the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

High-class stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and G1 Cazoo Derby hopeful Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will both be in action at York in mid-May, co-trainer John Gosden revealed. The former holds an entry in the G2 Paddy Power Yorkshire Cup S. on May 13. After winning the G2 Doncaster Cup S. in September, the Bjorn Nielsen-owned chestnut ran second in the G1 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp a month later, and finished his season with a third in the G2 British Champions Long...

The consistent Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will reappear in a mid-May trial for the G1 Cazoo Derby in June, according to co-trainer John Gosden. A runner in the colours of  Her Majesty The Queen, the bay ran second in his first two starts, including in a Royal Ascot listed affair in June. He broke his maiden at third asking in a novice stakes at Newbury going seven furlongs on July 16 and added the G3 Solario S. at Sandown by four lengths on Aug. 21....

Her Majesty The Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) sustained an injury during training at Warren Hill on Tuesday and will miss the remainder of 2020, the Racing Post reported. The colt, a winner of the G3 Solario S., is expected to return at three. Second in the G2 Champagne S. to Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Reach For The Moon was making his fifth start at Doncaster. "Unfortunately, Reach For The Moon sustained an injury during a routine canter on Warren Hill and he's...

With the Gosdens and Frankie in such hot form and given the silks he carries, there was understandably a keen focus on The Queen's G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Saturday's G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster. Patriots and Frankie followers were in for a late shock, however, as Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's highly-regarded Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) ripped up the script to subdue the royal runner in the final strides and prevail by a head. Last seen finishing runner-up...

Progressive colt Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is a likely starter in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster on Sept. 11. The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt, who carries The Queen's silks, was a last out winner of the G3 Betway Solario S. at Sandown on Aug. 21. "Reach For The Moon is in really good form," said The Queen's Racing Manager John Warren after Reach For The Moon's stablemate Saga (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won at Ascot on Friday. "He had a good blow yesterday...

The Queen has a serious Classic candidate for 2022 judged on the manner of the win of her homebred Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Saturday's G3 Betway Solario S. at Sandown. Runner-up to TDN Rising Star Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the Listed Chesham S. over this seven-furlong trip June 19, the bay had since beaten the subsequent York nursery winner Harrow (Ire) (El Kabeir) by four lengths in a Newbury novice July 16 and it was all about him as he started as...