JPN: Croix Du Nord lands third Grade 1 in Tenno Sho Having landed Grade 1 contests as a juvenile and a three-year-old, the Takashi Saito-trained Croix Du Nord (4 c Kitasan Black - Rising Cross by Cape Cross) registered a Grade 1 victory as a four-year-old on Sunday when landing the Tenno Sho (Spring) (Gr 1, 3200m) at Kyoto. Ridden by Yuichi Kitamura, the four-year-old son of Kitasan Black (Black Tide) narrowly denied Wurttemberg (Kitasan Black) by a nose, emulating his sire who won the Tenno ... Read More

UK: True Love dominates the finish to land English 1,000 Guineas Last year’s Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) winner True Love (3 f No Nay Never - Alluringly by Fastnet Rock) took her three-year-old record to two wins from as many starts as she produced an impressive performance to land Sunday’s English 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at Newmarket. Ridden by Wayne Lordan for trainer Aidan O’Brien, the daughter of No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) had made a winning reappearance in the Priory Belle Stak... Read More

Smooth Chino back to winning form in Northam Stakes The Indianna Weinert-trained Smooth Chino (4 g Maschino - Amorei by Gingerbread Man) took his career stakes tally to three when landing Sunday’s Northam Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) at Northam. Ridden by Austin Galati, the four-year-old gelding defeated Fluro Neuro (Gingerbread Man) by 0.9 lengths with a further 0.7 lengths back to West Star (Playing God) in third place. Sunday’s win adds to Smooth Chino’s victories in the Black Heart Bart Sta... Read More

173 for Snitzel Te Akau Racing and Fortuna Syndications may have unearthed another high-class juvenile, with Zafar (2 c ex Zasorceress by Snitzel) making an immediate impact on debut in the Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Riccarton. The son of Snitzel justified strong market support, settling in the one-one for Opie Bosson before peeling out in the straight and quickening decisively to score by a length over Cool As Bling, with Final Time a short head away third. Fortuna direct... Read More