Yibir (GB)

Charlie Appleby, fresh off two consecutive UK trainers' titles,  will have a host of stars to go to war with in 2023, among them Godolphin's undefeated G2 Gimcrack S. hero Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The son of listed winner and Group 3-placed Eartha Kitt (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), named a 'TDN Rising Star' off his winning debut at Ascot in May, is earmarked for the G3 Greenham S. in April, before a possible bid for G1 2000 Guineas glory in May. He said, "Noble Style has not been seen since...

Godolphin's Breeders' Cup team from Charlie Appleby's Moulton Paddocks will be led by multiple Grade I winner Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Already successful at the Breeders' Cup with a score in the GI Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last November, the chestnut returned to Europe for his seasonal bow and claimed the G1 French 2000 Guineas at ParisLongchamp on May 15. Third in the G1 French Derby in June, Modern Games was fifth in the G1 Prix Jean Prat on July 10 and rebounded to take second behind Baaeed...

Last year's Breeders' Cup hero Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will not travel Stateside for his next start, after meeting with a setback, Godolphin announced via Twitter. The Charlie Appleby trainee ran out a half-length winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November and narrowly reported home second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March. Returned to the country of his birth, he filled that position again in the G2 Jockey Club S. at Newmarket at the end of April and was third in the GI Man...

Back at the July Festival at which he first showed his hand 12 months ago, Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) benefitted from an ultra-cool William Buick ride to arrest a brief recent decline in Friday's G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers S. at Newmarket. Upset by Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when second in the G2 Jockey Club S. on the Rowley Mile here Apr. 29 before finishing a deflating third in the May 14 GI Man o'War S., the reigning Breeders' Cup Turf hero had it to prove returned...

With the skies free of cloud, Newmarket begins its three-day July Festival on Thursday which for many afficionados of the turf is their highlight of the year. The feature on day one is the G2 Princess Of Wales's Close Brothers S., which sees Godolphin's international bigwig Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) face off against Shadwell's still-improving Mostahdaf (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Yibir may have slipped a little of late, with a surprise second to Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Rowley Mile's G2 Jockey Club S. presaging another disappointing reversal when...

Last year's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will return in the June 3 G1 Coronation Cup S., Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby revealed on Saturday. Fourth in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, one place behind stablemate Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in October, the strapping bay ended his season with a fifth after racing too freely in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. on Oct. 16. "Going forward the plan would be to start him off in...

Of the eight races for Thoroughbreds on the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night, five of them went to horses owned, bred, and trained in Japan. Granted, $5-million G1 Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) had to share his victory with His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's now-dual Turf hero Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), but that is cold comfort to other countries, who struggled to get near the winner's circle. The night started out in much the same fashion as the Saudi Cup card in Saudi Arabia...

Godolphin homebred Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was part of trainer Charlie Appleby's incredible success with Transatlantic shippers in 2021, as he annexed the Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. before flying home late to take the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf against elder rivals. That was enough to lock up the champion turf male Eclipse on Thursday. 

Del Mar, CA--Racing is a sport of great drama, but it is a fair bet that Charlie Appleby wouldn't have minded a bit less of it this weekend. The trainer enjoyed a banner meeting, recording his fourth, fifth AND sixth wins at the Breeders' Cup with the Dubawi (Ire) colts Modern Games (Ire), Space Blues (Ire) and Yibir (GB), all under William Buick in the Juvenile Turf, Mile and Turf, respectively. Appleby also saw two of his runners scratched at the gates-well, three, technically, with Modern Games sensationally re-instated before...

European shipper Yibir carried the blue Godolphin silks to victory in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational S., securing a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in the process. Off a step slow, the chestnut caboosed the field early as Tango Tango Tango (Tourist) was pressed by fellow longshot Slicked Back through early splits of :25.37, :49.45 and 1:14.46. Still last on the backstretch run, Yibir swung out five wide turning for home and instantly inhaled his rivals, charging clear for a dominant victory. "We've been...

Further evidence that Charlie Appleby holds all the aces in the 3-year-old middle-distance colt department was in plain view on Wednesday as Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had his turn on the Moulton Paddocks carrousel of success in York's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. Backed into 6-1 before the off, the July 8 G3 Bahrain Trophy winner who was last seen finishing sixth in the G3 Gordon S. over this 12-furlong trip at Goodwood July 29 was dropped out in rear early by James Doyle as Ballydoyle's outsider The Mediterranean...

Ballydoyle missed out with an unusually low-key representation at the Chester May meeting on Wednesday, but one of their big guns is rolled out on Thursday as Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is relaunched in the G3 Ormonde S. Tackling the extended 13-furlong trip which is the furthest he has gone so far in his career, the 2019 G1 Juddmonte International and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero looks to put a disappointing end to his 2020 season behind him. Tailing off following his third placing in the G1 Eclipse at...