Tag: Shared News Europe

Friday Previews: 3-Year-Olds Lock Horns in Dubai

Undefeated Colts Square Off In UAE 2000 Guineas

If Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed's undefeated Bendoog (Gun Runner) takes Friday's 1600-metre G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, the bay colt will become his sire's 10th black-type winner and sixth at the graded/group level. Gun Runner–the Horse of the Year and Three Chimneys stallion who was champion first-season sire in America last year-ran second to Arrogate in the 2017 G1 Dubai World Cup.

One of two in the race for his owner along with Bhupat Seemar stablemate and winner Conglomerate (Ire) (Central Banker), Bendoog faces 13 rivals. One of several legitimate threats is the two-for-two Azure Coast (Street Sense). Trained by Pavel Vashchenko along with Suvorov (Creative Cause) in the colours of Vladimir Kazakov, the $65,000 Keeneland September yearling scored by six lengths in Moscow last September before another success over 1400 metres locally on Dec. 16.

 

Lord Glitters Looks For Singspiel Double

A frequent visitor to the UAE for the Dubai World Cup Carnival, the dual Group 1 winner Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) will be on hand to defend his title in the G2 Singspiel S. Third in the 2019 G1 Dubai Turf, the popular grey's greatest victory at Meydan was in the 2021 G1 Jebel Hatta on the Super Saturday card last March. Geoff and Sandra Turnbull's 9-year-old was fourth in the G2 Al Rashidiya on Jan. 21 after having to steady at the break. “We're happy with his training and we thought he ran well enough the other night in his first run at Meydan this season,” said trainer David O'Meara of the 2019 G1 Queen Anne S. hero.

The Singspiel has drawn plenty of rivals and the Godolphin homebred Zakouski (GB) (Shamardal) from Charlie Appleby's yard is aiming for his third Group 2 ring. Runner-up to Lord Glitters in last year's affair, the 2020 G2 Zabeel Mile victor also won the 2021 G2 Al Rashidiya, but he was a one-paced ninth to Lord Glitters in the G3 Bahrain International Trophy most recently. “We think he'll be better down in trip in the Singspiel as he ran really well in the race last year,” said Appleby.

 

Can Rebel's Romance Get Back On Track?

The 2000-metre Listed Curlin S. is usually a springboard toward both Super Saturday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 and the G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March. For the sparingly raced Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), however, it is a recovery mission. A winner of four of his six starts including last year's G2 UAE Derby, the 4-year-old gelding has only raced once since when a flat eighth in a rated conditions test at Meydan on Jan. 8.

Even if that race knocked some rust off Rebel's Romance, his quest is made more difficult by the presence of Victorious's Salute The Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}). A horse that has thrived in the desert since arriving in January of 2020, the Fawzi Nass-trained gelding is capable of winning at the highest level with a win in the 2021 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on his ledger. He was fifth in the Jan. 14 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round, and Nass said, “He's in good shape. Hopefully that race [on Jan. 14] has brought him on and he's ready to rock and roll this week in the Curlin S.”

 

Four On The Bounce For Modern News?

A winner in three starts as a juvenile in 2020, Modern News (GB), was on the sidelines for a year thereafter, during which he was gelded. A winner of three in a row since returning to the track last July, Modern News will be contesting his pet distance of 1400 metres on Friday in the Listed Business Bay Challenge S. His trio of wins at Newmarket (July 31), Doncaster (Sept. 9) and Lingfield (Oct. 28) were by a combined 3 1/2 lengths and he leaves from the inside post.

Another horse trying for four-straight victories is Bet Law (Brz) (Universal Law {Brz}) in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint over 1200 metres for Antonio Cintra Pereira and owner Stud Crespi. The 3-year-old colt soared to a pair of wins in Uruguay and won a track-and-trip conditions stakes by 4 1/4 lengths switched to Meydan on Jan. 14.

Click here for the group fields.

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The Back Nine With James Ferguson

Horse to look out for in 2022: El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

Proven or first-season sire: Proven.

Best piece of advice you've received: If you employ the best people the best horses will come.

Value sire: Zoustar, £25,000 at Tweenhills.

Pedigree or physical: Pedigree.

Favourite sport (besides racing): Football.

Favourite team: Manchester United.

Young person in the industry to keep an eye on: Dan Muscutt.

Three people you'd like as dinner guests: Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Sean Connery.

Trainer you admire the most: Sir Mark Prescott.

Favourite racehorse of all time: Frankel (GB).

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Night Of Thunder Colt Steals The Show

KILDARE, Ireland–“A good, good day,” said Goffs group managing director Henry Beeby as he cogitated the results from another solid session of the Goffs February Sale. The all-weanling cast put on a show which resulted in €2,161,800 being added to turnover which has now surpassed that reaped by the previous two-day sale of 2020, while the median remained at a respectable €10,000 and the average was €15,665 for 138 horses sold (76%).

In that transitional stage from being overgrown foals to becoming the nascent racehorses that many will appear to be come autumn, the youngsters passing through the ring on Wednesday represented the class of 2021 and, for many of them, it will have been good practice for their return to official yearling sales later in the year.

That is the intention for the session's top lot (285), bred by a man who was always an extremely welcome presence at the Orby Sale and whose loss will continue to be keenly felt in the years to come. Sheikh Hamdan's legacy of 40 years of breeding through his Shadwell Stud includes many star names throughout those years, and as the operation has downsized significantly since the sheikh's death almost a year ago, many of those bloodlines nurtured over the decades will go on to be influential in the hands of other breeders.

The Night Of Thunder (Ire) weanling that led the day was selected by the husband-and-wife team of Frannie and Niamh Woods, whose sound judgement has been validated on more than once occasion. Signing under their Abbeylands Farm banner, they bought the colt out of Afdhaad (GB) (Nayef) for €125,000. Both his dam and his grand-dam Albaraah (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) passed through the same ring in the Shadwell draft last November, the former selling for €25,000 to Charles Shanahan and the latter to Barronstown Stud for €230,000. It's fair to assume that it is not the last we will hear of this family.

That will certainly be the hope of Frannie Woods, who plans to reoffer the Night Of Thunder colt in the autumn. He said “He's by one of the best sires in Europe and he's a lovely colt. I'm delighted to buy one from Shadwell who have been such great supporters of ours over the year. He'll come back later in the year and we'll be hoping for a bit of luck with the pedigree. The Invincible Spirit [2-year-old half-brother] has gone into training.”

Woods could enjoy an update sooner than that as the mare's first foal Alafdhal (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) holds an entry for a novice stakes at Lingfield on Saturday and is now in the hands of Newmarket trainer Phil McEntee, whose talents remain woefully under-rated and who is currently operating at a 31% strike-rate with his team of all-weather runners.

Another shrewd trainer will eventually mastermind the career of lot 275, a colt inbred 2×3 to Danehill, by the dependable veteran Exceed And Excel (Aus). Finn Kent of Mickley Stud signed for the Ballinafad Stud-bred youngster in partnership with Dave Evans, who enjoyed a memorable 2021 season, notably through the G2 Sandy Lane S. winner Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}). Evans, who is based in Monmouthshire, already trains the colt's 3-year-old brother Bastogne (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) for Kent's father Richard, the owner of Mickley Stud. 

“We have the 3-year-old with Dave and he's rated 88, so we've been watching the family,” said Finn Kent. “It's a family Dave loves and we were keen to buy this colt. He'll go back to Mickley Stud for a while and will then go into training with Dave when the time comes.”

The colt's second strand of Danehill comes through Tiger Hill (Ire), sire of his unraced dam Wavebreak (GB) whose first two runners are both winners. She is in turn a daughter of Group 3 winner Neptune's Bride (Bering) and her half-sister Salacia (Ire) (Echo Of Light {GB}) has given the family a major boost as the dam of group winners King Of Change (GB) (Farhh {GB}) and Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

The sole representative of Le Havre (Ire) in the catalogue (lot 372), out of the Group 3-placed Endless Light (GB), joined the team of pinhooks by Jamie Railton, who went to €60,000 to secure the colt from the family of dual Grade I winner Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) from the Baroda Stud draft. 

The top filly of the day was lot 395, the Irish National Stud's daughter of two Group 1 winners in Decorated Knight (GB) and Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}).

The latter, winner of the Prix de l'Abbaye for Clive Cox, is the dam of Listed winner Time's Arrow (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). Her current 2-year-old from the first crop of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) was bought for €270,000 at the Orby Sale by MV Magnier and is in training at Ballydoyle. Her yearling filly was signed for by Hugo Merry for €62,000.

Another of the leading fillies of the day was consigned by Davey Stack's Coolagown Stud and represented the family of last season's dual Group 1-winning juvenile Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}). Lot 221 is from the first crop of Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) and was bought by Mags O'Toole for €45,000. Offered by Stack on behalf of breeder Joli Racing, she is a half-sister to Perfect Power's dam Sagely (Ire) (Frozen Power {Ire}), while the further family includes Arc winner Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and two new stallions on the scene for 2022, the Galileo (Ire) brothers Japan (GB) and Mogul (GB).

The final day of the Goffs February Sale, featuring breeding stock, gets underway on Thursday at 10am.

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Lisa Perrin Appointed Non-Executive Director of Ascot Racecourse

Lisa Perrin has been appointed a Non-Executive Director of Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited by Ascot Racecourse. Her role will begin after Royal Ascot (June 14-18). She replaces Guy Davison, who started in his Non-Executive Director role in July of 2015.

Currently the Managing Director of International Production for ITV Studios which she has held since 2020, Perrin is responsible for their production labels across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, the Nordics and Israel. Perrin had previously held senior leadership roles at Endemol Shine Group culminating in her position as CEO, Creative Networks (London/Amsterdam/Copenhagen/Miami) from 2015 to 2020. Perrin also sat on the Commercial Committee of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) from 2018 to present.

Sir Francis Brooke Bt., Her Majesty's Representative and Chairman at Ascot, said, “I am delighted that Lisa Perrin has agreed to succeed Guy Davison as a Non-Executive Director. Her distinguished career in television and media will provide expert insight to the board at a time of rapid change.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Guy for his great commitment to Ascot since 2015. His judgment and experience have played a very important role in many key decisions taken in recent years.”

Perrin added, “I'm thrilled and honoured to be joining the board of Ascot. So much is changing in global sports broadcasting, with new opportunities and platforms launching daily it's an exciting time to be joining such a dynamic organisation.”

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