Vandeek (GB)

Chris Wall, racing manager for owners KHK Racing, has issued a positive bulletin on last year's star juvenile Vandeek (GB) and dual Classic winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) as the countdown continues to the start of the Flat season on turf. The yellow-and-black-striped colours of KHK Racing have been carried to notable success since they first appeared on British racecourses in 2020 and the latest campaign was arguably the operation's best yet following the emergence of the unbeaten Vandeek, who proved himself a high-class sprinting two-year-old for Simon and...

Aidan O'Brien hailed City Of Troy as the most exciting two-year-old he's trained as the son of Justify was named Europe's champion juvenile for 2023 when the classification was released on Tuesday. He becomes the 13th European champion two-year-old to have been trained by O'Brien, with only Johannesburg (126) achieving a higher rating among the previous 12. A Coolmore homebred out of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), City Of Troy went unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old, culminating with a dominant display when winning...

Smart juvenile Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who races for KHK Racing, Ltd. is likely to make his 3-year-old debut in the G2 Sandy Lane S. in May, according to co-trainer Simon Crisford. A multiple Group 1 winner in 2023, the colt won the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. in August and September, respectively. "He's looking super, he's trotting and we'll probably start him off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock at the end of May," Simon Crisford told ITV Racing. "One run before Royal Ascot. "Commonwealth,...

The catalogue for the 2023 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, set to be held Monday, Nov. 27, is out and can be viewed online. A total of 188 lots are set to sell over the one-day sale that immediately precedes the December Foal Sale, which will take place from Tuesday, Nov. 28 through Saturday, Dec. 2. Last year's sale produced a number of standouts, including dual Group 1 winning 2-year-old Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) and G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Ire}), purchased for 42,000gns and...

Dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) will not run in the G1 Dewhurst S. and instead be prepared for a 3-year-old sprinting campaign, according to Chris Wall, racing manager for KHK Racing. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the grey colt is undefeated in four six-furlong starts, beginning at Nottingham in July, followed by the G2 Richmond S., G1 Prix Morny and Saturday's G1 Middle Park S. in the yellow-and-black-striped colours of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's KHK Racing. Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup S. is...

Ruthlessly efficient and utterly dominant in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket, KHK Racing's sprinter supreme Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}--Mosa Mine {GB}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) sealed his elevated status by becoming the sixth G1 Prix Morny winner to double up here since 2012. Sent off the heavily-supported 5-4 favourite to add to his tally which as well as the Deauville highlight also includes the G2 Richmond S., the Simon and Ed Crisford trainee was over-enthusiastic in the early stages as James Doyle struggled to contain...

   Saturday's action features four Group 1s and four Group 2s across Newmarket and ParisLongchamp, with all ages and distances covered from the six furlongs of the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. and G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. to the two and a half miles of the G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran. It is the former pair of prizes that take centre stage, with so much at stake for the precocious stars of their generation. The onus is very much on KHK Racing's G1 Prix Morny winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana...

Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) heads a field of four for the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York with Aidan O'Brien's star three-year-old bidding for a fifth success at the highest level. His chief threat is Shadwell's G1 Prince Of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt will be accompanied by stablemate Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who bids to rebound off a third-placed effort in the G1 Nassau S at Goodwood. King Power Racing's Derby fifth The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) will have his first...

Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny looked a deep one beforehand and it didn't disappoint as KHK Racing's Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}--Mosa Mine {GB}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) reeled in Infinity Nine Horses' TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) close home for the bragging rights at Deauville. As he had on his winning debut at Nottingham and the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained 625,000gns Tatts Craven Breeze Up joint-topper travelled easily throughout with Andrea Atzeni notably still. Allowing the G3 Prix du Bois and G2...

One of only two French-trained juveniles in Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville, Infinity Nine Horses' TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) will need to draw on a significant amount of her abundant talent to maintain her sequence in one of the best renewals of the six-furlong feature in recent years. Out on her own at the end of Chantilly's G3 Prix du Bois and G2 Prix Robert Papin, the Christopher Head trainee now has to stand up to a collective of the best sprinting colts from Britain and Ireland...

Impressing with his debut success over six furlongs at Nottingham last month, KHK Racing Ltd's Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}--Mosa Mine {GB}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) stamped his class on Thursday's G2 Markel Richmond S. at Goodwood. As the 625,000gns joint-topper at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained relative of Anabaa and Key Of Luck travelled ominously well following the pace before taking command with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Soon clear under Andrea Atzeni, the 11-8 favourite had a length to spare over Ballymount Boy...

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. Friday's Observations features Tattersalls Craven Breeze up co-topper Vandeek (Havana Grey). 14:15 Nottingham, Mdn, £6,850, 2yo, 6f 18yT VANDEEK (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) emerges a touch later than would have been expected from a colt who at 625,000gns was the joint sale topper at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up....