A field of six goes to post for Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, and an intriguing clash looks assured for what is always a high-quality race.
English raider Paco Boy will undoubtedly benefit from the absence of Makfi and Goldikova, who finished ahead of him at Deauville last month, but the 5-year-old Paco Boy will still have plenty on his plate with a strong challenge from the 3-year-olds in the field.
Rip Van Winkle is stable jockey Johnny Murtagh’s choice of three Aidan O’Brien-trained mounts in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The winner of the Juddmonte International at York last month, Rip Van Winkle is expected to be the odds-on favorite for the 10-furlong test.
O’Brien took a deliberate approach to Rip Van Winkle’s campaign this year, and delayed his seasonal reappearance till mid-June at Royal Ascot, with the intention of aiming for a productive second half of the season.
A strong argument can be made that the Irish Champion Stakes, which will have its 35th running at Leopardstown on Saturday, is the best race in the world. Since 1984, its winners have included the great stallion Sadler’s Wells, the wonder filly Triptych, future Breeders’ Cup Turf winners Pilsudski, Daylami, Fantastic Light, and High Chaparral, and subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners Suave Dancer, Dylan Thomas, and Sea the Stars, plus six-time Group 1 winner Giant’s Causeway.
Is there a race on the planet with a roll of honor as classy as this 1 1/4-mile Group 1?
William Hill rates defending champ Zenyatta and Preakness and Haskell winner Lookin At Lucky as 4-1 co-favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Classic as the British bookmakers opened for Cup business on Tuesday. Hill offers Whitney winner Blame at 6-1, with Whitney runner-up Quality Road at 8-1, followed by Travers one-two Afleet Express and Fly Down both at 12-1 along with Rachel Alexandra.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – German Horse of the Year and leading sire Lomitas has died at age 22.
The Racing Post has reported the Niniski horse was euthanized in Germany due to failing health, ending one of the most eventful equine lives in racing.
Overdose’s unbeaten record came to a crashing end at Baden-Baden on Sunday as the Budapest Bullet weakened to finish seventh as the 3-5 favorite behind the 7.80-1 Amico Fritz in the Group 2, $89,000 Godene Peitshce, Germany’s championship sprint race.
Misty for Me handed even-money favorite Memory a resounding defeat in the Group 1, $300,000 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday as she led throughout to take the seven-furlong race by a length from Laughing Lashes.
One of four juvenile fillies trained by Aidan O’Brien in the race, the 10-1 Misty for Me was given a superb ride by Jamie Heffernan as she held off the late challenge of 7-2 second choice Laughing Lashes through the final 1 1/2 furlongs. Kissable was a neck farther back in third with O’Brien’s first string Together fourth, another half-length behind.
Memory is the odds-on favorite for Sunday’s Group 1, $300,000 Moyglare Stud Stakes, the key Curragh test for juvenile fillies in Ireland, as she steps up to seven furlongs for the first time in an attempt to win for the fourth time without defeat.
A member of Richard Hannon’s powerful stable of 2-year-olds, Memory is a Danehill Dancer filly who has won the Group 3 Albany Stakes and the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes, both at six furlongs. Richard Hughes will ride in her first try outside of England.
Chinchon, unseen since his breathtaking come-from-behind victory in the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 3, is preparing for a North American campaign this fall at his home base in Chantilly.
Chinchon returned to France immediately after the United Nations, since when his trainer, Carlos Laffon-Parias, has mapped out an ambitious schedule for the 5-year-old son of Marju, who closed like a rifle shot to defeat the now-retired Take the Points by a handy 1 1/2 lengths in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations.