stodge

Hello. Up here, winter approaches apace and that means the end of flat racing in Europe and much of the Northern Hemisphere. As some of you will know, we have an active and indeed thriving jump racing scene in Britain and Ireland and when people ask me whether I prefer flat or jumps racing, my answer these days is "Flat racing is business, Jump racing is pleasure". I enjoy going jump racing despite the cold, wind, snow, sleet, ice, fog and frost but I don't follow it as I follow the flat racing. Having had a message conversation with @scooby3051, my question to you all is: Is anyone interested in hearing about British and Irish jump racing? If so, I'll put up some regular reports - if not, I won't waste my time and yours. Let me know in this thread what your view is and I'll take the hint.

8 have been declared for Friday's Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy over 2000m in, not surprisingly, Bahrain. The winner gets £480,000 so not exactly peanuts by European standards. Of the eight, seven are from Britain and Ireland and the local horse, CALIF, is widely travelled and was third in this last year. The sole 3-y-o is PRIDE OF ARRAS from the Beckett yard who won the Dante at York in the spring and was widely expected to be a player in the English Derby but he failed there and in the Irish equivalent before returning to York in August and winning the Voltigeur but that might not have been the strongest renewal. That said, he put a brigade of Ballydoyle runners including the dual Derby winner, LAMBOURN. It may be he doesn't take much racing and the three month break will be a help but his form is all left-handed and I just wonder. ROYAL CHAMPION also won a Group 2 over 2000m at York this season - his was the York Stakes where he beat ALMAQAM and the recent German Group 1 winner BAY CITY ROLLER. Last time, he was third in the Irish Champion to DELACROIX which is serious form. This time last year he was running behind VIA SISTINA in the Champions at Flemington but like PRIDE OF ARRAS, all his form is on left handed tracks - he was well held in the Prince of Wales at Ascot behind OMBUDSMAN which, to be fair, was a better race than this. LION'S PRIDE runs for the Gosdens and for all he was impressive at Newmarket last time, that was over 2400m in Listed company. MILITARY ORDER was my fancy for the English Derby in 2023 but he flopped and frankly his form since doesn't strike me as being good enough for this - he's a solid performer in Group 3 and Listed company. PERSICA runs for Richard Hannon but he was last in both the Celebration Mile at Goodwood and in the Moulin at Longchamp and while he's run well at Epsom, that's a million miles from this. GALEN runs for Joseph O'Brien and for all he's consistent, that's in Group 3 grade and he's been found out in Group 2 races in Ireland such as the Mooresbridge back in May. That leaves the French challenger BRIGHT PICTURE for Andre Fabre who has been lightly raced this season. He won a little race at Clairefontaine easily and was then third in the Group 2 Dollar at Longchamp. I think he's crying out for some decent ground and if you go back to spring of 2024 he was mixing it with CALANDAGAN who, if he were in this, would be odds on favourite. Given the top French tracks are right handed, Bahrain should hold no fears. My idea of the winner is BRIGHT PICTURE and he's my idea of an each way play if all eight run - the race is off at 4pm UK on Friday and 5am New Zealand on Saturday so I'm sure given all the early starts for the All Blacks matches currently, everyone will be up for this if it is shown on Trackside. The Middle East winter season is already under way - the Emirates Racing Authority webpage is a useful starting point if you want some idea of the racing in Dubai. Emirates Racing Authority The Meydan Carnival races proper start on December 19th (they are now racing Fridays which seems an odd day) and the season culminates with the Dubai World Cup meeting on Saturday March 28th next year. The Saudi Cup meeting is 13/14 February next year.

Yes, apologies again - the video was sourced from Deutscher Galopp - and I'm staggered the race simply didn't exist as far as the UK racing audienece was concerned. I wasn't aware of the Kiwi horse called BAY CITY ROLLER - for me, it has different cultural connotations from the Scottish pop band of the early and mid 1970s. There was a woman at one of the places I worked who, at the Christmas party one year, produced a photo of her much younger self (aged 12 or 13) in the full tartan get-up which Rollers wore. It was a time when Scotland seemed so much more prominent - culturally and socially - within Britain. As for the current equine incarnation, I'm kicking myself for being put off by one bad run. The balance of his form was very strong - second to a future Arc winner, second to the Jockey Club runner up and I saw him finish second to OPERA BALLO at Sandown at the end of May. His worst run was on quick ground at York in a Group 2 but he didn't perhaps run to form at Longchamp last time over the 2200m which is why I was uncertain about his stamina. He clearly relishes plenty of juice in the ground and that will probably mean a 4-y-o campaign in Europe unless we get a wet summer. The owners seem to think there's a British Group 1 in his reach - they are probably right but getting the conditions he needs won't be easy. I suspect he'll run more in France and Germany - could he be an Arc horse? 2400m on very soft ground in October would be ideal and you could argue, on a line through this year's winner, he would more than deserve a place in the field but you never know and the 3-y-o dominated this year and the amount of weight they get from the older colts and fillies is significant.

The final European Group 1 took place in Munich this afternoon with the Grosser Preis von Bayern over 2400m. Not perhaps a vintage Group 1 unsurprisingly but a strong British and French raid on the prize. The ground was officially Soft but looked pretty deep. The British challenge was led by CONVERGENT, a lightly raced 3-y-o who had run second in the German Derby and had last start won a Group 2 at Longchamp over 2200m and held both BAY CITY ROLLER and the French challenger JUNKO on that running. TIFFANY ran for the master of Heath House, Sir Mark Prescott and she had only raced the once this year when chasing home the useful French middle distance type SIBAYAN in the Preis von Europa at Cologne at the end of September. First, apologies for the commentary - the race wasn't shown in the British betting shops (we can be an insular lot sometimes) so it's a choice between an AI generated American shout or the original German - the choice is yours (hopefully). One way traffic as BAY CITY ROLLER made nearly every yard and won unchallenged by seven lengths. His chance was there for all to see in truth - not only had he been runner up in the Dollar on very soft ground over Arc weekend, he had got to within three quarters of a length of the future Arc winner DARYZ in a Group 2 at Saint Cloud in the summer on softish ground. He'd also run second in the Niel over 2400m so given he stayed the trip and enjoyed soft ground, what was I thinking ignoring him? Incredibly, this was the first win of his 3-y-o campaign having run second four times in seven previous starts and while he has a Group 1 to his name, I'd like to think connections will keep him in training as a 4-y-o and pray for a wet summer. TIFFANY was well beaten but stuck on well enough and is clearly a staying filly with ability. Neither JUNKO nor especially CONVERGENT ever threatened - the latter seemed to flounder in the deep ground while JUNKO, who has form on German tracks, was also disappointing. That just about wraps up the European flat racing season though if I see any particularly noteworthy juvenile performances on the British or Irish synthetics, I'll advise. Next stop is Bahrain next Friday for the Group 2 Trophy followed by the Japan Cup in three weeks.

Selling land for redevelopment happens in a lot of jurisdictions and it's happened in the UK. Both Newbury and Kempton have sold parts of their original course footprint to developers and trousered several million each which was then used to pay off debts and re-invigorate the rest of the course infrastructure. There are any number of courses in or near town and city centres which could, I suppose, be possibilities for sale for further redevelopment. Sandown occupies prime real estate on the border of London and would be worth tens of millions if released by the Jockey Club. It's interesting after a spurt of redevelopment in the 00s, the pace has slackened considerably here and even the renovation and reconfiguration of weighing rooms to provide for example improved changing facilities for female jockeys and modern exercising areas to replace the no-longer-used saunas has taken a lot of time to progress across the whole estate of British racecourses.

Adding to the list of retirements, ARIZONA BLAZE, who missed the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at the weekend, will stand at the Irish National Stud for 12,500 euros. William Buick goes to Munich tomorrow to ride CONVERGENT in the Grosser Preis von Bayern while Maxime Guyon takes the ride on JUNKO for Andre Fabre. Nine were confirmed at the final declaration stage this morning. Advance notice of the Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy next Friday over 2000m which has a first prize of NZD 1 million - we'll know the runners on Monday.

Juddmonte: Juddmonte unveil fee for newcomer Lead Artist as Frankel leads the way at £350,000 | Racing Post I see they're giving Frankel away again next year... Aga Khan Studs: Sea The Stars raised to career-high fee of €300,000 as Aga Khan Studs reveal 2026 line-up | Racing Post

A number of the big bloodstock players have today announced their fees and rosters for the 2026 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. Coolmore: Delacroix introduced to breeders at €40,000 as Coolmore announce top-class 2026 roster | Racing Post Darley: Night Of Thunder raised to €200,000 as Darley announces power-packed 2026 roster | Racing Post Tweenhills: Tweenhills announces 2026 fees for roster headlined by Kameko | Racing Post Haras d'Etreham (France): 'A diverse and complementary group of stallions' - Haras d'Etreham reveals 2026 roster and fees | Racing Post Whitsbury Manor: Whitsbury Manor Stud unveils 2026 roster with Havana Grey remaining at a private fee | Racing Post Coolmore America: Coolmore America announces fees for newcomers Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Citizen Bull | Racing Post

The final European Group 1 takes place in Munich on Saturday with the Grosser Preis von Bayern over 2400m. Ten have been entered with challengers from Britain, France and Sweden all going for the £83k first prize. CONVERGENT looks the best of the 3-y-o having run second in the German Derby and last time took the scalp of DUBAI HONOUR in the Group 2 Conseil de Paris over 2200m at Longchamp. BAY CITY ROLLER was two and a half lengths back in fourth and no obvious reason why he should reverse the places. A place further back was JUNKO but with an extra 200m to cover, it could be interesting. Two years ago, JUNKO won this and went on to win the Hong Kong Vase. This season he’s mixed it with the likes of REBEL’S ROMANCE, CALANDAGAN and ARROW EAGLE who have all won Group 1 races so there’s a real chance he might be too good for the improving youngster. Into the mix comes TIFFANY from the Sir Mark Prescott who was off for 10 months after running second in this last year. Her second to SIBAYAN in the Preis von Europa was decent but she’ll need to have taken another step forward and return to the form she showed when third to KALPANA in the 2024 Champions Day Fillies & Mares at Ascot. For me, this is CONVERGENT against JUNKO and I think the younger horse will have the edge.

With turf racing almost done in Britain and Ireland for the season, the synthetic surfaces are giving trainers the chance to give their later maturing juveniles a run. Kempton staged one of its regular afternoon fixtures today and Charlie Appleby introduced the filly ABASHIRI, by Frankel out of the Dubawi filly Sobetsu. ABASHIRI was backed in to 4/6 and bolted in by four lengths without William Buick having to do much more than educate her. Very much in the “could be anything” file but we have a clue. In the corresponding race two years ago, Appleby introduced the full sister ENGLISH ROSE who went on to Group 2 success in Meydan and being placed in Grade 1 races in America off quite a lowly mark of 91.

The final two races of the Breeders Cup meeting were the two "big ones" - the Turf and the Classic. The Turf over the 2400m is a race the Europeans have farmed - nine of the last ten runnings have headed back across the Atlantic and it's little surprise - there aren't many American turf races over the 2400m or further so the Europeans have an advantage. MINNIE HAUK, representing Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, has been the top 3-y-o middle filly in Europe winning the English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks before being just touched off in the Arc. She went off 6/4 favourite with the main Godolphin hope and two-time previous winner of the race, REBEL'S ROMANCE, at 2s. 2024 King George winner GOLIATH was well fancied as was the useful 3-y-o gelding AMILOC while longer priced types WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE, RASHABAR and the Ebor winner ETHICAL DIAMOND rounded out the European challenge. A real shock as 28/1 shot ETHICAL DIAMOND who, in another reality, might have been running in the Melbourne Cup, wins this prize of similar value but over a very different distance and ground. Dylan Browne MacMonagle conjured an astonishing run from the winner despite being out wide and he outspeeded some proven Group 1 performers which is quite something for a horse who can jump hurdles and fences as well as run 2800m on the flat. It's fair to say the American analysts were dumbfounded and even trainer Willie Mullins, more used to winning big races at Cheltenham and Punchestown, was left looking bemused. REBEL'S ROMANCE did everything right but didn't win. Was William Buick held in for too long? It's hard to say it made the difference between defeat and victory for a result which was a 2-3 for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby as EL CORDOBES came home third. AMILOC ran a strong fourth and looks an exciting prospect for this race next year. As for MINNIE HAUK, she was prominent but weakened tamely 300m out - whether that was the end of a long season I'm not sure but she owes her connections nothing and I suspect the paddocks await. GOLIATH disappointed while it was all too much for both WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE and RASHABAR. The Classic over 2000m on the Dirt carried a first prize of £2,912,000. Despite the late absence of champion 3-y-o SOVEREIGNTY, this still looked a fascinating race with the first three from 12 months ago re-opposing. SIERRA LEONE had beaten FIERCENESS with the Japanese challenger FOREVER YOUNG third and the three split by two and three quarter lengths. SIERRA LEONE had won the Whitney but had been beaten by ANTIQUARIAN in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. For FIERCENESS, 2025 had been an uneven year - well behind SIERRA LEONE in the Whitney, he had looked very good beating JOURNALISM in the Pacific Classic. FOREVER YOUNG had beaten ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the race of the year - that wonderful duel in Riyadh but that hard race had clearly taken its toll when he was only third in the Dubai World Cup. He had returned with a good win in a small race at Funabashi. FIERCENESS, by dint of this being a home atch, went off favourite but you could 7/2 each of three in the UK before the off. The first three home in 2025 the same as in 2024 but in a different order. FOREVER YOUNG, under a brillant ride from Ryusei Sakai, who outrode some of the best American jockeys, got the verdict this time with SIERRA LEONE third and FIERCENESS third with the three split this year by a length and a half. Sakai denied John Velazquez on FIERCENESS the run of the race and that paid dividends in the straight. SIERRA LEONE finished well but the bird had flown. For both FIERCENESS and SIERRA LEONE, this was their final race and both will go to stud. The former will stand for a fee of USD 50,000 and the latter for USD 75,000. As for FOREVER YOUNG, immediately after the race, the owner indicated he would stay in training but that got backpedalled a bit later on at the prize giving. ROMANTIC WARRIOR hasn't been seen since his surprising defeat in the Dubai Turf so it may be FOREVER YOUNG will face SOVEREIGNTY in Riyadh next St Valentine's Day and that will be a race to savour. A decent meeting for the Europeans with five winners - GSTAAD and BALANTINA on the Friday and ETHICAL DIAMOND, NOTABLE SPEECH and GEZORA on the Saturday from the six turf races but obviously nothing on the Dirt where the Japanese won the biggest race of them all. From here, the next stop is the Japan Cup on November 30th at Fuchu Racecourse in Tokyo.

A tremendous race and full credit to HALF YOURS who followed up his Caulfield Cup success in style. One of those races where the gaps appeared but you need to have the horse to take advantage when they do and Jamie Melham certainly had that. I thought GOODIE TOO SHOES was going to win coming off the home turn - she ran a blinder. Let's be honest - she's a 6-y-o dual purpose mare (meaning she jumps hurdles and fences) rated 104 so Listed/Group 3 class. She's really found her form this year winning three but she was well held in the Lillie Langtry (a Group 2 over 2800m) at Goodwood. Her owner, JP McManus, is a legendary Irish punter and jumps horse owner. My each way fancy TORRANZINO ran fifth but they paid out on six places up here with my bookie so I'll get a few squid back at 28s - I agree with the jockey sentiment, he ran very well but did a little too much in the crawl at the start of the back straight. Of the other European trained horses (as distinct from ex-Europeans like VAUBAN and AL RIFFA now trained in Australia), ABSURDE ran well enough in eighth but he'll never win this race as he doesn't have the tactical speed to be competitive. MEYDAAN pulled too hard in the early race crawl and finished midfield while I'm sure it was too soft for FURTHUR. ONESMOOTHOPERATOR got his prize at Bendigo and this was always going to be a big ask while PRESAGE NOCTURNE never got involved and I don't know why as the race looked ideally set up for him. BUCKAROO was tailed off - hope he's okay. Probably worth mentioning and please feel free to correct me - of the first twelve home, ten either still campaign in Europe or campaigned in Europe. Only HALF YOURS and TORRANZINO have only run in Australia. Europe may not train the Cup winner that often but they will continue to supply the runners and future winners I suspect.

The race comes at the end of the European campaign and, combined with the journey, it's a big ask for the Europeans. If you want fewer European horses, simple, cut the prize money in half. The first prize pot works out at £2.3 million and there's only the Arc in Europe (for which none of these horses would either be eligible or good enough) which is worth more. Our really good horses head for the Breeders Cup at this time of year and as you've seen with ETHICAL DIAMOND, it's possible for a Cup type horse to win one of those races. That pot was £2,080,000 so comparable to the Melbourne Cup.

I'll do the Saturday of the Breeders Cup in two chunks with the Turf and Classic to follow. First, the Turf Sprint over 1000m and a weak European challenge diminished further by the late withdrawal of ARIZONA BLAZE leaving BUCANERO FUERTE and SHE'S QUALITY as the Irish challengers while our old mate KHAADEM flew the flag for Britain under Frankie Dettori. In a wide open race, MOTORIOUS from the inside berth was 4/1 favourite. Not the best video but it shows the race which was won in scintillating trap to line fashion by SHISOSPICY who blazed and never stopped. I've not seen a horse run so fast for 1000m for some time. AG BULLET ran second while KHAADEM, as he always does, ran home strongly for third but this was too sharp even for him. BUCANERO FUERTE was a never dangerous seventh but I'm afraid SHE'S QUALITY suffered a fatal injury soon after the start. SHISOSPICY ran an astounding 55.24 seconds for the 1000m and I'd completely forgotten she had come to Ascot in the summer and run 15th in the Commonwealth Cup. On this basis, I can see why the straight 1200m in Berkshire would have been too much - she's an absolute speedball and a daughter of the American stallion Mitole about whom I know very little. On then to the Mile and a much stronger European challenge headed by former 2000 Guineas winner NOTABLE SPEECH who had won well in Canada last time. THE LION IN WINTER had started the year as Guineas and Derby favourite but to say things hadn't gone to plan would be the epitome of understatement. Nonetheless, there had been some good runs including last time when second in the Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot. JONQUIL was another for whom early season promise hadn't been fully realised but the French challenger SAHLAN was improving and had won the Moulin last time. Redemption? Not really but a wonderful season end for NOTABLE SPEECH who, as many suspected, was ideally suited to American racing - tight oval tracks and firm turf. He was superb coming through on the rails under William Buick and in truth won this a shade cosily beating the best of the locals, FORMIDABLE MAN, ho lost his perfect record at the venue but paid a nice each way return for me (which, with the winner, meant I should have had the exacta !!). THE LION IN WINTER ran with credit in third while Irad Ortiz Junior, who had been having a wonderful meeting, had to make do with fourth on RHETORICAL who ran very well from the outside draw while SAHLAN also performed with credit in a close fifth. JONQUIL looked to be going well 200m out but found little and faded close home while QIRAT tried to do what he does at home and was up with the pace but isn't good enough at this level and again suggested his Goodwood win, if not a fluke, was an outlier performance. The good news (in my view) is NOTABLE SPEECH stays in training as a 5-y-o next year and he'll liven up the older miler division in races like the Lockinge and more especially the Queen Anne. I'm not sure of the plans for THE LION IN WINTER but I hope they keep him in training as well. They ran the mile in 1 minute 33.06 seconds. The Filly & Mare Turf over the 2100m had another strong European presence. CINDRERELLA'S DREAM, proven over American turf tracks but with a question mark over the trip, was backed in to 9/4 with her Godolphin stable mate DIAMOND RAIN also supported into 4s leaving the best of the locals, SHE'S SO PRETTY, at 7/2. BEDTIME STORY, Diane winner GEZORA, Prince of Wales third SEE THE FIRE and the rank outsider CATHEDRAL made up the European challenge. One for France and a gutsy performance by GEZORA under Mikhael Barzalona who looked to have plenty on 400m out but persevered and ran down SHE'S SO PRETTY in the final 50m to win by half a length. Perhaps a degree of redemption for GEZORA after a disappointing run in the Arc and you'd think, given she's by Almanzor out of a Silver Hawk mare, 2400m on soft turf would be ideal. SHE'S SO PRETTY did very little wrong though whether John Velazquez will feel he went a little early on the filly I don't know. DIAMOND RAIN was a head behind SHE'S SO PRETTY in the EP Taylor and was half a length behind here so you could argue the form played out pretty well. CATHEDRAL, who was 90/1 for young trainer Kevin Phillipart de Foy (and his first Breeders Cup runner) ran a blinder in fourth and was barely a length and a half off the winner. BEDTIME STORY ran another consistent race in fifth and it's worthy noting four of the first five home were trained in Europe and three of them were 3-y-o fillies. Neither CINDERELLA'S DREAM (trip?) nor SEE THE FIRE (ground) ever threatened to get involved and finished eighth and ninth respectively. The winning time for the 2100m was 2 minutes 12.54 seconds.

I'm confused - just been on the website and saying a Soft 7 but presumably there's a morning report due.