Irish trainer DERMOT WELD has won most of the top races overseas with racehorses who blossomed under his tutelage. He became the fifth Irish trainer to win a Breeders’ Cup race, doing so with the mare Tarnawa in the Turf in 2020. He also brought Go and Go over from Ireland to win the Belmont Stakes (G1) in 1990.
Weld has not had a ton of luck bringing his trainees to Woodbine but that could change this Saturday, October 3 when Juddmonte Farms’ PURVIEW takes on six rivals in the 86th CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL (G1) at 1 1/2 miles on the E.P. Taylor turf course. The International is one of four graded turf stakes races at Woodbine on Saturday.
Weld, 78, brought Grey Swallow to the International in 2005 and the colt, at 6 to 1, had won that year’s Irish derby (G1) and ran well at Woodbine to be third behind Relaxed Gesture (Ire). Unfortunately, Grey Swallow was deemed guilty of interference in the stretch and was disqualified and placed fourth. Since then, Weld has started horses in Woodbine stakes such as the Woodbine Mile (G1) (Famous Name, unplaced and E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) (Princess Highway, unplaced).
Hopes have been high for Purview.
Purview, a son of leading sire Kingman, is from a long line of Juddmonte broodmares. Khalid Abdullah obtained Fabulous Native in the 1970s from Claiborne Farm and from her, bred American millionaire Savinio.
Fabulous Native produced stakes producer Minskip who also produced Minority, the third dam of Purview. Minority is the dam of Proportional , a Group 1 winner as a 2-year-old for Juddmonte as well as Variable, a foal of 2012 and dam of Purview.
As a 3-year-old last year, Purview won the EBF Navigation Stakes and Leopardstown Derby Trial Stakes and Meld Stakes. This year, Purview won the International Stakes (G3) and Orby Stakes. He was recently third in the Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown.
At The Races reported that European racing manager for Juddmonte, Barry Mahon said about the Kilternan Stakes, “It was a good run but just didn’t really happen for him on the day to be fair, he was drawn 11 of 11 and Colin (Keane) said he just couldn’t get a slot in and ended up further back than he wanted.
“Then when they turned in he got a little big squeezed and although he came home really strong we felt both on the day and subsequently it was perhaps one that got away from us.
“That’s racing and we just didn’t get the luck in the race, but he’s gone to Canada now for the Canadian International.”
Godolphin’s ARABIAN CROWN comes off of two strong European efforts, including going down by half a length to the champion Rebel’s Romance in the G2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival.
Arabian Crown picked up a third G3 victory on his latest outing in the Kilternan Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival, in which he made all to decisively beat Sons And Lovers and Purview.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said: “Arabian Crown is a straightforward horse, who is happy taking a lead or making the running. He has to give weight to a good three-year-old in Ancient Egypt and he is also reopposing Purview, who was third at Leopardstown. It is a competitive race, but our horse goes there in good shape off the back of a nice win. I am confident that he will run well again.”
Godolphin and Appleby rarely miss the winner’s circle when they ship to Woodbine.
Woodbine’s leading trainer, MARK CASSE, has TOMASELLO in the field for Harlan Malter’s Ironhorse Racing Stable and T-N-T Equine Holdings, based in the U.S. Tomasello won the Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine in his previous start over a closing Dancin in D’Nile, the only local horse in the field. A 4-year-old by Authentic, Tomasello won the Preview Nashville Derby Stakes last year but was last in the Nashville Derby and went on hiatus for five months.
Tomasello figures to be a front running presence in the International, which i s lacking in much early speed.
Toronto ON.October 1, 2026.Woodbine Racetrack.Canadian International Championship local contender Tomasello gallops at Woodbine Racetrack under exerise rider Dylan Dunn for owner Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC,T-N-T Equine Holdings Ltd. and trainer Mark Casse.Tomasello will attempt to capture the grade 1, $750,000 dollar race at Woodbine on Saturday October 3, 2026.Woodbine/ Michael Burns PhotoToronto
Field for the Grade 1 Canadian International
Post position – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Arabian Crown (FR) – Jamie Spencer – Charlie Appleby
2 – Dancin in Da’nile – Pietro Moran – Gail Cox
3 – Purview (GB) – Christopher Hayes – Dermot Weld
4 – Il Siciliano – Rafael Hernandez – Antonio Sano
5 – Ancient Egypt (IRE) – David Egan – Charlie Johnston
6 – Tomasello – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
7 – Tawny Port – Sahin Civaci – Miguel Clement
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