Keeneland, 6 October 2007

Making only the second start of her career, Country Star (Empire Maker - Rings A Chime, by Metfield) rallied down the middle of the track Friday to win the $500,000 Grade One Darley Alcibiades Stakes by a length as Keeneland began its 17-day fall meeting.

Mill Reef winner lands Middle Park

First season sire Acclamation had a quickfire double at Newmarket on Friday, with victory in the valuable sales race and the Group One Middle Park.

The Barry Hills-trained Dark Angel (Acclamation - Midnight Angel, by Machiavellian) took his winnings for the season to £335,000 when landing the Group One Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs.

French raider always in control as Fleeting Spirit puts in impressive effort

Trainer Pascal Bary had his first winner in Britain when his two-year-old filly Natagora (Divine Light - Reinamixa, by Linamix) ran out an impressive winner of the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket.

Aidan O'Brien's star stayer Yeats looks a warm order in the Prix du Cadran. The six-year-old is unbeaten this season, having won a second Gold Cup at Royal Ascot before being made to work for his win in the Irish St Leger - his first start for nearly three months - by stablemate Scorpion.

Authorized heads 12 runners in Sunday's Arc. The Derby winner steps back up to a mile and a half after his win in the International Stakes at York, where he beat Dylan Thomas, who reopposes on Sunday. The latter is one of four runners of Aidan O'Brien, along with Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune, the supplemented Song Of Hiawatha and Yellowstone.

Henry Cecil's Oaks winner Light Shift bids to get her head in front for the first time since her Epsom triumph - a task that will be made easier by the absence of Peeping Fawn, who subsequently beat her at the Curragh and at Goodwood.

Jim Bolger's dual Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo attempts ten furlongs for the second time, having finished last in the Irish Champion Stakes at the first time of asking - but that run was her first after a summer break.

Godolphin bid to end their European season on a high, with Rio De La Plata running here shortly after Laureldean Gale puts her credentials on the line in the Prix Marcel Boussac.

Godolphin's Laureldean Gale will have her first start for her new connections in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Sunday, following her transfer form Peter Chapple Hyam's yard. She has by far the best form in the race, having won a Newmarket maiden before finsihing a - well held - half length second to Proviso in the Prix du Calvados at Deauville. Proviso was beaen by Listen in the Fillies' Mile last Saturday, but retains the faith of many after failing to settle early on in the race.

Kingsgate Native, John Best's two-year-old winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes at York's Ebor meeting, is a warm favourite to land the Prix de l'Abbaye on Sunday. The Tracey Collins-trained Dandy Man, who has been placed four times since landing a Listed contest in the spring, reopposes, having finished third in the Nunthorpe. The York second was Desert Lord, winner of this race last year, and he lines up once more for Kevin Ryan.

A new record was set for Goffs Sportsman's Sale when a smashing son of the late Danetime (Lot 699) was purchased by Bobby O'Ryan for €240,000 on the opening session of the two day sale. The colt, who was sold by Paul McEnery, is by the same sire as Group One winner and fellow Goffs graduate Myboycharlie out of a winning dam and will go into training with Dermot Weld.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Visit, who lines up as favourite for today's Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, tested positive for the tranquiliser ACP after her run in the Lowther Stakes at York, where she was second to Nahoodh.

Juddmonte homebred Concentric (Sadler's Wells - Apogee, by Shirley Heights), unraced since a victory at the end of May, gained her first black type in the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte at Chantilly on Thursday.

Luca Cumani's Lion Sands (Montjeu - Puce, by Darshaan) won the Listed Grove Farm Stud Noel Murless Stakes at sunny Newmarket on Thursday, the three year old's first win since taking a Haydock maiden in May. He has been running well in Group company, his best effort being third to Steppe Dancer in the Group Three September Stakes at Kempton.

Weekend Group Ones: Sun Chariot Stakes | Prix de la Foret

Peter Chapple-Hyam's Tariq, the winner of the King Charles II Stakes, Jersey Stakes and Lennox Stakes lines up against Aidan O'Brien's US Ranger in a fascinating renewal of the Prix de la Foret on Saturday. US Ranger won a Listed race on Sunday on his first start for O'Brien last Sunday; he had looked a colt of the highest class when winning the Prix Djebel in April. He ran well in the Guineas after being forced to race on the far side, where he finished second to Chapple-Hyam's Dutch Art - who also lines up on Saturday, having finished no worse than fourth in all five starts this term - four of them at Group One level.

Weekend Group Ones: Sun Chariot Stakes | Prix de la Foret

Cheveley Park Stud have a strong hand in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, with two high class fillies in the Group One won last year by Spinning Queen, who went on to set a then record price of 3 million guineas for a broodmare at Tatersalls December Sale.

Australia, 4 October 2007

Conrad Jupiters Yearling Sale delayed until 24 March 2008

The Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Yearling Sale will be held over the Easter period in 2008.

Dr Tony Ryan ahs died in Ireland at the age of 71 after a long illness. The founder of, initially Guinness Peat Aviation and later budget airline Ryanair, was the owner of Castleton Lyons Farm in Kentucky.

Aggregate declines 9%, average by 4.9% as Million Sale concludes

Strong trade continued on the concluding day of the Goffs Million Sale which saw top lot go to Airlie Stud's Indian Ridge colt, a half brother to Goodwood Cup winner Allegretto from the family of yesterday's €2,400,000 sale topper who was purchased for €600,000 by agent Charlie Gordon Watson. The same purchaser signed for the second highest lot of today's session paying €550,000 for a son of Galileo out of a listed winning dam from Ashtown House.

The Hans-Jurgen Groschel-trained Waleria (Artan - Wiolante, by Lagunas) won the Group Three Preis der Deutschen Einheit - a race commememorating German reunification - over 10f at Hoppegarten on Wednesday. The race is the last major contest at the Berlin track, which has been struggling financially.

Ramonti's win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 29 put him firmly in contention for Cartier Racing Awards honours.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained five-year-old has 128 points in the race to be crowned Cartier Older Horse, 20 points less than current leader Dylan Thomas, after holding the late charge of the three-year-old Excellent Art for the second time this season.

Friday's Group Ones: Middle Park Stakes |Cheveley Park Stakes

The James Fanshawe-trained Sir Gerry heads ten colts declared for Friday's Shadwell Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. The Carson City colt was an impressive winner of the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York on his last start, beating Aidan O'Brien's Great Barrier Reef. O'Brien sends over Achilles Of Troy, who has not won since landing a maiden at Newmarket at the Guineas meeting. The yard's juveniles are now showing better form, headlined by Listen's Fillies' Mile win last Saturday.

Friday's Group Ones: Middle Park Stakes | Cheveley Park Stakes

Pascal Bary's Natagora heads 14 juvenile fillies in the skybet.com Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Friday. The Prix Robert Papin winner ran up a four timer before being beaten two lengths by Myboycharlie in the Prix Morny on her last start. She attempts to be the first French-trained winner of the race since Criquette Head's Pas De Response in 1996.

Peter Chapple-Hyam's Norfolk and July Stakes winner will not take up his planned engagements in the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes after meeting a setback.

The Piccolo colt was found to have a stiff near-fore knee on Tuesday. An X ray showed there was no chip or fracture, but did reveal a cloud over the knee.

The Goffs Million Sale saw a record price of €2.4 million for a yearling in Ireland on Tuesday, when Demi O'Byrne secured a Sadler's Wells filly out of German Group One winner Albanova.

Consigned by Staffordstown, the filly was bred by Kirsten Rausing and Sphere Bloodstock out of multiple Group One winner Albanova, a full sister to Champion Stakes winner Alborada. The price is the highest for a yearling in Europe for five years. Last year the yearling filly record of €2 million was set by a Sadler's Wells filly out of Albanova's half-sister Alakananda from the same consignment.

Derby winner Authorized has completed his preparations for Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with a gallop at Newmarket this morning. The Montjeu colt is 11-8 favourite for the race, where he will face a maximum of 14 rivals.