Vadamos

The logical connection between the name of this winning filly and the name of her dam would have been crystal-clear in the first decades of the twentieth century--at least in Paris, Venice and London. Italian-born Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957) was a high society celebrity with strong links to diverse characters in the worlds of art, fashion and literature. In fact, such connections seem to be infinite, as they include: celebrated painter August John (painted her and loved her), poet Ezra Pound (wrote about her), beat writer Jack Kerouac (mentioned her...

Coolmore has purchased the G1 Prix du Moulin winner Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) from Tally-Ho Stud and will stand him under its National Hunter banner at Grange Stud for 2021 at a fee of €6,000. In addition to the Moulin, Vadamos won the G2 Prix du Muguet and the G3 Prix Messidor. He is out of the listed-winning Celebre Vadala (Fr) (Peintre Celebre), who is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Valixir (Ire) (Trempolino). Vadamos is represented by his first 3-year-olds in 2021 and has thus far had...

Record-breaking first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) will see a fee increase to €25,000 at Tally Ho Stud in 2021. The son of Acclamation (GB) stood for €7,500 this year. Mehmas is the clear leader of the European first-season sires standings by earnings and winners, the latter tally of 47 as of Nov. 20 representing a record for a first-season sire. Iffraaj (GB) previously held the record at 38. Mehmas's four stakes winners include the G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) and G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Minzaal (Ire). The standardbearer of...

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. Today's Observations features a trio of siblings to Grade/Group 1 winners. 12.55 Leopardstown, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo f, 7f 20yT EARTH STRIKE (IRE) (Zoffany {Ire}) is an interesting debutante in this Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden, being a half-sister to the G1 Gold Cup and dual G1 Irish...

Royal Applause (GB), a stalwart of the Royal Studs who has been retired from covering duties since 2014, has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years largely thanks to his son Acclamation (GB) and grandson Dark Angel (Ire). Numerically, Gutaifan (Ire) led the first-season sires' list last season and he is one of at least eight sons of Dark Angel at stud in Europe. In 2020, two of those will have their first runners, but it is a son of Dark Angel's sire Acclamation who is tipped for the...