Charlie Appleby | Horse Racing Free Tips

More Cups Targets For Cross Counter

Godolphin’s 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) will have the Australian showpiece as a target once again in 2021 as the gelding stays in training with Charlie Appleby as a 6-year-old.

“Off the back of Twilight Payment winning the Melbourne Cup at the age of seven, hopefully there is still a bit of life left in Cross Counter,” Appleby said. “To win the Melbourne Cup as 3-year-old is a tough gig to do. He went back and put up another good performance in the race last year [eighth], and I just felt this year during the summer he showed the signs of fatigue, so therefore we knocked his season on the head and gave him the rest of the summer off.”

Indeed, Cross Counter ran just three times this year, when third in the Longines Turf Handicap on the Saudi Cup Card and when third in both the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the G3 Henry II S. at Sandown.

“He is out in Dubai getting some sunshine, and we will start his campaign there,” Appleby said. “I’d probably say the Dubai Gold Cup would be his main early-year aim. It’s hard for him to run in those handicaps with big weights like he did in that race in Saudi Arabia last year, so I’d think we will aim for the Dubai Gold Cup.

“If he can rekindle his form he will be competitive in that, then longer term, we might work back from a Melbourne Cup with him.”

The post More Cups Targets For Cross Counter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Too Darn Hot’s Sister Unwrapped at Newcastle

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. Tuesday’s Insights features a full-sister to MG1SW Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

2.40 Newcastle, Novice, £5,300, 2yo, 10f 42y (AWT)
DARLECTABLE YOU (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the seventh foal out of the Lloyd-Webber’s remarkable Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and a full-sister to the 2018 chief juvenile Too Darn Hot (GB) and high-class racemares So Mi Dar (GB) and Lah Ti Dar (GB). John Gosden gets the April-foaled daughter of the triple Group 1 winner out before the end of the year at the track at which he introduced Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at almost exactly this date four years ago and which also played host to the fellow Clarehaven stars Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Stradivarius

(Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Greeting her on her bow is another notably-bred individual in Godolphin’s Bandinelli (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Charlie Appleby-trained full-brother to the dual top-level scorer Old Persian (GB).

3.10, Newcastle, Mdn, £6,300, 8f 5y (AWT)
FIREWORKS (FR) (Kingman {GB}) was possibly named after the effect he had on the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale when selling as the third-highest-priced lot and second-highest-priced colt for €850,000 to Amanda Skiffington. Set to debut in the colours of Fiona Carmichael, the William Haggas-trained bay is out of a full-sister to the G2 Lancashire Oaks and G3 Prix Minerve winner Pomology (Arch) and a half to the Grade I performer Sassy Little Lila (Artie Schiller).

The post Too Darn Hot’s Sister Unwrapped at Newcastle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ruled Out Of Breeders’ Cup Due To Muscle Soreness, Ghaiyyath Retired To Stud

Ghaiyyath, the son of Dubawi who put up not one, not two, but three of the four best performances of any racehorse in the world this year, has been retired from racing and will stand at Kildangan Stud next year.

He retires with four G1 victories to his name, three of which he won this year – and all in outstanding fashion: The Coronation Cup, the Eclipse and the Juddmonte International.

Ghaiyyath was a high-class juvenile, breaking his maiden at Newmarket by five lengths before going on to take the G3 Autumn Stakes in October 2017.

Charlie Appleby's charge won the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange in an unbeaten three-year-old campaign, before reappearing at four to win the G2 Prix d'Harcourt.

Last September, Ghaiyyath recorded his first G1 victory in sensational style, winning the Grosser Preis von Baden by an astounding 14 lengths. This was the best performance in Germany this century.

Ghaiyyath has flourished this year, kicking off his 2020 campaign with another wide-margin Group win, this time taking the Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan by eight and a half lengths.

Upon his return to Europe, he added a second top-flight victory to his record, breaking the course record at Newmarket in the G1 Coronation Cup, beating Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.

Better was still to come, as he beat a field of the highest class in the G1 Eclipse, including Enable, earning him a Timeform rating of 133.

His fourth G1 win came at York this August, where he won a vintage renewal of the Juddmonte International by three lengths, once again making every yard of the running.

Charlie Appleby reported that the plan had been to look towards the Breeders' Cup but in preparation for the race, after a piece of routine work at the weekend, the horse showed signs of soreness behind. After veterinary investigation, the horse was found to be muscle sore.

Charlie Appleby said: “Ghaiyyath has had a fantastic career, winning nine of his 13 races. His high-class cruising speed and relentless style of galloping was a joy to watch and as I have said before, this year he came together both physically and mentally and looked the finished article. It is obviously disappointing not to be taking him to the Breeders' Cup but the exertions of a long season, which started in Dubai in January, were starting to show and the decision has been made to retire him.

“He was an outstanding part of the Moulton Paddocks team and I know that his numerous top-level successes gave our Principal, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, a great deal of pleasure.”

Joe Osborne, Managing Director of Godolphin in Ireland, said, “Ghaiyyath is a great addition to our roster: his superior ability as a racehorse combined with his looks and his pedigree will make him a sought-after option for breeders. We are delighted he will be standing at Kildangan Stud next season.”

Ghaiyyath is bred on the same hugely successful Dubawi/ Galileo cross that has also produced Classic winner and sire of the moment Night Of Thunder.

The post Ruled Out Of Breeders’ Cup Due To Muscle Soreness, Ghaiyyath Retired To Stud appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ghaiyyath Retired To Kildangan

Four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}-Nightime {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing after exhibiting muscle soreness. He will stand at Darley’s Kildangan Stud next year.

Bred by the Weld family’s Springbank Way Stud, Ghaiyyath was a standout from the start being out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nightime. He cost Godolphin €1.1-million at the 2015 Goffs November Foal Sale and showed promise soon after joining trainer Charlie Appleby, breaking his maiden at second asking at two before taking the G3 Autumn S. Ghaiyyath ran just once at three, winning the G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, and after taking the G2 Prix d’Harcourt to kick off his 4-year-old campaign he made waves when winning the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden by 14 lengths. That performance prompted a 2019 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe bid, but after making the running over the very soft going Ghaiyyath faded to tenth.

The bay put that blip-his only off-the-board finish in 13 starts-firmly behind him this year as a 5-year-old, however. After kicking off proceedings with an 8 1/2-length score in the G3 Dubai Millennium S. in February, he returned to Europe to best last year’s G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Coronation Cup and none other than Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Juddmonte International. Ghaiyyath was last seen finishing second to Magical in the G1 Irish Champion S. on Sept. 12, and had been set for a bid at the Breeders’ Cup before his setback.

“Ghaiyyath has had a fantastic career winning nine of his 13 races,” said Appleby. “His high-class cruising speed and relentless style of galloping was a joy to watch and as I have said before, this year he came together both physically and mentally and looked the finished article. It is obviously disappointing not to be taking him to the Breeders’ Cup but the exertions of a long season, which started in Dubai in January, were starting to show and the decision has been made to retire him. He was an outstanding part of the Moulton Paddocks team and I know that his numerous top-level successes gave our principal, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, a great deal of pleasure.”

Ghaiyyath is bred on the same Dubawi over Galileo cross that has produced Darley’s exciting young sire Night Of Thunder (Ire). Ghaiyyath’s page was enhanced after his purchase as a foal when his half-sister Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won a pair of Group 3s in Ireland for Dermot Weld and the GI Man O’ War S. in the U.S. before being bought by Godolphin for 3.7-million gns at Tattersalls December in 2017. Zhukova has yearling and colt foals by Dubawi, while Nightime has a yearling full-brother to Ghaiyyath bought by Godolphin for €1.2-million from Goffs November last year and a colt foal by Kingman (GB) slated to sell at the same sale next month.

Joe Osborne, managing director of Godolphin in Ireland, said, “Ghaiyyath is a great addition to our roster: his superior ability as a racehorse combined with his looks and his pedigree will make him a sought-after option for breeders. We are delighted he will be standing at Kildangan Stud next season.”

The post Ghaiyyath Retired To Kildangan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post