Karakontie was the best 2-year-old based in France last year, and despite being defeated in his 3-year-old debut, he’s widely favored to win the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) on Sunday at Longchamp, where the going is described as good to soft.

The Group 3 Chester Vase, a trial for the Epsom Derby, will get more attention than usual this year since the race’s 2013 winner, Ruler of The World, went on to an upset victory in the Derby. Ruler of The World, however, was the first horse to score a Vase-Derby double since Shergar in 1981.

Legendary French horseman Andre Fabre won the English 1000 Guineas for the first time in a decades-long training career when Miss France captured the first fillies classic of the European season by a neck over fast-closing Lightning Thunder on Sunday at Newmarket.

Miss France, a daughter of Dansili, won for the third time in five races and made her second successful raid on England, having captured the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes last September, a race also run at Newmarket in which she beat Lightning Thunder by a head.

Fenomeno won the spring running of the $2,695,686 Tenno Sho for the second consecutive year Sunday at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, a victory that confirms his status among Japan’s leading older horses.

Fenomeno was fifth in the 2012 Japan Cup but had a limited campaign in 2013 because of tendon inflammation. After winning the 2013 Tenno Sho, Fenomeno made one more start, finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen last June.

Variety Club, bred in South Africa and campaigned there before racing this winter and spring in Dubai, romped Sunday at Sha Tin in the Group 1 Champions Mile, the first horse not based in Hong Kong to win the race in its 14-year history.

Night of Thunder, a 40-1 outsider ridden by Kieren Fallon, scored an upset win in Saturday’s $760,500 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse despite drifting badly across the track in the final yards.

Night of Thunder finished a half-length in front of 3-2 favorite Kingman, who was beaten for the first time in his fourth start. Australia, the favorite for the English Derby at Epsom on June 7, finished third in the one-mile race, a head behind Kingman in the field of 14.

Though she faces 18 opponents, Rizeeena is a solid favorite to win her 3-year-old debut Sunday in the English 1000 Guineas.

Rizeena ended an eight-start 2-year-old campaign, finishing second to the ill-fated Chriselliam in the Group 1 Fillies Stakes, a race, like the Guineas, contested over a straight-course mile at Newmarket. Rizeena’s most important victory among four last year came in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs at The Curragh.

Kingman, the flashy winner of the Grade 3 Greenham Stakes last month, will be a strong favorite to extend his unbeaten streak to four races in Saturday’s $760,500 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse.

But the absence of rain in recent days has left the turf at Newmarket good to firm, conditions that could be quicker than Kingman would prefer. When Kingman won the Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs by 4 1/2 lengths at Newbury, the turf course was listed as good.

Breeders’ Cup Ltd. said it has reached a multi-year deal giving Henry Birtles Associates the television distribution rights to its signal in most foreign jurisdictions.

Designs on Rome, the newest Hong Kong star, stepped outside age-restricted competition for the first time Sunday and beat defending champion Military Attack by a neck in the Group 1 Audmars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.

Trainer John Moore swept the top two spots in the race, while the South African native Vercingetorix could only finish third, beaten two lengths by Military Attack while no match for the top pair in the final accounting. Tommy Berry rode Designs on Rome, while Joao Moreira was aboard Military Attack.