Sparks Fly

In the blink of an eye, that's another turf season in the books, which means that this is the final Seven Days column for 2024. Next week Adam Houghton will be starting a new column which aims to keep tabs on those two-year-olds who are rising three and could make more of a name for themselves next year. An eagle-eyed former Timeform employee, Adam guarantees that if the next Notable Speech (GB) is out there, about to make his debut on the all-weather this winter before marching on to Classic...

Winning machine Sparks Fly (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) is firmly on course to make her seasonal return in the Lincoln at Doncaster, trainer David Loughnane confirmed.  An eight-time winner, Sparks Fly landed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud by a whopping 12 lengths last term, and connections are now eyeing big-race riches at Doncaster.  Loughnane said, "She was a real flagbearer for us [last season]. She was the winning-most horse in Britain and she started off with a rating of 59 and finished off on 107-that was exceptional." He added, "She's wintered...

Fans of the film Withnail and I, which surely includes every reader of TDN, will be all too familiar with Withail's immortal line: "We've gone on holiday by mistake."  Dave Lowe could claim similarly that he became a breeder by mistake. As mistakes go, however, it has been one with a joyous outcome, for Lowe is the owner/breeder of one the most spectacularly progressive fillies in training. Sparks Fly (GB), a daughter of Muhaarar (GB), is out of a mare whom Lowe raced in partnership with friends. Named Stepping Out...