Pinatubo remains unbeaten

Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin were celebrating on Saturday thanks to Pinatubo’s victory in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Charlie Appleby’s colt had come into the Dewhurst off the back of a nine-length triumph in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes and all eyes were on the son of Shamardal to see if he could add another top-level success to his record.

Sent off the 1-3 favourite, Pinatubo made his move a furlong from home and once clearing the Rowley Mile’s dip, powered clear to win by two lengths from the Aidan O’Brien-trained duo Arizona and Wichita, extending his unbeaten run to six races.

Also at Newmarket on Saturday, the Willie Mullins-trained Stratum, in the colours of Tony Bloom, captured the Cesarewitch. The victory capped a remarkable couple of days for jockey Jason Watson, who on Friday had ridden his first Group 1 winner aboard the Roger Charlton-trained Quadrilateral in the Fillies’ Mile.

Soldier’s Call to stand at Ballyhane Stud

Group 2 winner Soldier’s Call will take up stallion duties at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland next year having been retired from racing. His fee will be announced at a later date.

The son of Showcasing, trained by Archie Watson for Steve Parkin’s Clipper Logistics, won four races during his two-year-old season in 2018, including the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg and the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.

Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley said: “It’s brilliant that Soldier’s Call is coming back to Ballyhane where he was broken and pre-trained; we can’t wait for him to come home.

“He was brilliantly fast, has a real stallion’s pedigree and the good looks and temperament of a champion.”

Animal Kingdom sold to Japan

Kentucky Derby hero and promising sire Animal Kingdom is to continue his stallion career in Japan. The news was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News and later confirmed to the Bloodhorse by Darley America’s Head of Stallion Nominations.

The majority interest in Animal Kingdom was controlled by John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud, who bought breeding rights in the son of Leroidesanimaux in 2012 and covered his first book of Australian mares in 2013.

Animal Kingdom (left) romps home in the Dubai World Cup

From Arrowfield he shuttled to Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Last year and this year, Animal Kingdom stayed in the US.

The Japanese Breeders’ Association has purchased the 11-year-old and the stallion remains in the US as he prepares to enter quarantine.

Today’s racing

There is just one meeting in Britain today, with Goodwood staging a seven-race card subject to the track passing an inspection. In Ireland, the Curragh stages three Listed contests and the Irish Cesarewitch (2m) while there is an afternoon of jumps action at Limerick, where the big race is the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National (3m).

In the Czech Republic today, the 129th running of the Velka Pardubicka over 4m2½f is the main event and the David Pipe-trained Rathlin Rose, under James Best, is Britain’s sole representative.