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Middle Park Remains Target For Ebro River

The Sept. 25 G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket remains the main goal for Group 1 winner Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), Hugo Palmer confirmed on Friday. Racing in the Al Shaqab silks, the colt will bid to add to his Group 1 haul after taking the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at The Curragh on Aug. 8.

Said Palmer, who trained Ebro River's sire Galileo Gold to wins in the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S., “I've left him in the [Sept. 18 G2] Mill Reef [at Newbury] just in case it looks like being soft there and it looks like being firm ground at Newmarket, but I'm not sure many have carried a Group 1 penalty in that race.

“He is very unlikely to go to the [G1] National S. [at The Curragh on Sept. 12] and the [G1 Prix] Jean Luc Lagardere [at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 3] is a possibility, but I think six furlongs is his trip. The Middle Park is the main aim and that is where we want to go but we have kept the other options just in case.”

Successful at second asking at Doncaster in May, Ebro River added the Listed National S. at Sandown on May 27. Only fifth in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, the chestnut reported home fourth in the G2 Tattersalls July S. and July 29 G2 Unibet Richmond S. prior to his top-level score.

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Poetic Flare Out of Moulin and Will Line Up in Irish Champion

Classic winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) will skip an intended start in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin and instead line up in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 11, trainer Jim Bolger revealed on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. It will mark the first time the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. hero will try a distance beyond a mile. Since his Royal Ascot win in the St James's Palace S., the Bolger homebred was runner-up in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on July 28 and filled that spot again behind Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 15. Bolger opted for the longer race due to the expected ground conditions.

“I've got the weather forecast for the week, [and] while it's going to rain, I don't think it will be enough to produce soft ground, so I'm taking a chance and at this stage we're saying we're going to Leopardstown,” he told Nick Luck's podcast. “[I was tempted to run in France] because I thought Leopardstown might get more rain, but I'm reasonably satisfied now that the going will be ok at Leopardstown.

“I'm not thinking about which is tough, I'm just going for which race I think suits best on the day. I'm not concerned about who goes where–I'm only concerned about the going.”

Poetic Flare would have clashed with Shadwell's unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Moulin, who is trying Group 1 company for the first time at ParisLongchamp for William Haggas.

“I can't be sure [10 furlongs will suit better than a mile], but weighing up all the considerations, it's been fairly easy for me to opt for Leopardstown,” the trainer added.

“If you want to look at the financial side, the winner in Longchamp would take home about €250,000, which is not inconsiderable, and at Leopardstown it will be almost €700,000 I reckon. As someone who has to run the sport come business in a reasonably financial manner, Leopardstown makes more appeal.

“Leopardstown is home as well and we don't have to spend €80,000 on an aeroplane so for that reason, Leopardstown was a no-brainer but then I had to consider the going. They are the only considerations, I'm not concerned about who else is going there as long as there's room for us.”

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Team TalkSPORT Triumphs as Racing League Concludes

The William Hill Racing League ended at Newcastle on Thursday evening with Team talkSPORT crowned the winner. A total of 12 teams competed in the weekly Thursday races that began six weeks ago, with Gosforth Park, Doncaster, Windsor and Lingfield (twice) all hosting a night. Each race carried a £50,000 purse, with 25 points awarded to the winner, with points available through 10th place. Besides the £1.8 million in prizemoney on offer throughout the contest, another £200,000 in bonuses was on off with £150,000 going to the winning team.

At the top of the table with 368.5 points, Team talkSPORT consisted of trainers Michael Bell, Ed Dunlop, James Fanshawe and Roger Varian. They will split £60,000 between them. Team talkSPORT's jockeys, led by Jack Mitchell, will divide £30,000, as will the yard staff of the trainers and the owners whose horses made up the successful team.

Michael Bell's brother Rupert Bell, who co-managed the winning team with fellow broadcaster Alan Brazil, said, “I think it's been fantastic. I'm the Pep Guardiola of the racing manager world–Alan Brazil had absolutely nothing to do with it. I've been at every meeting and well done to the trainers and all their staff. Fair play to them.

“You can't knock the stable staff getting £30,000–that's fantastic. There'll be one hell of a party at Fitzroy House [Michael Bell's yard]–I better get invited.”

In second place at the end of the evening was eToro Racing with 359.5 points and Team ThoroughBid was third with 351 points. Thursday's two-time winner Jack Mitchell (276.5 points) was top of the standings among jockeys and earned £25,000, with six wins overall. Hayley Turner was runner-up with 231 points. Her prize was £15,000. In third place was Saffie Osborne, who took home £10,000.

For the complete standings, please visit www.racingleague.uk.

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TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards Announced

The winners of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Flat Breeders' Awards sponsored by Fitzdares were revealed at Chippenham Park on Sept. 2. Spread across 14 categories, the best of British bloodstock was toasted at the event, which was hosted by Gina Bryce.

The Andrew Devonshire Award, which honours outstanding contribution to the industry went to Lady Emma Balding. She is the wife of former trainer Ian and mother of broadcaster Clare and Classic-winning son Andrew. Also a former TBA Trustee, Lady Balding assisted in the creation of the Retraining of Racehorses charity by obtaining a bequest from the Mellon family. Her Kingsclere Stud has been the birthplace of many stakes winners. Dalham Hall Stud's Ken Crozier won the Dominion Award. He began at the Newmarket stud in 1982.

There were two new awards: the Filly of Merit Award, which went to stakes winner and dual Group 1-placed Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), and the Barton Stud sponsored Industry Merit Award. Highclere Stud was the recipient of the latter for its new 50/50 and Euro4Euros stallion terms. The Warren family also collected the H J Joel Silver Salver for Flat Broodmare of the Year Beach Frolic (GB) (Nayef), the dam of Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

The TBA Stud Employee Award, sponsored by New England Stud, went to Ron Lott. Gaie Johnson-Houghton, who bred G1 Sussex S. hero Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), was awarded the Langham Cup as the Small Breeder of the Year. After the success of her two Group 2 winners-Nando Parrado (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and Angel Power (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Anita Wigan received the TBA Silver Salver. Breeders Bearstone Stud were honoured with the TBA Silver Rose Bowl for TBA Flat Breeder of the Year. They enjoyed a win at the Breeders' Cup with homebred Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) and Lullaby Moon (GB) (Belardo {Ire}), who won a Group 3 in France.

In addition to the above awards, the statistical awards, which were announced at the beginning of the year, were also presented. Besides winning the Leading British-based Flat Breeder award, Godolphin also celebrated success with flagship stallion Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}) who won both the BBA Silver Cigar Box for leading British-based Flat stallion by earnings and the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup, which is given for the leading British-based stallion of individual Flat winners. Rounding out the stallion awards, Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) earned the Tattersalls Silver Salver as the leading first-season sire in Britain and Mayson (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) received the EBF Stallion Special Merit Award.

TBA Chief Executive Claire Sheppard said, “It has been fantastic to be able to recognise and celebrate the successes of British breeders in person again at tonight's Awards evening. Our sincere congratulations extend not only to the winners but also to all the nominees this evening for their outstanding achievements domestically and on the global stage. We are incredibly grateful to William Woodhams and the team at Fitzdares for their support of British thoroughbred breeding as headline event partner, and to all our event supporters.”

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