Just five days before the French Derby, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, has purchased one of the favorites for Sunday's Chantilly classic: Democrate, a son of Dalakhani who won his maiden race on May 5 in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart.

Trained by Andre Fabre, Democrate was purchased from a consortium that included Skymarc Farm and the Moussac family and will run in the French Derby, aka the Prix du Jockey-Club, in either Sheikh Mohammed's maroon-and-white Darley colors or the green colors of his wife, Princess Haya of Jordan.

Lucarno, winner of last year's St. Leger Stakes, will make his seasonal debut at Sandown Park on Thursday in a renewal of the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes that comes very close to having Group 1 cachet.

Worth a mere $99,000, the 1 1/4-mile contest has also attracted Maraahel, a multiple Group 2 winner who narrowly missed taking his fourth consecutive Group 3 Huxley Stakes at Chester earlier this month, and Happy Boy, a Group 2 winner on turf in Brazil who was snapped up by Godolphin after his nine-length romp in the one-mile Group 3 Maktoum Challenge on dirt at Nad Al Sheba.

The continuing dispersal of the late Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud provided Tuesday's highlight at the Magic Millions National weanling auction on Australia's Gold Coast.

Swettenham's colt by Redoute's Choice out of the Dayjur mare Twist My Heart brought the day's highest price of about $671,229.

Blue Sky Thoroughbreds of Queensland purchased the colt, who is a three-quarter- brother to two-time Australia Group 1 winner and champion juvenile filly Fashions Afield.

Tall Poppy could be Hollywood-bound after her victory in the $2.2 million Tokyo Yushun, or Japanese Oaks, at Tokyo on Sunday. She is trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, the same man who engineered Cesario to the Japanese Oaks/American Oaks double in 2005.

Halfway to Heaven capped a group-race triple for Aidan O'Brien at the Curragh on Sunday when she outgamed Mad About You and Carribean Sunset in the $631,000 Irish 1000 Guineas.

The weekend was a triumph for O'Brien, as he had also won the Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday with Henrythenavigator, who was made the 5-1 co-favorite with Curtain Call by Ladbrokes for the Epsom Derby after owner John Magnier said that the Derby was the race for him.

Henrythenavigator established himself as the best miler in Europe at the Curragh on Saturday with a handy victory in the $631,000 Irish 2000 Guineas, once again getting the best of last year’s European juvenile champion New Approach.

Trainer Michael Channon complained bitterly after the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago that his fifth-place finisher, Nahoodh, would have won had she not been blocked at the sixteenth pole. On Sunday she will have her chance at redemption in the $631,000 Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Reginetta, winner of the Japanese 1000 Guineas, will attempt to add a second classic to her resume at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday when she takes on 17 rivals in the $2.2 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks. There are a number of circumstances against her, however, not least her ability to stay 1 1/2 miles.

A Guineas surprise at 42-1, Reginetta has never raced beyond a mile. Moreover, there are questions concerning her true ability. There were only two lengths separating the first nine home in the 1000 Guineas, suggesting a changing of the guard in the Oaks.

Henrythenavigator and New Approach renew their budding rivalry on Saturday at the Curragh, the scene of the $631,000 Irish 2000 Guineas, just three weeks after their classic battle in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Asian Winds scored a 12-1 upset in the $1.7 million Victoria Mile at Tokyo on Sunday, defeating the 11-10 choice, Vodka, by three-quarters of a length, speeding the distance in a quick 1:33.70.