fastnfurious

From today's Racing Post web-site: The joint top rated horse in Europe, Mishriff, will bypass a crack at the G1 Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in France on October 3rd in favor of another tilt at the G1 Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 16th. The decision was revealed today by trainer John Gosden after meeting with owner Prince A A Faisal. Mishriff, with a BHA rating of 127 could face old rival St Mark's Bisilica, the other joint top rated horse in Europe at 127, who Mishriff finished behind at Sandown in the G1 Coral-Eclipse back in July.

Info from a tweet made on AidanO'BrienFanSite on Twitter on September 6th: 2020 Epsom Derby(G1) winner, Serpentine, has been sold to Australian owner Lloyd J. Williams. No word yet on when there will be a change of trainer or when he'll ship to Australia, bearing in mind with the new connections both are very possible.

Whether your a fan of this colt or not, I'll at least say this about St Mark's Basilica, he's the only one of all the short priced Coolmore/Ballydoyle favorites all weekend that actually did his job and won the race which he was favored to win. Mother Earth was a beaten favorite in the G1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, and then today Love was a beaten short priced favorite in the G2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh, Snowfall a very short priced beaten favorite in the G1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, and the previously unbeaten to date Point Lonsdale at 8-13 was beaten fairly easily in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh by Godolphin's still unbeaten to date Native Trail who went to post at 7-2.

It reminded me of a few years back when Duntle was taken down as the winner of the G1 Matron Stakes on Irish Champion Stakes day, and for much less. And lest we forget, in 2015 when Golden Horn was being pressed hard inside the final 2F of the Irish Champion Stakes by the likes of Highland Reel, Free Eagle, Found, & Pleascach, and with about 100 meters left with Free Eagle really bearing down on him he suddenly hung hard right and ran straight into Free Eagle, immediately stopping his momentum, and he wasn't taken down either. Check out the replay of that 2015 race and you'll see what I mean.

Snowfall taste defeat for the first time as a 3YO, beaten by just over a length into 2nd by the Roger Varian trained Teona, winner of the listed August Stakes at Windsor in her last race.

@Berman Mo, I figured the Champion Stakes would be the most likely spot for him to land in next, too. They run the race at Ascot now instead of at Newmarket though, LOL. Hey, I still get confused sometimes myself watching the race run at headquarters for all those years before it moved to Ascot.

I'm not sure St Mark's Basilica would want any part of Tarnawa at 12F, but at 10F he sure looks like a tough nut to crack having beaten Mishriff at Sandown and Tarnawa at Leopardstown. I thought Poetic Flare ran a really solid race as well on his first career start beyond a mile. Tarnawa looks sure to head to the Arc this year, but if I'm O'Brien I personally think I skip what could be an "iffy" at best 12F test at Longchamp in the Arc and keep him fresh for the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot back at 10F on British Champions Day a couple of weeks later.

From the Racing Post web-site: Arc contender Wonderful Tonight, who set to contest Sunday's G2 Prix Foy at Longchamp has suffered a career ending injury and has been retired. She was found to have suffered a condylar fracture to the right-hind fetlock following morning exercise on Friday.

Frankie Dettori is set to reunite with Snowfall for the first time since his record breaking 16-length win on her in the G1 Epsom Oaks in this Sunday's G1 Prix Vermeille, as Ryan Moore will ride in Ireland over the weekend.

Golden Pal finishes a well beaten 7th in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.