Top News Europe | Horse Racing Free Tips

Walk In The Park Reigns At Goffs December

Walk In The Park (Ire) sired four of the six highest foals and the three top lots, as the Goffs December National Hunt Sale continued on Tuesday.

Ballincurrig House Stud consigned lot 294, a son of Appy Days (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}), and he caught the eyes of Gerry Aherne and Charles Shanahan for €90,000. His dam is out of G3 Nell Gwyn S. heroine A-To-Z (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}).

Said the colt's breeder Cathal Ennis, “I've had my fair share of setbacks and bred enough slow ones too. I'm not saying I'm successful at all, but if there's one thing I am very fussy about, rightly or wrongly, it's broodmare sires.

“I love mares by King's Theatre, Presenting, Saint Des Saints and so on. I set a lot of store by them. Look at Saddlers' Hall, who was disappointing as a sire, but his daughters were dynamite.”

Second on the list was Castlefarm Stud's son of Ard Abhainn (Ire) (lot 296), who sold for €80,000 to Kevin Ross Bloodstock and Killeen Glebe. His dam, a daughter of Jeremy, won a listed race over hurdles.

Rounding out the top trio was a bay colt (lot 226) from the draft of Thistletown Stud. Snapped up by Rathmore Stud for €80,000, he is out of the Shirocco (Ger) mare Valjan (GB), herself a half-sister to G1 Champion Hurdle winner Katchi (Ire) (Kalanisi {Ire}).

At the close of trade, 132 lots sold (58%) for a gross of €2,157,800. The average remained almost even with 2022's at €16,347, and the median rose €20% to €12,000.

The post Walk In The Park Reigns At Goffs December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Jockey Club, Ascot Partner with Churchill Downs for Trans-Atlantic Initiative

A pair of runners competing during Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, will be offered wild card entries for Epsom's 3-year-old Classics contested four weeks later.

The winner of Churchill's $500,000 GII Edgewood S., contested on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 3, will receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the G1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom May 31.

In the colt's division, a runner from the $500,000 GII American Turf S., scheduled for Kentucky Derby Day May 4, will receive an entry and travel incentive to the June 1 Betfred Derby.

The Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse have also coordinated with Churchill to offer wild card entries to a pair of Royal Ascot fixtures. A runner from the $500,000 GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., also run on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the G1 King Charles III S. (formerly the King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 18. Additionally, a runner from the $1-million GI Old Forester Turf Classic S., contested on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in either the G1 Queen Anne S. June 18 or the G1 Prince of Wales's S., held June 19, both staged during the Royal meeting.

In return for the above incentives for U.S.-based runners, a runner from both the Queen Anne and the Prince of Wales's will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in Colonial Downs' $1-million GI Arlington Million S. over 10 furlongs in mid-August.

Also, a runner from the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket's July Festival July 12 will also receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the $500,000 GI Beverly D S. on the same day as the Colonial Downs Arlington Million.

Winners of the aforementioned races will receive the invite to run in the corresponding races across the Atlantic. However, in the event that the winners aren't able to accept, racecourses may then also invite placed horses. The elimination procedures in these races will remain as they are now.

“A trip to Churchill Downs is one that should be on the bucket list for every racing fan, the world over,” said Matt Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Racing Director at The Jockey Club. “The Kentucky Derby itself can trace its origin back to Epsom Downs in 1780 when Diomed won the very first Derby and we are proud to reinforce this historic link.

“These historic races already have an international reputation and we want to welcome more and more international runners in the years to come.”

For more information, click here.

The post The Jockey Club, Ascot Partner with Churchill Downs for Trans-Atlantic Initiative appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

2023 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Shortlist Revealed

The 2023 shortlist nominees for the Sports Personality of the Year were revealed by the BBC on Tuesday. The winner will be announced during alive broadcast live from Media City in Salford on Tuesday, Dec. 19, with presenters Clare Balding, Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott looking back at the year of sport on BBC One and iPlayer from 7 p.m. local time.

The contenders are as follows:

Stuart Broad (Cricket)
Frankie Dettori (Horse Racing)
Mary Earps (Football)
Alfie Hewett (Wheelchair Tennis)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Athletics)
Rory Mcllroy (Golf)

In existence for seven decades, the awards allow the public to decide who its sporting heroes are. Votes can be cast by phone or online on the evening of Dec. 19, with the number to call for each contender revealed during the programme. For further information about the awards please visit the BBC website.

The post 2023 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Shortlist Revealed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Solid Results As Curtain Falls On 2023 Arqana Vente d’Elevage

The four-day Arqana Vente d'Elevage concluded on Tuesday, with four fillies and mares making €1 million or more, and 668 horses (77%) marked as sold for a gross of €47,135,000.

Overall, the average was down 8% to €70,561, however, the median rose to €20,000, an increase of 16% off of 2022's mark. The sale was topped by Group 1 winner Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at €4.025 million from leading buyer Portofino Bloodstock.

Taking just Tuesday's trade into account, 109 lots sold (79%) for a gross of €581,500. The day's average was down 5% to €5,335, while the median increased by 14% to €4,000.

Tuesday's top lot was lot 919, the Kingman (GB) mare Crispina (GB). From the family of stallions Cityscape (GB) and Bated Breath (GB), the Haras d'Annebault-consigned 6-year-old was sold in foal to G1 Deutsches Derby hero Laccario (Ger) and brought €52,000 from SARL Trotting Bloodstock.

A named filly foal, Laskaria (Fr) (Laccario {Ger}), was the day's dearest foal, changing hands for €25,000 from the draft of Haras d'Annebault. Richard Venn Bloodstock bought the April foal on behalf of Paola Beacco Bd.

La Motteraye Consignment was the leading vendor, offering 39 mares, fillies and foals for a gross of €4,971,000, including Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for €1.2 million.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “In a record-breaking year, the 2023 edition of the Vente d'Élevage has concluded with very good results. With four fillies and mares making over €1 million, including an historic top price of over €4 million, turnover from the December sale exceeded €45 million for the second time. Driven by buyers from all over Europe, as well as from the United States, Australia, Japan, India, Turkey and France, demand remained buoyant. The middle market segment also remained strong, with a high level of activity both internationally and domestically. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our vendors, as well as the buyers who once again turned out in force. We would also like to thank all our teams, in the yards, the stud farms and in the offices, for their involvement during this great marathon that is the Vente d'Elevage. As this marks the end of the sales year, we wish everyone a very happy holiday season.”

The post Solid Results As Curtain Falls On 2023 Arqana Vente d’Elevage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post