On the weekend prior to one of the most prestigious races of the year, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, we delivered a number of top class European races to clients much further afield. Two Group 1’s and a Group 3 from Germany and Italy, a Listed race from South Africa and a hotly contested Arabian affair from the USA make up just some of the racing procured, managed and delivered by HBA.

It was a fantastically French Sunday at San Siro Racecourse. One of Italy’s principal races, the Group 1 Premio Vittorio Di Capua was won by the French bred ‘Waikika’, trained by Yann Barberot, and ridden by Gerald Mosse. The French success didn’t stop there though, in the day’s other Group race, the Group 3 Premio Elena E Sergio Cumani, it was a French bred horse that had her neck in front at the post. ‘Silver Step’, who unlike Waikika, was the race favourite, is trained by Mademoiselle Pia Brandt, although in Sunday’s victory had top Italian jockey Christian Demuro on board for the first time.

Progeny of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Dylan Thomas was victorious in at Cologne Racecourse in the Group 1 Preis von Europa. ‘Nightflower’, who British racing followers will note had a run at Haydock in this year’s Lancashire Oaks, won well in Germany, going away under the Andrasch Starke in the 1 and ½ mile event.

In the Arabian Juvenile Championship Stakes, a Group 3 from Delaware Park, it was this season’s perennial winner RB Nash, who kept to task and notched up his fourth win in just seven races. In winning the race, jockey Ricardo Chiappe made it back to back victories in this race, and managed not to leave Delaware Park empty handed after coming close on a number of occasions during the afternoon.