Straight No Chaser wins the Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse shone similarly in the Saudi Arabia desert when he romped by 3 3/4 lengths in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saudi Cup day Saturday marked his second consecutive victory in a $2 million race with the potential for a third with a planned start in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on Dubai World Cup day Shedding Jasper Krone entering the stretch with only a stalking Muqtahem in contention after a three-wide bid But under confident handling from Velazquez who merely hand rode and flashed his riding crop at his speedy mount, Straight No Chaser cruised under the finish line without being threatened. Gabby's Sister came on for third Straight No Chaser was timed on a fast surface in 1:11.16 Sign up for BloodHorse Daily but he still handled it very well," Velazquez said Last year's Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter was heavily favored in an international pari-mutuel wagering pool many happy viewers were watching from the United States with the American-based Straight No Chaser owned by MyRacehorse which allows its partners to buy microshares in racehorses Straight No Chaser has more than 900 owners was in attendance Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse alongside MyRacehorse racing manager Joe Moran Carpenter won a lottery among the microshare partners to attend "It's just a dream come true for me," he said Photo: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea KelleyConnections celebrate Straight No Chaser's victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint With the Riyadh Dirt Sprint announced Feb 21 as added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In Straight No Chaser earned an automatic paid berth in this fall's Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov a more immediate goal is the Dubai Golden Shaheen provided Straight No Chaser exits the Riyadh Dirt Sprint in top condition Straight No Chaser's racing schedule has been interrupted by physical setbacks always addressed with patience by Southern California-based trainer Dan Blacker "We've always tried to do the right thing by the horse and that's not going to change," he said It was all about the Japanese runners in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G2T) as Ascoli Piceno Japan's champion 2-year-old filly in 2023 ran down pacesetting Win Marvel in a thrilling stretch drive Photo: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea KelleyAscoli Piceno (outside) catches Win Marvel to win the 1351 Turf Sprint Jockey Christophe Lemaire found himself in a perfect stalking position on the rail tucked in behind Win Marvel when that front-runner kicked away entering the stretch and she surged to find open space to mount a rally. Win Marvel hung tough but the Japanese champion's class proved too much as she surged in the final yards to win by a head who tracked directly behind Ascoli Piceno on the far turn "The horse on the inside (Win Marvel) was resisting very well," Lemaire said "(Ascoli Piceno) was very genuine to keep accelerating Grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz  broke poorly and was rank in the opening yards as jockey Emisael Jaramillo tried to position him Jaramillo took a strong hold of his mount as he tracked the pacesetters from the outside The 4-year-old colt was empty as they turned into the stretch Ascoli Piceno paid $6.20 for her victory in the international pari-mutuel pool while completing about 6 3/4 furlongs on good-to-firm turf in 1:17.88 who trains the grade 1-winning filly for Sunday Racing said that he knew his filly got up in time but the determination of Win Marvel caused him some stress down the lane "She's best over a mile; this (race) is a little bit shorter distance (than what she prefers)," Kuroiwa said through a translator It was a needed return to form for the filly who ended her 2024 season on a sour note while finishing 12th in her first international venture to Australia She had developed a cough in the lead-up to the race The rebound victory Saturday opens many possibilities for the remainder of Ascoli Piceno's season although Kuroiwa said he would need to calm down from the excitement of winning the $2 million race before planning next steps Ascoli Piceno is a daughter of Daiwa Major Reflecting the international flavor of Saudi Cup day in other notable action during the undercard: Credit: The NightlyHow far would you travel for a shot at winning $10 million With the large sums on offer during the spring carnival more foreign horse are coming Down Under with British trainer William Haggas bringing three-year-old colt Haggas is a master at knowing what type of horse suits overseas travel I remember asking him one day how he selects an overseas runner and aside from talent the top requirements are versatility and a laidback personality Get the first look at the digital newspaper curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.His selection process seems to be relatively fool proof blitzed the field at Royal Randwick in both the Ranvet and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes He broke Verry Elleegant’s heart on multiple occasions and we all know what a wonder mare she went on to be winning the Melbourne Cup in jaw dropping fashion Addeybb then came back in 2021 to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the second time In 2023 the Haggas’ domination continued as Dubai Honour won the same double Addeybb did Will Lake Forest be as successful as Haggas’ previous success Racing in spring is entirely different from racing in autumn that same Haggas check list comes into play He placed second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot a track with solid undulation as well as winning the 2023 edition of the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York This leads me to feel confident in Lake Forest adjusting to the tighter Will he handle the firmer ground under foot The harder the better it seems for this fella He’s only ever stepped out on good to firm tracks This led me to doubt him making the trip over for the Sydney Spring Carnival. I figured if he wasn’t a cool customer, Haggas wouldn’t bother bringing him. But he has. So was his behaviour at York out of character? I suppose we’ll find out at Rosehill on Saturday. In William Haggas we trust. Another competitor who hasn’t shied away from the 24 hour journey is French based thoroughbred Lazzat. At first, I had no idea where to place this horse in this weekend’s race. But after going through the form and asking around I’ve concluded that this horse will make his presence known. Earlier in the year Lazzat raced on a track in France called Cagnes-Sur-Mer. The ground was boggy, and the track is tight with sharp turns but he still kicked away flawlessly. The jockey, Antonio Orani, has ridden this gelding in all its starts. He knows him like the back of his hand and although this is his debut riding in Australia I believe racing at the Cagnes-Sur-Mer track has him well set up. Like all Europeans, Lazzat will likely be beaten for speed at the start, but his high cruising speed should get him out of trouble allowing him to relax into the race. Versatility is no question for this horse, he handles all grounds and I’ve been told he’s looking a million bucks so clearly the long-haul flight hasn’t fazed him in the slightest. If only we could all travel that well. Last year’s Golden Eagle was taken out by Japanese raider Obamburumai. And when I use the term “taken out”, I mean it. This horse was like a trained sniper navigating his way through the field before coming home strong in the last 100 metres. Ascoli Piceno has drawn Gate 19 in the $10 million Golden Eagle. Credit: SevenBelieve it or not this horse came over to Sydney without a Group 1 win on his resume. If a horse this talented can’t score a Group 1 in Japan what does that say about the horses who do? We’re about to find out with this year’s Golden Eagle favourite Ascoli Piceno also hailing from the land of the rising sun. Last year the three-year-old filly won the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin. Her efforts were rewarded with some time in the paddock before she bounced back in April this year to place second in the Japanese equivalent of the 1000 Guineas and then second again in the Mile Cup in Tokyo at Grade 1 level. This filly loves the firmer ground and her optimum distance range is between 1400m-1600m. She should be right in this despite the horrible wide draw. The good news is she’s not the only Japanese raider to compete in the Golden Eagle this year with Corazon Beat joining her. The bad news is Corazon Beat has basically drawn the car park with the widest barrier. It’s super disappointing for those hoping for a repeat of last year. I’m not sure this runner will have the talent to overcome the terrible draw either. Her form doesn’t scream superstar, but I hope she proves me wrong. Corazon Beat loves a firm track and has consistently raced over this distance. However, every time she has come up against fellow Japanese competitor Ascoli Piceno, she has been beaten by her. Her form dropped off at the end of her last preparation and since coming back she doesn’t seem to have hit the ground running in the slightest. In fact, eleven lengths behind Ascoli Piceno in her most recent start. I hope she’s travelled well and proves the doubters wrong, but I don’t think she’s a chance. The other great thing about the Golden Eagle aside from large field from across the globe is that not all the money goes to the bookies and those few lucky punters. The Golden Eagle has an incredibly special set up where each runner nominates a charity to take home 10 per cent of their prize money. This means $1 million goes to charity so there will definitely be some worthy winners on Saturday. Kiersten Duke is a presenter on Sky Racing Latest EditionEdition Edition 6 May 20256 May 2025Will the last person to leave the Liberals please turn out the lights. the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art in Ascoli Piceno will host Ma sedendo e mirando 1968) winner of the fourth edition of the Osvaldo Licini by Fainplast Prize among the most prestigious in the Italian art scene celebrates the contemporary contribution to painting the exhibition invites a dialogue between Bertolo’s work the figure of Osvaldo Licini and the poetic suggestions of Leopardi inspired by the famous line from The Infinite introduces a central theme: the presence of the “intruder” as a destabilizing and unexpected element capable of broadening the viewer’s perspectives.The “intruder” in Bertolo’s vision is not an explicit element but a subtle apparition The exhibition opens with an installation that encapsulates this tension: a viewfinder through which to observe a painted angel forcing the visitor to see himself reflected in the work It is a visual exchange that emphasizes the reciprocity between the viewer and the viewed This device places the visitor in a position of an “intruder” in the artist’s creative space a place where observation and interpretation become confused The theme is echoed in reinterpretations of historical works: Bertolo’s angel recalls Lorenzo Lotto’s Portrait of a Young Man already reworked by Giulio Paolini with Giovane che guarda Lorenzo Lotto (1967) Bertolo introduces an additional complexity: the mirrored eyes unite heaven and earth actively involving the viewer in the meaning of the work The exhibition also welcomes a work by Jacopo Benassi who was invited by Bertolo to participate in the project Benassi exhibits a self-portrait depicting a detail of his own body: hair creates a strong contrast with the purity and ideal represented by the angel The dialogue between the two works becomes a confrontation of opposites: spirituality and corporeality the result of a residency at the Premio Licini space The paintings are inspired by the territory but also by Licini’s Portrait of Nanny a 1926 work that anticipates his abstract phase The approach recalls Cézanne’s Sainte-Victoire Mountain Lightness and spontaneity also characterize Invisible Traces creates a balance between dynamism and contemplation The journey culminates with the video Methallomai a poetic narrative that follows three figures on a journey to the moon The spatial exploration is transformed into a metaphor for the inner journey Leopardi and Licini in a common reflection on the tension between the earthly and the celestial here becomes the focus of an existential quest that transcends physical and conceptual boundaries is not only a tribute to Italian painting but also an encounter between different visions and languages Leopardi represents the poetic contemplation of the infinite; Licini the artistic aspiration toward abstraction; Bertolo the interrogation of the contemporary through painting art becomes a tool for exploring the human condition transforming distance into a key to understanding the present Luca Bertolo has a multifaceted career behind him: after studying computer science His works have been exhibited in prestigious Italian and international spaces In 2024 he will open his first anthological exhibition at CEAAC in Strasbourg contributing to magazines and publishing essays on contemporary art He has resided in a small mountain hamlet in the Apuan Alps since 2005 He has participated in exhibitions in public and private spaces including MART Nuoro; Fondazione del Monte; Bologna; MAGA which have appeared in magazines and websites have found their way into the book I baffi del bambino In 2022 he edited the Italian edition of Lo strano posto della religione nell’arte contemporanea He has been teaching painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna since 2015 Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Expect a flood of Japanese horses to target the Golden Eagle in the coming years if champion filly Ascoli Piceno wins the $10m race next Saturday who hope to emulate the feats of Japanese horse Obamburumai in last year’s feature for four-year-olds Joao Moreira rides Golden Eagle favourite Ascoli Piceno for the first time at Canterbury on Wednesday.Credit: Jessica Hromas/SMH Japan produces some of the best – and fastest – horses in the world but the Golden Eagle prizemoney has certainly put Sydney on the map with so many owners and trainers The Japanese tidal wave could have started much earlier if Australian Turf Club officials succeeded in their pursuit of brilliant filly Gran Alegria at the end of 2019 but there were difficulties with suitable transport To appreciate just how good Ascoli Piceno is rival jockey Tommy Berry took one look at the filly at Canterbury this week and declared: “I think if she gets all the luck in running we won’t be beating her – I don’t think anything will get close to her; she’s that good.” Three-year-olds bred on northern hemisphere time are classed as four-year-old in Australia the powerhouse operation involved with Delta Blues and Pop Rock the Japanese duo that finished first and second in the 2006 Melbourne Cup Northern Farm’s international racing manager tipped the interest back home to go to another level if Ascoli Piceno wins “I think you will see more horses come to Australia “The travel time from stable to stable is 24 hours there are only a few suitable races for three-year-old fillies over the mile Japanese miler Obamburumai wins last year’s Golden Eagle with Josh Parr in the saddle.Credit: Getty so there are lots of fans who follow her.” Ascoli Piceno and fellow Japanese filly Corazon Beat arrived at Canterbury Strict government protocols require all participants to shower for three minutes and scrub their phones before exiting the training facility The trio have spent the past ten days sampling different restaurants each night along Norton St in Leichhardt Champion jockey Joao Moreira sat on Ascoli Piceno for the first time on Wednesday a filly which has won four of her six career starts and finished second twice She will return home before being targeted at big-money races in Saudi Arabia or Dubai early next year English horse Lake Forest is also staying at Canterbury who hope to emulate the feats of Japanese horse Obamburumai in last year\\u2019s feature for four-year-olds Japan produces some of the best \\u2013 and fastest \\u2013 horses in the world rival jockey Tommy Berry took one look at the filly at Canterbury this week and declared: \\u201CI think if she gets all the luck in running we won\\u2019t be beating her \\u2013 I don\\u2019t think anything will get close to her; she\\u2019s that good.\\u201D Northern Farm\\u2019s international racing manager \\u201CI think you will see more horses come to Australia \\u201CThe travel time from stable to stable is 24 hours so there are lots of fans who follow her.\\u201D man \\u2013 I\\u2019m really excited,\\u201D Moreira said This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A wide draw has seen the talented Japanese filly drift out of favouritism but trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa is confident Ascoli Piceno is still the one to beat Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing Followed categories will be added to My News Trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa is adamant Ascoli Piceno is the best horse in the $10m Golden Eagle (1500m) and sees the positives in a shocking wide draw for his Japanese raider at Rosehill Gardens Ascoli Piceno has been usurped as favourite for the Golden Eagle after being set a task in the four-year-old feature from barrier 17 Only I Wish I Win has won the Golden Eagle from a double digit barrier when the Group 1 weapon saluted from gate 10 in 2022 Ascoli Piceno faces a far more difficult assignment with just a handful of runners outside her from the tricky 1500m start The draw has seen her drift significantly from $4.50 out to $6 for the Golden Eagle with the Chris Waller-trained Joliestar supported into a $5 outright favourite at lunch time on Wednesday • Yulong rules out Melbourne Cup bid with Via Sistina Kuroiwa is keeping the faith in Ascoli Piceno to overcome the challenge “I believe she is the best horse in the field,” he said via a translator “So I didn’t really want to have an inside draw otherwise she could be stuck behind horses so 17 is definitely wide but I am happy with that rather than drawing inside “She has tactical speed and breaks well always so she can probably put herself in a midfield position or the first half of the field Japan is aiming to win back-to-back Golden Eagle following the success of Obamburumai last year Ascoli Piceno arrived in Australia several weeks ago with a stronger resume than the 2023 winner She was also a dominant last-start victor in the Group 3 Keisei Hai Autumn (1600m) in September before being prepared to come to Australia The daughter of Daiwa Major has been tuning up for the Golden Eagle at Canterbury Park for several weeks with jockey Joao Moreira coming out to pilot the filly in work several times • Willo to go from vanquished to victor in Golden Eagle Kuriowa has been monitoring Ascoli Piceno closely in recent days after arriving in the country “She looks healthy and is in great order so I am really happy with her,” he said “Joao rode her last week and galloped her as well and told me she was much better than last week (on Wednesday) “Joao is one of the best jockeys in the world so we are happy to have him on board.” Ascoli Piceno is one of two Japanese contenders in the Golden Eagle alongside Corazon Beat. Trainer Shizuya Kato admits his filly will be at Corazon Beat will be at a “disadvantage” after she drew one from the outside in barrier 19 Kato is no stranger to Australia after travelling Down Under with his father with success 10 years ago when Hana’s Goal won the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick in 2014 it’s been 10 years but Sydney is a great place to come back to,” Kato said • Bella Nipotina draws perfectly for Russell Balding Stakes “I definitely have special memories with Hana’s Goal so it made it easy for me to make the decision to come down Corazon Beat has been ready and her condition has gone really well “At this stage we are monitoring her physical condition as well as her mental (condition) and at this stage she’s gone really well.” Corazon Beat is a Group 2 winner in Japan having saluted in the Keio Hai Nisai (1400m) last year and has already faced Ascoli Piceno three times but has never beaten her compatriot Her best result against Ascoli Piceno was a third behind Kuroiwa’s filly in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1600m) at Hanshin last December “She (Ascoli Piceno) is a great horse so we’ve been always having a difficult time against her but hoping she will give us a bit of luck this time,” Kato said Tommy Berry will ride Corazon Beat in the Golden Eagle where she is a $51 chance The two Japanese contenders make up a four-strong international contingent in the Golden Eagle with French raider Lazzat and English talent Lake Forest also set to take on Australia’s best four-year-olds Originally published as Japanese trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa confident Ascoli Piceno is the best horse in Golden Eagle Sigiriya Rock finished just behind the placegetters in Group 3 races at his past two starts and gets his chance to break through at Warwick Farm on Wednesday Champion NSW driver Luke McCarthy will take the reins on two of Victoria’s major chances in the NSW Oaks and NSW Trotters’ Oaks at Menangle on Saturday night Rival trainers will be scratching their heads at the weight given to Giga Kick for his return in The Goodwood Trainers Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin will attempt to defend their The Coast crown with progressive mare Lady In Pink Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising will have two runs in Sydney this Spring Some of racing’s most influential figures weigh in with their thoughts on the proposed global jockey circuit After a hit-and-run trip from Melbourne to Sydney to ride Golden Eagle favourite Ascoli Piceno for the first time on Wednesday Moreira rode the star Japanese mare at first light at trackwork at Canterbury racecourse on Wednesday ahead of Saturday week’s $10 million feature race at Rosehill the globe-trotting jockey – who splits his time between his native Brazil and Japan – hopped into an awaiting hire car and raced to the airport so he could ride Unusual Legacy in the Geelong Cup later in the day who rode Stellenbosch to victory over Ascoli Piceno in Japan earlier this year already knew he was fortunate to pick up the ride but was even more pleased after jumping on her back for a couple of laps then started building up for the second half and she hit the line strongly All her wins in Japan have been impressive – she hits the line like a proper racehorse They [owners Northern Farm] have given me this great opportunity so I came [here] and wanted to show them that I appreciate it If she reproduces what she has been doing in Japan she’ll be a good winning chance in the Golden Eagle.” Ascoli Piceno has had six starts for four wins and two seconds including a last-start group 1 triumph in blistering time over 1600m She is looking to become the second consecutive Japanese horse to take out the Golden Eagle following last year’s win by Obamburumai who galloped fellow Japanese raider Corazon Beat behind Ascoli Piceno on Wednesday was under no illusions which of the pair deserved top billing in the Golden Eagle on November 2 “I think if Ascoli Piceno gets all the luck in running we won’t be beating her – I don’t think anything will get close to her; she’s that good,” Berry said The top jockey rode at Canterbury before racing to the airport.Credit: Jessica Hromas/SMH Moreira and Berry were the only two jockeys at Canterbury where strict biosecurity protocols were in place to protect quarantine conditions for overseas horses Both jockeys had to leave their clothes and riding gear outside the quarantine zone Their mobile phones were scrubbed before being returned as they left the racetrack Moreira has been riding in Japan and Brazil but is no stranger to Australia where he has spent the past six weeks riding in Sydney and Melbourne including victory on the Chris Waller-trained Buckeroo in the group 1 Underwood Stakes The only thing that could stop Ascoli Piceno where there was a chance she could run into traffic up the straight Unbeaten French horse Lazzat and English trainer William Haggas’ Lake Forest have also been preparing at Canterbury and are on track for the Golden Eagle Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter man \\u2013 I\\u2019m really excited.\\u201D Moreira rode the star Japanese mare at first light at trackwork at Canterbury racecourse on Wednesday ahead of Saturday week\\u2019s $10 million feature race at Rosehill the globe-trotting jockey \\u2013 who splits his time between his native Brazil and Japan \\u2013 hopped into an awaiting hire car and raced to the airport so he could ride Unusual Legacy in the Geelong Cup later in the day \\u201CShe\\u2019s looking very well,\\u201D he said \\u201CWe went nice and even until the 600m \\u201CShe\\u2019s not only a beautiful-looking filly All her wins in Japan have been impressive \\u2013 she hits the line like a proper racehorse \\u201CWe\\u2019re talking about a good filly she\\u2019ll be a good winning chance in the Golden Eagle.\\u201D She is looking to become the second consecutive Japanese horse to take out the Golden Eagle following last year\\u2019s win by Obamburumai \\u201CI think if Ascoli Piceno gets all the luck in running we won\\u2019t be beating her \\u2013 I don\\u2019t think anything will get close to her; she\\u2019s that good,\\u201D Berry said Unbeaten French horse Lazzat and English trainer William Haggas\\u2019 Lake Forest have also been preparing at Canterbury and are on track for the Golden Eagle 'Stunning effort!' - Dversnes claims breakaway win on Stage 5 of Tirreno-Adriatico CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Italian Flavour To Hanshin Juvenile Fillies As Ascoli Piceno Prevails Ascoli Piceno defeats the obscured Stellenbosch | Japan Racing Association Group winner Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) maintained her unbeaten record with a narrow score in the ¥125,160,000 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Sunday She also set a new stakes record of 1:32.60 for the 1600 metres in the 18-horse affair The Yoichi Kuroiwa trainee follows in the wake of such horses as dual Japanese Horse of the Year Vodka (Jpn) (Tanino Gimlet {Jpn}) who won this in 2006 fellow Horse of the Year Buena Vista (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) (2008 edition) and 2022 scorer Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) who claimed the 2023 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown Her victory was the first at the top level for her trainer Sent off as the 9-2 third choice behind 18-5 favourite Safira (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) Ascoli Piceno perched well off the fence in midfield as 67-1 longshot Chicago Sting (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}) stormed to the head of affairs with the first 800 metres covered in :46.40 but a gap opened just before the 400-metre mark but Ascoli Piceno with second choice Corazon Beat (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) to her outside were both flashing home with good speed down the centre of the course Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was also picking up close home and it was that foe who pressed Ascoli Piceno all the way to the line who could not match the finishing kick of the top pair another 1 1/4 lengths behind and three lengths to the good of the rallying Safira Chicago Sting held on to run a highly credible fifth “The stable staff did a great job and she was in very good condition so I had every confidence in her,” said Kitamura who was winning his fourth Group 1 and first since Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn})'s 2015 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) “The filly broke better than in her previous start was relaxed during the race and responded well in the stretch I was a bit worried for a second that we were going to get caught A winner of a 2-year-old newcomers' affair at Tokyo over 1400 metres in June the Sunday Racing runner won the G3 Niigata Nisai S upped to 1600 metres against males just over two months later in August The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies was her first appearance in over three months The winner is the ninth Group 1 scorer for her sire Ascoli Piceno is part of a 46-strong battalion of stakes winners worldwide for the 22-year-old son of Sunday Silence The late Danehill Dancer has now been represented by 19 top level winners out of his daughters among his 166 black-type winners on an international scale The near-black filly is one of four winners from four to race for her winning dam and she is also a half-sister to the Listed Marguerite S Ascolti foaled a colt by Satono Diamond (Jpn) in 2022 and a filly by Kitasan Black (Jpn) this year Second dam Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) won the G1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile and ran second in the G1 Moyglare Stud S she produced the listed winner and Japanese St Leger runner-up Satono Lux (Jpn) to the cover of Deep Impact (Jpn) and is also the dam of the high class Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo) the Irish equivalent and the G1 St James's Palace S.; and his full-sister who was third in both the G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas Not a subscriber? 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Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription Home » Archive » Shared News Europe » Ascoli Piceno Eyes Classic Ring In Oka Sho Ascoli Piceno | Japanese Racing Association Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) will attempt to add a Classic to her haul when she breaks from gate nine in the 18-horse G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday Reuniting with Hiroshi Kitamura who she carried to G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies glory over this trip back in December the near-black filly makes her 2024 bow in the first Classic of the Japanese season Striking on a newcomers' affair in June and the G3 Niigata Nisai S the likely favourite and Sunday Racing colourbearer had Katsumi Yoshida's Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) and Corazon Beat (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) back in second and third in the Juvenile Fillies “Everything is on track,” trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa told NetKeiba.com after the filly's Friday gallop “She went faster than I as expecting and it seemed so easy to do but I've trained her in a way where she can adapt to heavy ground.” Yuga Kawada will be aboard February's G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup victress Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) from stall two the half-sister to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S hero Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) and daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint victress Wavell Avenue (Harlington) has won her past two starts since running second at Kyoto when unveiled Said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida to NetKeiba.com “She was happy to run and is moving smoothly She ran over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse without a problem so 1600 meters at Hanshin should not be a problem for her either This will be a great race to prepare for the G1 Japanese Oaks.” Corazon Beat recovered from her third to Ascoli Piceno with a second in the G2 Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue over this strip going 1400 metres on Mar one better than Cecilie Plage (Jpn) (Bricks And Mortar) In front of her that day was Too Darn Hot (GB)'s Etes Vous Prets (Ire) one of two in the race for Godolphin besides Listed Anemone S Second to Light Back (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the Listed Elfin S Sweep Feet (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) rebounded to add the G2 Tulip Sho locally going 1600 metres on Mar 2 with Sekitoba East (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) and Hawaiian Tiare (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) filling the next two placings Sporting a similar two-for-three record as Queen's Walk Ipheion (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was last seen in action in January by a neck over Mask All Win (Jpn) (Drefong) heroine Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) leaves from stall 18 Copy Article Link Globe-trotting jockey Joao Moreira stands to earn $568,750 for just over five minutes work should a few big-race favourites win in the coming days The Japanese filly and Moreira completed two laps at Canterbury on a warm and cloudy morning on Wednesday before knuckling down for the final 600m Not even getting gate 17 in Tuesday night’s barrier draw was enough to worry Moreira or the horse’s trainer who said via a translator: “I wanted the horse to draw somewhere in the middle so it’s better [being out] than in – we’re not really worried about it Her appetite has also been good [since being in Australia] Jockeys take home five per cent of prizemoney on a race which would amount to a $262,500 payday for Moreira if Ascoli Piceno wins the Golden Eagle He will also ride King Of Sparta in the $3m Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill with the gelding producing a long and eye-catching run home first-up while Buckeroo is the favourite for next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Moreira could earn even more if any of the winning connections give the jockey a bonus from their own earnings what is widely known in racing as a “sling” Ascoli Piceno and Joao Moreira knuckle down at Canterbury on Wednesday morning.Credit: Kate Geraghty/SMH the jockey known as “Magic Man” said he was just glad to be on some nice horses which drifted from $3.50 to $6 with bookmakers following the barrier draw “She feels better than how she felt last week we just have to hold that form until Saturday,” Moreira said she was still building … I could feel she was on the way up but we’ve dealt with those circumstances many times before leaves the Canterbury quarantine facility on Wednesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty/SMH “It’s better to be out than stuck on the inside in such a big field like this; she will be tested Moreira expected Ascoli Piceno to settle mid-field or slightly worse and said she “will no doubt be dashing home as a really strong horse” As for what awaited him in the coming days Moreira said: “When you decide to make a move to Australia for a short stint you never know what you are going to end up on “I’ve got some really nice horses coming up I didn’t ride too many nice horses until now but I am not complaining about that to be very honest and my Melbourne Cup ride [Buckeroo] is no doubt another one that so many jockeys dream rides It was a busy morning for the internationals with French trainer Jerome Reynier in town to look at his top hope Lazzat while jockey Cieren Fallon rode English chance Lake Forest Not even getting gate 17 in Tuesday night\\u2019s barrier draw was enough to worry Moreira or the horse\\u2019s trainer who said via a translator: \\u201CI wanted the horse to draw somewhere in the middle What I didn\\u2019t want was an inside draw so it\\u2019s better [being out] than in \\u2013 we\\u2019re not really worried about it She\\u2019s one of the best milers in Japan while Buckeroo is the favourite for next Tuesday\\u2019s Melbourne Cup what is widely known in racing as a \\u201Csling\\u201D the jockey known as \\u201CMagic Man\\u201D said he was just glad to be on some nice horses \\u201CShe feels better than how she felt last week we just have to hold that form until Saturday,\\u201D Moreira said she was still building \\u2026 I could feel she was on the way up \\u201CI know you will ask me about the gate but we\\u2019ve dealt with those circumstances many times before \\u201CIt\\u2019s better to be out than stuck on the inside in such a big field like this; she will be tested she might enjoy being on the outside.\\u201D and said she \\u201Cwill no doubt be dashing home as a really strong horse\\u201D Moreira said: \\u201CWhen you decide to make a move to Australia for a short stint \\u201CI\\u2019ve got some really nice horses coming up I didn\\u2019t ride too many nice horses until now Over the final three furlongs (about 600 meters) of the 75th Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Ascoli Piceno had the second-fastest time Fast-charging Stellenbosch made a spirited run for the win was just fast enough in that pivotal stretch of the race on Sunday completing the final three furlongs in 33.7 The big story, though, was this: Jockey Hiroshi Kitamura's ride, Ascoli Piceno, ran a race-record 1 minute, 32.6 seconds to hold off Stellenbosh, piloted by Christophe Lemaire Corazon Beat (Takeshi Yokoyama) finished third There was a considerable gap between second favorite Corazon Beat and the fourth-place finisher Safira, the favorite, ridden by Kohei Matsuyama. After Suave Richard progeny Corazon Beat crossed the wire Safira followed a further three lengths adrift in Takarazuka Chicago Sting (Katsuma Sameshima) who finished fifth in the 18-horse field of 2-year-old fillies was the pacesetter and led at the third and fourth turns on the turf course In the race-changing final three furlongs, Chicago Sting was clocked in 35.2. As a result, she faded to fifth, and Ascoli Piceno, Stellenbosch, and others charged to the front of the pack. (Watch the full race on the Japan Racing Association's YouTube channel.) Kitamura analyzed Ascoli Piceno's preparations for the big race and her performance "The stable staff did a great job and she was in very good condition so I had every confidence in her," Kitamura said "The filly broke better than in her previous start For Kitamura, Sunday's win was his first JRA Grade 1 triumph since the 2015 Kikuka Sho aboard Kitasan Black collected his seventh G1 win in his home country 13 Japan-trained thoroughbreds participated in four races at Sha Tin Racecourse In the 2,000-meter Hong Kong Cup, Hishi Iguazu, guided by Brazilian Joao Moreira, placed third. Yuga Kawada's ride Prognosis settled for fifth in the 11-horse field Earlier, Namur (William Buick) winner of Japan's Mile Championship on November 19 Soul Rush with Moreira placed fourth out of 14 participants Jasper Krone (Kawada) was seventh in the Hong Kong Sprint and Mad Cool (Cristian Demuro) placed eighth In the eight-horse Hong Kong Vase, contested over 2,400 meters, Zeffiro (Damian Lane) was the runner-up Ten Japanese trainers were involved in the Hong Kong International Races Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.  Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Ascoli Piceno edges Stellenbosch in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin Racecourse The Japanese classics season kicks off April 7 at Hanshin Racecourse with that country's 2-year-old filly champion of 2023 defending her perfect record in a full field in the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas Ascoli Piceno, by Daiwa Major , out of the Danehill Dancer  mare Ascolti progressed smoothly through the ranks as a juvenile She won her first start June 24 and moved right into the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3) Aug she took on some of the best of her generation in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) Dec winning by a neck over Stellenbosch in a fierce battle between two deep closers Both Stellenbosch, a daughter of Epiphaneia , and Corazon Beat, by Suave Richard  All three of Ascoli Piceno's 2023 wins were at the same 1,600 meters (about a mile) as the Oka Sho trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa transferred her from her base at the Miho Training Center in eastern Japan to the Ritto training facility to avoid long travel close to the race date While Ascoli Piceno is the obvious focus of attention others have been building up to the race in some style Queen's Walk appears in her first grade 1 event but has two wins and one second from her three starts. The Kizuna  filly captured the Queen Cup (G3) at Tokyo Racecourse Feb exits a win in the Tulip Sho (G2) at Hanshin She had a win and two seconds from five previous starts but finished seventh in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Cervinia was withdrawn from the Juvenile Fillies with minor setbacks She showed ability before that but has not raced since October starting with the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks G1) at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) in May and concluding with the Shuka Sho in October at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) There are at least one million reasons Australian Turf Club officials will be hoping a Japanese horse wins the $10m Golden Eagle for a second year in a row is set to start as favourite in Saturday’s cashed-up Rosehill feature and connections of Ascoli Piceno are predicting more horses from the Asian racing mecca will target the Golden Eagle should the Japanese clinch back-to-back triumphs Racing NSW is banking on the Golden Eagle being elevated to group 1 status next year and a Japanese horse features in the 2025 race the governing body can then apply to the Japan Racing Association to have the race shown live in Japan and bet on by the locals Japanese punters invested around $45 billion on horse racing last year The last time a Sydney race was shown and bet on in Japan was the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Stakes The Australian Turf Club have good reason to cheer Ascoli Piceno to victory in Saturday’s Golden Eagle.Credit: Jessica Hromas/SMH The sum collected by the ATC from Japanese markets after that race remains confidential but sources with knowledge of the final figure not authorised to speak publicly confirmed to this masthead the amount was in the “hundreds of thousands of dollars” The same sources confirmed the ATC could expect to earn around $1million from Japan’s Golden Eagle interest Japan has excluded itself from other racing jurisdictions when it comes to betting pools but Racing NSW hopes the Golden Eagle becomes one of their annual targets The Everest was granted group 1 status this year and local officials want the Golden Eagle to quickly follow suit Ascoli Piceno is the $3.50 early favourite with bookies, and was given a spin around Canterbury by jockey Joao Moreira for the first time last Wednesday. Rival jockey Tommy Berry who will ride fellow Japanese horse Corazon Beat said of Ascoli Piceno last week: “If Ascoli Piceno gets all the luck in running The Golden Eagle will also feature unbeaten French galloper Lazzat and William Haggas’ English raider Lake Forest One-time early favourite Celestial Legend is heading to the paddock and will not run on Saturday Joe Pride confirmed last week his Epsom and King Charles III Stakes winner Ceowulf had already gone for a spell Arkansaw Kid and Griff are all expected not to feature Kintyre and Moravia are expected to join the four internationals when acceptances are confirmed on Tuesday to scrape into the final spot in the 20-horse race Everest champion Bella Nipotina has been nominated for the $3m Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) is set to start as favourite in Saturday\\u2019s cashed-up Rosehill feature but sources with knowledge of the final figure not authorised to speak publicly confirmed to this masthead the amount was in the \\u201Chundreds of thousands of dollars\\u201D The same sources confirmed the ATC could expect to earn around $1million from Japan\\u2019s Golden Eagle interest Ascoli Piceno is the $3.50 early favourite with bookies and was given a spin around Canterbury by jockey Joao Moreira for the first time last Wednesday said of Ascoli Piceno last week: \\u201CIf Ascoli Piceno gets all the luck in running and William Haggas\\u2019 English raider Lake Forest A new rivalry is brewing among Japanese fillies as Stellenbosch turned the tables on Japan's 2023 2-year-old champion Ascoli Piceno in the first of the 2024 Classics the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas-G1) April 7 at Hanshin Racecourse Against a backdrop of cherry blossoms on the backstretch the two ran nearly side-by-side through the first half of the 1,600-meter (about one mile) Oka Sho right-handed turn but it was Stellenbosch first to challenge for the lead under jockey Joao Moreira Climbing the steep incline toward the finish Ascoli Piceno and jockey Hiroshi Kitamura gave it a valiant go but fell 3/4 length short of capturing the flag "She didn't jump very well but she did nothing wrong during the race," said Moreira "She went up front a little bit too early and I was worried she couldn't sustain her speed all the way to the end she has proved to be capable and has given me my second grade 1 win in Japan which will be in my heart forever." in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) in December deciding the championship for Ascoli Piceno That race was Stellenbosch's first graded stakes and left her with a record of two wins and two seconds from starts as a 2-year-old Ascoli Piceno, by Daiwa Major  finished the 2023 season undefeated after three starts and won the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3) as a prep for the Juvenile Fillies Trainer Sakae Kunieda said there were excuses for Stellenbosch's defeat in the 2023 finale "She went into the big race with only two full weeks in between races," Kunieda said "The pace was different from what she'd encountered before and she wound up getting a position toward the rear she was able to slip up the inside on a narrow path Stellenbosch races in the name of Katsumi Yoshida while Ascoli Piceno is campaigned by Sunday Racing Co The Oka Sho ("Oka" means cherry blossom in Japanese) is followed in the Triple Crown series by the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks-G1) at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) and the Shuka Sho (G1) at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) Bond Girl, originally entered in the Oka Sho, instead ran a day earlier in the New Zealand Trophy (G2) at Nakayama Racecourse, finishing second as the favorite. She had not run since finishing second in the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3) in October, missing the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with a minor setback. The Japanese have a strong contingent of horses in Australia for the spring carnival Arguably the most promising of those will run in the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2 is considered one of the very best milers in the land of the rising sun according to Japanese racing liaison Kosi Kawakami and should give a good account of herself in the $10 million race A Northern Hemisphere three-year-old coming here so she is a four-year-old mare,” Kawakami said on SENTrack’s Giddy Up “She is the best mile horse we have in Japan Gareth Hall suggested: “If she’s the best miler in Japan she’d be winning a Golden Eagle.” She’s definitely the best three-year-old miler in Japan “I think they’re here to take a big chunk of prize money.” Ascoli Piceno is currently the $3.60 favourite with Sportsbet for the Golden Eagle Another star Japanese raider on our shores is Prognosis who is the current Cox Plate favourite He brings strong middle distance form down under having run fourth in the Group 2 Sapporo Kinen over 2000m after his runner-up to reigning Cox Plate champion Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong The Mitsumasa Nakauchida-trained seven-year-old has been compared to Lys Gracieux who claimed the 2019 Cox Plate “He’s in great shape,” Kawakami said of Prognosis “Of course it is very hard to compare directly because they never raced against each other Lys Gracieux had already won a Group 1 before coming here “But I can say he is very unlucky that he hasn’t won a Group 1 yet “He is one of the best middle distance horses we have in Japan at the moment.” Prognosis is the $3.30 favourite for the weight-for-age classic which takes pace at The Valley this Saturday He will be ridden by Daman Lane who has a great association with some of the top Japanese stables Thirdly there is Warp Speed for Noboru Takagi The six-year-old did not enjoy the rain-affected surface in the Caulfield Cup but is expected to race well in the Melbourne Cup provided the track is dry “Hopefully Warp Speed will bounce back and perform well in a Melbourne Cup,” Kawakami added Warp Speed is currently priced at $34 with Sportsbet for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5 Image from Japan Racing Association What's gambling really costing you? Set a deposit limit. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au Crafted by Project Diamond showcasing the country's best 4YOs over 1500 meters This year's field combines a fascinating mix of proven local stars and exciting international talent We're in for a thrilling and competitive race with key players coming in off various form lines others have been specifically set for this day In such a wide open field race tactics and positioning will be crucial especially as several key runners have drawn wide.  Luke Hovhanesian continues to nail his Feature Race best bets Land his early prices for this week & subscribe to his tip package now! Who does Brad Davidson like in The Golden Eagle as several runners are vying for prominent spots Ostraka and French raider Lazzat will go forward with Makarena potentially being caught three wide Tom Kitten who has the option to be ridden further forward should land the leaders back with Kintyre and War Machine to his outside Joliestar will all be bustling for positions in behind.  Southport Tycoon and Veight all towards the rear this 4YO mare brings elite G1 formlines to this contest If she had drawn a barrier her quote would likely be much shorter but just how far back will she get on a fast Rosehill track All eyes will be on how the track is playing but granted they can run on she will be in with a cracking chance thanks to her explosive turn of foot I was with Tom Kitten in the King Charles and want to stick with him here He will be strong over the 1500m distance and from the low draw can land in a forward position He has good change-up speed and if he gets the gaps can shoot through to be there at crunch time At $10.00 he is the clear standout value bet in the race The unbeaten French mare would be the heavy favourite if Ascoli Piceno wasn't racing will land up on pace and gets in well at the weights considering her record There will be a red hot tempo in this event but she has proven she can absorb high pressure contests If she gets a breather turning for home she could easily pinch this Stefi Magnetica comes in off a solid Everest run where she was a strong closer For thousands more tips including free selections for today's racing, head to Australia's best racing tips market at thegreattipoff.com 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;background-color:#902fa1;box-shadow:0px 3px 1px -2px rgba(0,0,0,0.2),0px 2px 2px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.14),0px 1px 5px 0px 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Fillies' Mile heroine Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) won both the G3 Niigata Nisai S and the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last year Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) stole a march on the Yoichi Kuroiwa trainee in the straight to win the Japanese 1000 Guineas by just three-quarters of a length last out “She handled the transportation over to the track well for the Oka Sho she quickly recovered to get a good position She's recovered from that race without any problems and we've been able to make this next race the target for her.” the colt is perched two stalls farther out were secured by the Shadai Race Horse Company colourbearer he was a good second to subsequent record-setting G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) hero Justin Milano (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G3 Kyodo News Hai in February and wound up a brave third in the 2000-metre colts' Classic after briefly leading in the home straight “He wasn't able to hold off the other two horses in the closing stages last time and just couldn't find any more at the end but I was still satisfied with his third-place finish He's a top-class horse with a lot of ability.” Rulership (Jpn) colt Di Speranza (Jpn) sports both of his victories over the NHK Mile journey with rivals Arranger (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Channel Tunnel (Jpn) (Greater London {Jpn}) second and third in the G3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin in April he could prove dangerous to the champion pair Di Speranza's assistant trainer Sho Tajima said but last time he could get a better early position in the race so he's showed us different ways of racing Switching to the outside in the home straight last time worked very well and he's now won two consecutive races over a mile.” Although the winner of the other NHK Mile Cup prep the G2 New Zealand Trophy is not in Sunday's lineup in Ecoro Bloom (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) both the second and third–filly Bond Girl (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) and Yukino Royal (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn})–are heading back into the fray and leave from posts five and 17 Bond Girl would be the fifth NKH Mile winner to be ridden by the legendary Yutaka Take and his first since Logic (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}) in 2006 “She had to miss the Juvenile Fillies last year so we then thought about going directly to the Oka Sho The New Zealand Trophy became her next race The jockey was riding her for the first time and thought she got into a good rhythm in the race it gained her some valuable prize-money to get entered into races from now.” Copy Article Link '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Japan's prospects of going back-to-back in Saturday's $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill were dealt a blow when the favourite Ascoli Piceno drew barrier 17 A full field of 20 runners will face the starter this year the sixth running of the four-year-old set weights contest over 1500m The Golden Eagle is now Australia's second richest race Last year the race was won by Japanese raider Obamburumai and this year two more Japanese gallopers are here to attempt to emulate Collette (2020) as the only females to have won the race Two other Northern Hemisphere raiders are among the acceptors undefeated French Group 1 winner Lazzat and the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest Leading the local defence are Group 1-winning gallopers Southport Tycoon No – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight 1 – SOUTHPORT TYCOON – Ciaron Maher – Craig Williams – 15 – 57.5kg 2 – VEIGHT – Tony & Calvin McEvoy – Harry Coffey – 18 – 57.5kg 3 – TOM KITTEN – James Cummings – Ben Melham – 2 – 57.5kg 4 – OSTRAKA – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Chad Schofield – 13 – 57.5kg 5 – GRIFF – Ciaron Maher – Dylan Gibbons – 6 – 57.5kg 6 – ENCAP – Gary Portelli – Jason Collett – 1 – 57.5kg 7 – XIDAKI – Peter Snowden – Tom Sherry – 10 – 57.5kg 8 – CHRYSAOR – Chris Waller – Regan Bayliss – 14 – 57.5kg 9 – KINTYRE – Gary Portelli – Reece Jones – 3 – 57.5kg 10 – WAR MACHINE – Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson – Jay Ford – 7 – 57.5kg 11 – PORT LOCKROY – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Adam Hyeronimus – 9 – 57.5kg 12 – LAZZAT (FR) – Jerome Reynier – Antonio Orani – 12 – 56.5kg 13 – CRAIG – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Nash Rawiller – 5 – 56.5kg 14 – LAKE FOREST (GB) – William Haggas – Cieron Fallon – 8 – 56.5kg 15 – STEFI MAGNETICA – Bjorn Baker – Zac Lloyd – 4 – 55.5kg 16 – JOLIESTAR – Chris Waller – Kerrin McEvoy – 11 – 55.5kg 17 – MAKARENA – Michael John & Wayne Hawkes – Tyler Schiller – 20 – 55.5kg 18 – SKYBIRD – Mitchell Freedman – Beau Mertens – 16 – 55.5kg 19 – ASCOLI PICENO (JPN) – Yoichi Kuroiwa – Joao Moriera – 17 – 54.5kg 20 – CORAZON BEAT (JPN) – Shizuya Kato – Tommy Berry – 19 – 54.5kg Ascoli Piceno(Daiwa Major X Ascolti (Danehill Dancer )) won the Keisei Hai (G3 With today's fast track at Nakayama, she ran the mile in 1:30.8 pic.twitter.com/UQqDaroy7E — ???????????????????????????????? ????◉_???????????????????????? (@Kontenasan_bf) September 8, 2024 Lazzat makes all, storming to G1 glory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest for Antonio Orani and @EcurieReynier… pic.twitter.com/LuNvMQEn2i — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 4, 2024 CEOLWULF RIGHT DOWN THE OUTSIDE IN THE EPSOM CHAD SCHOFIELD WINS HIS FIRST GROUP 1 SINCE 2014! @PrideRacing@SchofieldChadpic.twitter.com/tKUFgdDSpJ — 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) October 5, 2024 A second #RoyalAscot winner this year for trainer Kevin Ryan, as INISHERIN storms to success in The Commonwealth Cup. Bravo to jockey Tom Eaves, and to owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum! pic.twitter.com/BCBwroUlA9 — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2024 ASCOLI PICENO (Daiwa Major x Ascolti (Danehill Dancer)) x Hiroshi Kitamura 2nd 6. STELLENBOSCH (Epiphaneia) 3rd 10. CORAZON BEAT (Suave Richard)#JRApic.twitter.com/QqrD0ghLqY — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) December 10, 2023 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024 Ostraka is a horse on the rise and wins the Silver Eagle It's a fourth straight win and he's off to the $10 million Golden Eagle!@ANeashamRacing@blake_shinnpic.twitter.com/h61O9wwHHT — 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) October 19, 2024 He's contested the past two editions of the #TABEverest but @BBakerRacing‘s star sprinter claims the Group 3 and his first win at Randwick with an all the way win over Coal Crusher and Southport Tycoon. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/F8C5b6v6WD — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 19, 2024 The Rosehill track was rated a good (4) at acceptance time The rail will be in the true position on Saturday The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Parramatta is Thursday – Partly cloudy (70% chance of 0-7mm of rain) CLICK HERE to get the fields and free formguide for the Rosehill meeting on Saturday Japan's prospects of going back-to-back in Saturday's $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill were dealt a blow when the favourite Ascoli Piceno drew barrier 17 1 – SOUTHPORT TYCOON – Ciaron Maher – Craig Williams – 15 – 57.5kg 2 – VEIGHT – Tony & Calvin McEvoy – Harry Coffey – 18 – 57.5kg 3 – TOM KITTEN – James Cummings – Ben Melham – 2 – 57.5kg 4 – OSTRAKA – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Chad Schofield – 13 – 57.5kg 5 – GRIFF – Ciaron Maher – Dylan Gibbons – 6 – 57.5kg 6 – ENCAP – Gary Portelli – Jason Collett – 1 – 57.5kg 7 – XIDAKI – Peter Snowden – Tom Sherry – 10 – 57.5kg 8 – CHRYSAOR – Chris Waller – Regan Bayliss – 14 – 57.5kg 9 – KINTYRE – Gary Portelli – Reece Jones – 3 – 57.5kg 10 – WAR MACHINE – Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson – Jay Ford – 7 – 57.5kg 11 – PORT LOCKROY – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Adam Hyeronimus – 9 – 57.5kg 12 – LAZZAT (FR) – Jerome Reynier – Antonio Orani – 12 – 56.5kg 13 – CRAIG – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Nash Rawiller – 5 – 56.5kg 14 – LAKE FOREST (GB) – William Haggas – Cieron Fallon – 8 – 56.5kg 15 – STEFI MAGNETICA – Bjorn Baker – Zac Lloyd – 4 – 55.5kg 16 – JOLIESTAR – Chris Waller – Kerrin McEvoy – 11 – 55.5kg 17 – MAKARENA – Michael 18 – SKYBIRD – Mitchell Freedman – Beau Mertens – 16 – 55.5kg 19 – ASCOLI PICENO (JPN) – Yoichi Kuroiwa – Joao Moriera – 17 – 54.5kg 20 – CORAZON BEAT (JPN) – Shizuya Kato – Tommy Berry – 19 – 54.5kg With today's fast track at Nakayama, she ran the mile in 1:30.8 pic.twitter.com/UQqDaroy7E — ???????????????????????????????? ????◉_???????????????????????? (@Kontenasan_bf) September 8, 2024 Lazzat makes all, storming to G1 glory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest for Antonio Orani and @EcurieReynier… pic.twitter.com/LuNvMQEn2i — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 4, 2024 CHAD SCHOFIELD WINS HIS FIRST GROUP 1 SINCE 2014! @PrideRacing@SchofieldChadpic.twitter.com/tKUFgdDSpJ — 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) October 5, 2024 A second #RoyalAscot winner this year for trainer Kevin Ryan, as INISHERIN storms to success in The Commonwealth Cup. Bravo to jockey Tom Eaves, and to owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum! pic.twitter.com/BCBwroUlA9 — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2024 2nd 6. STELLENBOSCH (Epiphaneia) 3rd 10. CORAZON BEAT (Suave Richard)#JRApic.twitter.com/QqrD0ghLqY — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) December 10, 2023 An epic finish to the #TABEverest with Bella Nipotina calling upon all her bravery to win! ????@CWilliamsJockey | @cmaherracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/joFzBJjypt — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024 It's a fourth straight win and he's off to the $10 million Golden Eagle!@ANeashamRacing@blake_shinnpic.twitter.com/h61O9wwHHT — 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) October 19, 2024 He's contested the past two editions of the #TABEverest but @BBakerRacing‘s star sprinter claims the Group 3 and his first win at Randwick with an all the way win over Coal Crusher and Southport Tycoon. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/F8C5b6v6WD — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 19, 2024 CLICK HERE to get the fields and free formguide for the Rosehill meeting on Saturday ShareSaveCommentLifestyleTravelThe Best Corner Of Italy That You’ve Never Heard Of: Le MarcheByAnn Abel Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Ann Abel is a Lisbon-based writer covering luxury travel with a soulFollow AuthorJul 19 10:26am EDTShareSaveCommentThis article is more than 3 years old.A resident burro at Agriturismo Ramusè One night at dinner at Agriturismo Ramusè I watched with delight as Paolo Ciccioli spent a full 30 seconds shaving a black truffle over my pasta (I’m not exaggerating—I have the iPhone video to prove it.) That was just the primo piatto halfway through a dinner in which all three courses included a luxurious amount of truffles during a stay in which every dinner and even breakfast included the same Truffles are the point of Ciccioli’s agriturismo (a particularly Italian sort of accommodation connected with farming and gastronomy) a charming house that once belonged to his grandparents in this hills around Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche he was working as an exporter of his region’s black and white truffles for London restaurants and the Borough Market Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc were among his clients So was television celebrity chef (and Oliver’s mentor) Gennaro Contaldo who decided to spend some time at the Italian house for an episode of his famous program Watching the footage was enough to make Ciccioli homesick and he returned to Le Marche in 2005 and set about restoring the house such as terra-cotta in the floors and local stone in the bathrooms of the six bedrooms a word that derives from baccaiamento (in the local Forcese dialect) that with one of his adorably excited little truffle-hunting dogs They generally turn up enough that he can lavish 30 seconds’ worth of shaved truffles on every guest’s dinner every day during the summer truffle season Le Marche is particularly close to his heart as he is from the nearby village of Comunanza “Le Marche is a place that’s undiscovered for Americans,” he says “It’s a little gem off the classic tourist route where agriculture artisanship and local life are in perfect rhythm.” I was hiking with Buratti when we passed one of her neighbors as he pulled into the driveway of his countryside house where he brought out cookies and big jugs of wine (at 11am) but the generosity of that welcome was even better The flip side to all that rusticity is the gorgeous Ascoli Piceno Much of the town that exists today dates from medieval times which are celebrated with an actual jousting festival every summer The biggest difference in the pretty town is that it now has very few of the towers that used to be part of wealthy families’ homes Jealous neighbors knocked them down so that their own towers would seem more impressive A more recent landmark is Caffè Meletti, which has stood on one corner of the main square (one of the most beautiful in all of Italy) for more than 100 years The building had been a post office earlier and 19th-century frescoes of newspaper and mail remain a decorative reaction to the industrial development at the beginning of the 20th century (Think prettily sculpted columns made from cast iron.) Although the food is quite good (it’s listed in the Michelin guide) outside on the terrace and especially on the rooftop It’s on a par with the grand cafés of Paris and Vienna And they come for the history—it was an early entrepreneurial project Original owner Silvio Meletti earned the fortune that enabled him to buy and build it from selling anise liqueur The hospitality there is very different from what you find at the agriturismos But Meletti had a lot of things in common with Ciccoli and Moretti: dreaming big using what was around him to create something beautiful and to welcome guests from all over the world and introduce them to his small corner of Italy ShareSaveLifestyleTravelLooking For Authentic Italy? Try Le MarcheByLivia Hengel Livia Hengel is a travel journalist covering Italy 09:30am ESTShareSaveThis article is more than 5 years old.Ascoli Piceno was founded in the 9th century BC along Via Salaria While mass tourism seems to be wreaking havoc on the world’s most beautiful destinations others lay untouched just off the tourist radar is filled with regions and territories that are virtually unknown and spared the crowds All you need to do is get off-the-beaten-path and travel like a local The truth is, traveling like a local is appealing but it’s not always straight-forward. This type of experience requires that there is someone on the inside who can guide you on your trip – and that’s precisely where The Italian On Tour steps in the boutique travel company offers immersive journeys in one of Italy’s most authentic regions: Le Marche is considered one of Italy's "Borghi Più Belli d'Italia" - or .. hearty cuisine and longstanding traditions Le Marche may draw similarities to Umbria or Tuscany but it’s a region that deserves to be recognized for its own history and cultural identity Some of its highlights include the UNESCO-listed Renaissance town of Urbino the pristine coastline of the Conero Natural Park the beautiful Travertine piazzas of Ascoli Piceno and the Grotte di Frasassi Europe's largest underground cave system Le Marche is also home to the largest Roman cisterns in Italy It's a region that blends culture – like the highest concentration of historic theaters in the world – with natural scenery Le Marche's coastline features long stretches of sandy beach and is dotted with hilltop towns “The reason I love Le Marche so much is that it’s all of Italy wrapped up into one region In the same day you can go from visiting the Sibillini Mountains and truffle country to being in a beautiful medieval city – and then driving through wine country to the Adriatic Sea,” says Chantelle “And Le Marche is the underdog,” Giovanni adds “That’s part of the beauty of visiting this region It’s still relatively unknown so there is a lot to discover.” The Italian On Tour was founded by Giovanni Dagostino The Italian On Tour itineraries run 5 7 or 9 days and longer tours include a few day trips into nearby Abruzzo Guests will wander through Italy's most beautiful hilltop villages learn how to make fresh pasta in a 17th century villa taste local wines at an award-winning family-run winery dine at Italy's top Slow Food restaurant soak in some sunshine by the coast and more The Beach of the Two Sisters on the Conero Coast The Italian On Tour accommodates travelers with all kinds of dietary restrictions Giovanni and Chantelle are dynamic and charming and have tapped into their network to provide exclusive experiences for their guests Travel experts with a passion for the food they are the perfect guides to translate the Italian experience for their guests and help introduce them to this corner of Italy “We understand both sides so you get the best of both worlds We speak Italian and we understand the local nuances but we’ve also lived and traveled abroad so we can anticipate the needs of our guests Our experiences give them the opportunity to go beneath the surface and really connect the people and the country something they wouldn’t be able to do on their own,” says Chantelle Ascoli Piceno is known for its travertine piazzas to introduce travelers to locals and bring them face-to-face with the people behind each establishment to support the families and entrepreneurs in Italy by bringing them business “Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Italy and we want to help create jobs in Le Marche It’s important for us to collaborate with – and support – passionate people,” says Chantelle “Each and every one of our partners represents an important part of Italy and brings value to the region by honoring local traditions or reinterpreting them in an innovative way.” Chantelle pictures at one of her favorite wineries in Le Marche “One of the wineries we visit on our tours was founded by young 30-year-old Italians who moved back to Le Marche after living abroad “The economic conditions in Italy are difficult but they inherited land here and wanted to do something unique – and the end result is amazing We love their wines and so do our guests.” Slow tourism and responsible travel can create a virtuous cycle for travelers and locals alike “So many people try to see everything in the shortest amount of time but we’re on the opposite end of the spectrum,” says Chantelle “We have people stay in Ascoli Piceno for up to 9 days you get to experience what it would actually be like to live in an Italian city and have enough time to see all of the highlights in the surrounding territory.” Itineraries run 5-9 days so there's plenty of time to relax and enjoy small towns in the .. And when you travel with The Italian On Tour You only have to unpack your suitcase once and evenings are free to explore the town of Ascoli on your own time stuffed with minced meat and fried to perfection historic Meletti café and numerous eateries (including Gambero Rosso award-winning pizzerias) Ascoli is a delightful city to enjoy at your own pace and well worth a visit whether it’s your first time in Italy or your tenth Jantar Mantar wins the NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse Japan's champion 2-year-old colt of 2023 got back to a comfortable mile and back to the winner's enclosure after dominating the NHK Mile Cup (G1T) for 3-year-olds May 5 at Tokyo Racecourse The cutback in distance may have been key but racing fortune played a role as last year's 2-year-old filly titlist ran into a traffic jam as she was bidding for victory and had to settle for second Jantar Mantar, a Palace Malice  colt ending with a title-clinching victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity in December Although he beat other newcomers in his debut at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) Tested for potential Classic mettle at the start of his 3-year-old campaign he was unable to handle 1,800 meters in his first start then was third in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas-G1) at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) jockey Yuga Kawada kept Jantar Mantar just behind the leading clot of rivals He crept up on the pacesetters at the top of the straight challenged inside the 400 meters and was going well as he crossed the finish line in front by 2 1/2 lengths Luck did play a role as Ascoli Piceno, a Daiwa Major  filly who was a narrow favorite over the winner ran into a nightmare trip in the late going Ascoli Piceno raced right inside Jantar Mantar into the stretch Jantar Mantar had her pinned in a pocket behind tiring foes Lemaire tried for a narrow gap but had to slam on the brakes when that opening disappeared By the time he'd recovered and shifted over to the rail Jantar Mantar was long gone and Ascoli Piceno did well to rally for second The talented filly won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1T) in her 2-year-old finale Kawada said Jantar Mantar was never in peril throughout the race "I had every confidence in my colt," he said He ran in good rhythm and showed his true strength Concerns of his tight schedule—his latest Satsuki Sho start was only three weeks before—obviously was nothing to be worried about "I hope I can prove he is the best miler in Japan in the future." Trainer Tomokazu Takano acknowledged before the race that Jantar Mantar likely was destined to compete as a miler "He wasn't able to hold off the other two horses in the closing stages last time and just couldn't find any more at the end," the trainer said "But I was still satisfied with his third-place finish He's a top-class horse with a lot of ability." Jantar Mantar was bred by Shadai Farm and races in the colors of Shadai Race Horse The all important barrier draw for the $10million ATC Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill this Saturday was conducted on Tuesday night adding a new layer of intrigue to a race packed with quality Aussie four year-olds and a couple of genuinely top class Group I winning contenders from France and Japan Japanese superstar Ascoli Piceno drew wide in gate 17 while unbeaten French raider Lazzat drew gate 12 and of the local hopes Joliestar drew 11 and Tom Kitten got gate 2 and Stefi Magnetica drew ideally in gate 4. No – Horse (Sire) – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight 1 – Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) – Ciaron Maher – Craig Williams – 15 – 57.5kg 2 – Veight (Grunt)– Tony & Calvin McEvoy – Harry Coffey – 18 – 57.5kg 3 – Tom Kitten (Harry Angel (IRE)– James Cummings – Ben Melham – 2 – 57.5kg 4 – Ostraka (Pariah)– Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Chad Schofield – 13 – 57.5kg 5 – Griff (Trapeze Artist) – Ciaron Maher – Dylan Gibbons –  6– 57.5kg 6 – Encap (Capitalist)– Gary Portelli – Jason Collett – 1 – 57.5kg 7 – Xidaki (Zoustar)– Peter Snowden – Tom Sherry – 10 – 57.5kg 8 – Chrysaor (Better Than Ready) – Chris Waller – Regan Bayliss – 14– 57.5kg 9 – Kintyre (Hallowed Crown)– Gary Portelli – Reece Jones – 3 – 57.5kg 10 – War Machine (Harry Angel (IRE)– Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson – Jay Ford – 7 – 57.5kg 11 – Port Lockroy (Better Than Ready) – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Adam Hyeronimus – 9 – 57.5kg 12 – Lazzat (Fr) (Territories)– Jerome Reynier – Antonio Orani – 12 – 56.5kg 13 – Craig (GB) (Territories)– Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Nash Rawiller – 5 – 56.5kg 14 – Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never) – William Haggas – Cieron Fallon – 8 – 56.5kg 15 – Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard)– Bjorn Baker – Zac Lloyd – 4 – 55.5kg 16 – Joliestar (Zoustar)– Chris Waller – Kerrin McEvoy – 11– 55.5kg 17 – Makarena (Snitzel)– Michael John & Wayne Hawkes – Tyler Schiller – 20 – 55.5kg 18 – Skybird (Exosphere)– Mitchell Freedman – Beau Mertens –16  – 55.5kg 19 – Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major)– Yoichi Kuroiwa – Joao Moriera – 17– 54.5kg 20 – Corazon Beat (Jpn) (Suave Richard) – Shizuya Kato – Tommy Berry – 19 – 54.5kg Political party has overtaken Matteo Salvini’s far-right League as Italy’s biggest party in opinion polls he spoke a lot about the great things the partisans did to restore freedom and bring about democracy,” said Pietro Perini the partisan’s son and president of the Ascoli Piceno unit of Anpi “But he also felt they made one error – and that was not to have eradicated it [fascism] completely.” Spartaco Perini died in 2001, aged 82. Two decades later, Brothers of Italy, the descendant of a party formed in 1946 by the lingering supporters of Mussolini, is running Marche after winning regional elections last September It was a significant victory for the party which in recent years has steadily moved from the political fringes to being neck-and-neck with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League as Italy’s biggest parties in the latest opinion polls Its leader, Giorgia Meloni, who started out in the youth wing of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), its postwar predecessor, is now readying to succeed Mario Draghi as prime minister in the 2023 general elections, having kept her party out of his very broad coalition Meloni has endeavoured to remould her party pitching it as a conservative champion of patriotism she wrote that she “does not belong to the cult of fascism” But there are signs in Marche that the party – which maintain’s MSI’s tricolored flame as its logo – has not fully severed links with its past In April, the Brothers of Italy mayor of Ascoli Piceno donated fascist comics to schools the national holiday to mark Italy’s liberation from fascism the president of Marche’s education department sent a letter to students equating fascists with partisans like Spartaco Perini “We should remember the war dead without distinction of which side they were on,” he wrote but now some are in positions of power,” said Perini’s son Party leaders are seeking to adopt a measure that would restrict social housing to Italians some of which is being translated into measures,” said Antonio Mastrovincenzo a former Marche councillor with the centre-left Democratic party who accepts the weaknesses of the left lay the groundwork for the region’s pivot to the right “We made mistakes and people never forgave us,” he added The first push towards change came in August 2016 was struck by an earthquake that killed almost 300 people the former prime minister and ex-leader of the Democratic party promised to immediately rebuild the shattered towns But many of the affected places still lie abandoned The League and Brothers of Italy also played on immigration especially when 18-year-old Pamela Mastropietro was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant in the city of Macerata in early 2018 and just weeks away from national elections wounded six African migrants in a shooting rampage that he claimed was revenge for the murder “Traini became the battle horse for rightwing forces to affirm that it was the politics of the left that brought about this situation,” said Lina Caraceni a former Macerata councillor for integration and representative of the local unit of the privately-owned association “They threw out all the projects that the previous administration did – Macerata was one of the first places in Italy that adopted Sprar [a system to house migrants] There has also been more racism – nobody wants to rent homes to foreigners.” a journalist with La Repubblica who has written extensively about the extreme right in Italy the strongest sign of change in Marche came on 27 October 2019 when a commemorative dinner was held to mark the anniversary of Mussolini’s “march on Rome” The dinner was attended by Francesco Acquaroli along with a host of other Brothers of Italy mayors “This gives you an idea of how Brothers of Italy deals with the nostalgic right – not only do they not distance themselves from it adding that Marche had become “a kind of laboratory for the right which founded its roots in the fascist tradition” Brothers of Italy usually competes in local, regional and general elections in coalition with the League, led by Matteo Salvini The alliance runs 15 out of 20 Italian regions meaning that if they compete together in 2023 and win she has a good chance of becoming prime minister “The left has been weak at intercepting the rightwing rise across Italy,” said Berizzi fascism could end up being led by a party with links to that history.” Brothers of Italy’s arrival in Marche has also helped embolden extreme right groups such as CasaPound and Forza Nuova we find swastikas on the walls the next day and fans of the Ascoli Piceno football team celebrate each goal with the fascist salute The extremists know they can do this now without fear of punishment,” he added Perini worries about the outcome of the next national elections it seems the efforts of the partisans were all for nothing.” said that “half the town no longer exists.” Pirozzi added that rescue teams were digging through the rubble “hoping that most people were alive.” The historic center of the town The village of Pescara del Tronto was all but destroyed “When I arrived at the break of day, I saw a destroyed village, screams, death,” Bishop Giovanni D’Ercole of Ascoli Piceno, who visited the village, told Vatican Radio He said he had blessed “the bodies of two children buried under the rubble.” At least 20 people were killed in the region of Marche which includes Pescara del Tronto and Arquata del Tronto Photos showed firefighters pulling injured people out of debris in the town of Accumoli An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck about 100 miles from Rome trapping scores under debris and all but destroying some areas A school and church tower that collapsed last week were rebuilt Italian magistrates are to investigate whether companies ignored anti-seismic regulations when restoring public buildings such as a school in Amatrice that was reduced to rubble in last week’s earthquake “Everyone suspects such a tragedy was not just a question of destiny,” said Giuseppe Saieva chief prosecutor in the provincial capital of Rieti “Our duty is to verify if there was also responsibility Italy held a day of national mourning on Saturday for the 290 victims of the earthquake. In Ascoli Piceno, an emotional funeral was held for dozens of local victims. The president, Sergio Mattarella, the prime minister, Matteo Renzi and other leaders were among the hundreds who filled a sports hall to mourn the dead The mass was relayed by loudspeakers to many more assembled outside the hall Dignitaries pay their respects at the mass funeral in Ascoli Piceno Photograph: Pacific Pres/Rex/ShutterstockA major focus of the judicial inquiry is the Romolo Capranica primary school in Amatrice the town devastated in Wednesday’s 6.2-magnitude quake where 224 people died out of the total toll of 291 The school was inaugurated in 2012 after being rebuilt by a consortium of builders which won a contract from Amatrice town council for €700,000 (£596,552) to implement anti-earthquake safety standards in the school buildings Homeowners who employed companies that disregarded rules could receive compensation But Amatrice residents who built extensions or made major home renovations without meeting anti-seismic standards could be prosecuted for causing the deaths of family members Police officers are guarding the heap of crumpled masonry which is all that is left of Amatrice town hall to prevent suspects removing municipal records that would show which companies won public contracts Seeking to regain popularity after his Democratic party lost local elections to the radical Five Star Movement earlier this year Renzi is determined to be seen to be dealing effectively with the disaster has won media praise for the rescue efforts in which firefighters volunteers and Alpine rescue teams have saved the lives of 238 people pulled out of collapsed buildings Some 2,500 people are homeless after the quake Hundreds are living in tents in the mountains with cold weather expected “The population under canvas will have absolute priority for new lodgings because the temperature soon will fall further and it won’t be possible to stay in tents,” Curcio said The government wants to meet a request by the mayor of Amatrice that the medieval town be rebuilt as it was rather than creating new satellite towns such as those which sprang up around L’Aquila following the major earthquake there in 2009 As many as 9,000 people made homeless in L’Aquila still live in temporary accommodation Rescue efforts continue as aftershocks hit central Italy – video report Guardian“We won’t leave you on your own,” Mattarella told a group of homeless survivors in a tent camp near Accumoli that he visited by helicopter we will do everything possible to be close to you.” Other survivors were taken by bus from tent camps to the funeral at Ascoli “Together we will rebuild our homes and churches,” the bishop of Ascoli Piceno we will give life again to our communities To ensure that such stirring words will be honoured Renzi has ordered Italy’s anti-corruption agency to monitor the distribution of reconstruction funds was set up to weed out graft in the contracts for Milan’s Expo 2015 says even that will be insufficient to prevent infiltration by underworld entrepreneurs following the quake above all entrusted to people of proven honesty,” he said This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media the Pinacoteca Civica di Ascoli Piceno will host the second stage of the traveling exhibition In the Footsteps of Saint Michael the Archangel produced by Artifex International and promoted by the Marche Region and the municipalities of Loreto The three-stage traveling exhibition project intended to explore the theme of pilgrimage through works ranging from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century following the places of worship of St kicked off in April with its first stop in Loreto; it will now come to Ascoli Piceno then conclude in the fall in Senigallia.The pilgrims and devotees who traveled the European routes of faith in large numbers were repeatedly depicted by artists who highlighted their distinctive clothing with the characteristic signs of the pilgrimage that allowed them to be recognized were depicted by artists in the typical robes of pilgrims on a par with the saints who in the Middle Ages had brought the word of Christ to distant and dangerous places James of the Marches always depicted with a broadside The exhibition intends to pay tribute to this particular link and drawing on a rich iconographic heritage a nucleus of works has been selected to give life to a thematic itinerary that emphasizes some particular elements such as the pilgrims’ characteristic dress and the insignia displayed to certify that they had undertaken the journey to the holy places these are works from the civic collections of the Marche region where there is no shortage of masterpieces by authors such as Antonio da Fabriano who witnessed this phenomenon of worship between the 15th and 17th centuries Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli for the first time studies the characteristics of the robes that connote the pilgrims allowing them to be recognized during the route they traveled Also on display in the itinerary are some important processional banners preserved in the Marche region bearing witness to objects that were fundamental to worship and also representing a pictorial genre the making of which was made known as early as Cennino Cennini’s famous treatise in the 14th century also touches on the city of Ascoli and the Piceno territory as attested by various medieval buildings of worship dedicated to the warrior angel An itinerary of faith retraced thanks to the studies of Maria Elma Grelli who has reconstructed the events of the micaelic cult in the Piceno region while Giovanni Morello has investigated the complex iconographic events linked to the warrior angel in East and West Among the works that will arrive for the exhibition in Ascoli Piceno is the canvas by seventeenth-century artist Francesco Cozza recently found in Rome at a convent where it had been hidden under a modern painting so that the nuns would not be disturbed by the vision of the naked devil defeated by an athletic St Moreover, the persistence in the southern Marche region of the micaelico cult is also evidenced by the work of the greatest Piceno artist of the 20th century, Osvaldo Licini starting with the 1919 canvas entitled Archangel dedicated himself to delving into this theme to the point of elaborating the famous icons of the Rebel Angels that summarize in them the contrast between Good and Evil traverses part of the history of artistic production by focusing on peculiar and fascinating aspects such as the great devotion of pilgrims told in the images and the figure of St Michael the Archangel,” commented Culture Councillor Giorgia Latini whose journeys were full of risks and threatened life itself and the saint who par excellence fights evil means initiating a reflection through art also on the present on how even today the challenge of good is not without cost and what drives us to accept it But it also means going back to the past and the great tradition that Catholic worship has left in our region with a trace that in importance can stand alongside Jerusalem a jousting competition which brings an entire weekend of festivities to an end Hundreds of locals participate in an entire weekend of celebrations honouring Ascoli Piceno's medieval history The stunning central Italian city honours its medieval roots by breathing life into many age-old traditions leading up to the .. All of the 133 cardinals expected to take part in the secret conclave to elect a new Pope have arrived in Rome with the race to succeed Pope Francis seen as wide open AC Milan scored twice in two minutes to beat Genoa 2-1 in Serie A and keep alive their slim hopes of a place in next year’s Champions League from 46th in 2024 to 49th place in 2025 in the Press Freedom Index drawn up every year by Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders - RSF) Researcher and lecturer Flavia Marcello explores the fascist influence on the architecture of Rome the race for the fourth Champions League qualifying spot from Italy’s Serie A has become even tighter Napoli didn’t allow flares and delays to affect their performance as Antonio Conte’s side ground out a 1-0 win at Lecce to take firm control of Serie A in Italy Fiorentina have lost the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semifinal tie 2-1 away to Real Betis Inter Milan’s Serie A title defence is on the line with the busy champions chasing a fresher Napoli side who have the finishing line in sight Carlo Ancelotti has turned down the Brazil job and is mulling a mega offer to coach Saudi Arabia Spanish sports daily ‘Marca’ said Wednesday British director Ken Loach has blasted plans to tear down much of Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium to make room for a new home for Inter and AC Milan Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed A major exhibition on one of the major protagonists of the Renaissance in central Italy Nicola Filotesio better known as Cola dell’Amatrice (Amatrice 1547): this is the one scheduled at the Civic Museums of Ascoli Piceno from March 17 to July 15 Entitled Cola dell’Amatrice between Pinturicchio and Raphael it falls twenty-seven years after the last monographic exhibition on the Latium artist (held in 1991) and is also shaped as a kind of tribute to the town of Amatrice which was hard hit by the 2016 earthquake in central Italy and of which Cola was a native “The artist’s activity,” the presentation reads “has been expressed throughout the vast Apennine area affected by the recent seismic events: Amatrice and Città di Castello represent the peaks of a territory severely scarred by the recent seismic events The Ascoli Piceno exhibition intends to reaffirm the identity value of these works of art for a community that is in danger of seeing the historical social and cultural values on which its reality was based dispersed offering it the chance to initiate a moral redemption that will help it rise again.”The Ascolan exhibition intends to focus mainly on the artist’s formative years along an itinerary that winds between Farfa Subiaco and Ascoli Piceno: the artist arrived in the Marche city in 1509 to complete the triptych for the church of San Bartolomeo in Piagge Cola dell’Amatrice then moved to Rome in 1513: the exhibition also features never-before-seen comparisons between the works of the artists active in the building site of the Bishop’s Palace in Ostia profoundly influenced by Pinturicchio and Raphael (in fact he visited the Vatican Rooms: sketches from the celebrated School of Athens can be found in his notebooks taken from the so-called Taccuino di Fermo will be on public display for the first time) and the result was the 1514 altarpiece for the church of San Vittore in Ascoli Piceno who effectively monopolized all artistic production in the Piceno city in the following years creating works for private and public patrons Still on display are works restored for the occasion (some of which had been damaged by the earthquake) and works that allow a comparison with sculpture: polychrome terracotta works of the time will in fact be placed in dialogue with Cola’s paintings curated by Stefano Papetti and Luca Pezzuto but expands to other places in the city linked to Cola dell’Amatrice such as the monumental complex of San Francesco where there will be a section dedicated to graphic art and the refectory of the Convento dell’Annunziata home of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Camerino where Cola’s fresco depicting the Ascent to Calvary can be admired italian architect massimo guidotti was given the honor of designing a contemporary stadium to act as the home field for ascoli F.C the structure is to be built on the area currently occupied the old facility and will be slightly more compact than its predecessor ‘ascoli’ stadium signage  the design eliminates the original’s perimeter athletics track which allows for the bleachers to be positioned only 7.5 meters (24’6”) from the pitch because of the land’s considerable level differences in terms of north-south guidotti and team split the total design into two distinct districts is to host all commercial services and retail areas video courtesy of massimo guidotti architetto  ‘ascoli’ is an open air stadium but seating is completed covered by a teflon roof that oscillates from a minimum height of 12.8m (42′) to 17.4m  (57′) above the grandstands the wave-like form emphasizes the overall lightness of the structure and helps integrate it into the similar surrounding landscape the construction will include three other mixed-used buildings (commercial their car parks (500 vehicles) and a road to connect them all to the city.  aerial view over total planned construction area  interior view of pitch and covered roof  three other structures are located next to the stadium  1898phase: preliminary/business plantypology: football stadiumseats: 16,000construction cost: €13,000,000years: 2014-2015team: massimo guidotti daniela tamagninistructural consultants: sarti ingegneriaplan consultants: eutecne s.r.l designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style The Oscar-winning actor has taken to social media to reveal that he's been trying to chart his family's heritage. Russell, 59 - who was born in New Zealand, but has spent much of his life in Australia - wrote on X: "I’ve been on the hunt to track down my Italian forebears for quite some time. Folkloric family tales and misspelling had seen me travel on a number of wrong tracks. "Turns out my great great great grandfather, on my mother’s side, who travelled to NZ in 1864 was … "Luigi Ghezzi. Born in 1829 in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, the son of Augestine and Annunziata born in Parma. "Luigi had been working in Argentina, took a boat to India , was shipwrecked, and ended up in Capetown. While there he met and married Mary Ann Curtain and they migrated to NZ. "Also something else that has recently come to light on my fathers mothers side, via John ( Jock ) Fraser (arrived in NZ in 1841) we directly connect back to Simon Fraser. 11th Lord Lovat. "Look him up. He’s quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him "Seems his Machiavellian ways caught up to him at the age of 80, and he has a claim to infamy as the last man to have the head chopped off his living body in the Tower of London. His death even coined a phrase. "Apparently, they set up temporary stands for the gentry to watch him die "One of these stands collapsed which resulted in the death of 9 onlookers. Being told this just before he was put to death made him laugh. He was still laughing when the blade struck his neck, thereby “ laughing his head off”. Russell has loved learning about his Italian heritage - but there's still much more that he's keen to know about his family. He added: "So we now know Norwegian connections, Italian connections, multiple Scottish connections, Maori connections, but here’s the odd thing, a close relatives dna test still comes back as a majority Irish, but we don’t know how/who. "How about this for weirdness too. In my mothers "Family, 3 generations apart, women married men called Crowe. "I’ve had people come up to me to tell me we are related and I’ve been a little dismissive thinking I knew every Crowe family member, but I’m also related to another line of Crowes who appear to have been in Australia "It’s so cool to finally find out the Italian connection, and that as much of Italy as I’ve seen, it’s to places I’ve never been. Looks like there’s an adventure ahead. (sic)" Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feed@2025 The Irish News Ltd Pantofola d'Oro Ascoli Euro Football Boots - Italy/Spain/Germany/France The boots are exclusive to selected retailers and we can imagine will be released on rather limited numbers For your opportunity to show national pride or if you just like the colour combination of either the Tricolore expect to pay around £100 GBP / $180 USD / €120 EURO The lightest k-leather football boot on the market takes on a "Royal Blue" wrap as Pantofola d'Oro update the Supperleggera high-end Italian craftsmanship weighing in at just 180g What we're looking at here is the lightest football boot Pantofola d'Oro have ever styled The Superleggera is a boot that channels a new avenue of lightweight performance for the high-end Italian brand – at 180g it's a crafted contender Pantofola d'Oro return for a second colourway on their lightest ever football boot as the 180g Superleggera silo is flipped into a "White/Black/Gold" combination Offering up an easier financial entrance into its roster Pantofola d’Oro launch the Del Duca 2.0 – a new silo that still boasts the softest calf leather it takes inspiration from the brand’s first ever football boot which was created in 1968 for the Ascoli footballers of the time HANON and Pantofola d’Oro have linked up once again to launch the second iteration of the Modena; a shoe designed and built from scratch that celebrates Pantofola d'Oro's rich history in football with football infused design elements throughout Bringing a bit of levity to their artisan designs Pantofola d’Oro have partnered with pop culture ideogram Smiley to put an iconic twist on the Lazzarini Eco 2.0 football boot and now Italian craft masters Pantofola d’Oro are doing their bit and showing what can be done in football with the launch of the Lazzarini Eco which has been created using a fully eco-sustainable microfibre upper Classic aesthetics combined with an authentic design that’s handcrafted from the finest calf leather: with Pantofola d’Oro and the latest launch from the Italian brand Sign up to our newsletter and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the world of Creative Soccer Culture.