Thursday preview

Thursday's G3 Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown sees the return of Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) following her disappointing effort in the Oaks, but this will be no soft reintroduction for Ballydoyle's G1 Fillies' Mile winner with fellow TDN Rising Star Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) lying in wait. Back at a mile for her comeback, having been injured at Epsom, Ylang Ylang was previously fifth in the 1,000 Guineas and that would normally be a standard-setting performance in this type of race but Galen has caught up quick...

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...

Thursday's stakes action centres on a trio of juvenile heats at Leopardstown and Sandown, with runaway Listed Chesham Stakes victrix and 'TDN Rising Star' Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) the star attraction in the G3 Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes over an extended seven furlongs at the Foxrock track. The five-runner field also features her Aidan O'Brien stablemate Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and last month's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes fourth Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}), from the Jessica Harrington yard. Ballydoyle is also represented by another 'TDN Rising Star'...

What could be classed as Europe's long weekend gets underway on Thursday, with Newmarket hosting the first of the three days of their Cambridgeshire meeting which eventually blends with all the key action at ParisLongchamp. Central to the opening fixture is the G3 Tattersalls S., or Somerville Tattersall S. as it used to be known, with several of the major stables represented including the Gosdens' Clarehaven operation. Their runner is the TDN Rising Star Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}), who earned that title with his dynamic display over six furlongs on...