400 NOT OUT!
Enigmatic Auguste Rodin hands Aidan O’Brien landmark top-flight victory in Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
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Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore showcased their brilliance on the biggest stage of them all once again when Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) produced a gutsy performance to land Wednesday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) at Royal Ascot, handing the Ballydoyle maestro an incredible 400th career Group/Grade 1 success on the flat.
A son of the late breed-shaping Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), Auguste Rodin can be brilliant on his day evidenced by his impressive triumphs in the Futurity Trophy Stakes (Gr 1, 1m), Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f), Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f), Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f), and Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr 1, 12f). However, those displays are coupled with some lack-lustre efforts in the 2023 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) and this year’s Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 2400m), while he was also 12th of 14 runners in last year’s English 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m).
A last-start three-length second placing in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m 2.5f) behind White Birch (Ulysses), who was a notable absentee from Wednesday’s contest, was a more encouraging beaten effort from Auguste Rodin, a performance that left O’Brien predicting an improved performance.
Sent off as the 13-8 favourite for Wednesday’s feature, the four-year-old entire was rousted along by Moore to get a handy position leaving the gates, and subsequently sat fourth throughout the opening six furlongs, with a furious pace being set up front.
Rounding the home bend, with breakaway pacesetter Snobbish (Dawn Approach) fading rapidly, Moore made the decision to track the advancing Royal Rhyme (Lope De Vega).
However, as that rival also began to toil under pressure, Moore and Auguste Rodin took up the lead with two furlongs left to run and, with French raider and eventual third Horizon Dore (Dabirism) hot on their tails, dug deep to fend off the Jerome Reynier-trained Zarakem (Zarak), who finished strongly, by three-quarters of a length.
The Patrice Cottier-trained Horizon Dore was eventually beaten one and three-quarter lengths by the game winner.
“I’m so delighted for the lads, he’s a very special horse,” O’Brien said. “He gets a mile and a half very well but when he gets to the front he waits, so I was probably giving him the wrong instructions all along. We were riding him too far back and when there was no pace, he was too far out of the race.
“We changed everything, Ryan said he was going to ride him positively from now on and engage him straight away.
“Honestly, I feel the blips were my fault, the instructions were wrong, and it was time to start getting it right.
“We saw today [Wednesday], when he gets to the front he waits, and then he goes again. He has a personality. Good horses, they have to develop a personality. And he has everything – the action, the movement, the temperament, the pedigree. So he’s very special really. And Ryan gave him a very special ride.”
Moore, who finished the day level with Frankie Dettori for number of winners at Royal Ascot on 81, was quick to praise the efforts and career of Auguste Rodin.
“He’s a great little horse,” the winning rider said. “Okay, a few times it hasn’t happened, but there have been reasons every time. The King George was maybe coming after a hard run in both Derbies, which is a hard thing to do.
“He took me there, going very well, and when I asked him, he really showed great courage. He wanted to win. He’s a proper horse.
“He’s a Group 1 winner at two, he won four Group 1’s last year and people are always very quick to knock horses. As soon as they get beat, they want to have a go at you. Every time you send them away, they have a pop at that as well.
“He’s been a real good horse and he did everything beautifully today – he deserved that.”
On potential future plans for Auguste Rodin, O’Brien revealed there are no set targets in mind but did mention a trip back across to the US could be on the agenda.
“He can do anything, he can go to America – it’s totally dependent on what the lads want to do,” he said.
“We were very surprised when he went to the dirt how he handled it, he cruises. The great thing about him now is that he’s happy to be ridden forward. Now we’re more confident that we’ve worked him out. “
O’Brien did however all but rule out a potential clash with this year’s Epsom Derby hero City Of Troy (Justify) and said: “The lads will decide that. I’m hoping that there will never be any need. When those horses come along like that, it’s to try to pick slots for them, space them out, appreciate them and enjoy them.”
In winning Wednesday’s prestigious Group 1, Auguste Rodin became O’Brien’s fifth winner of the contest, joining Duke Of Marmalade (Danehill) (2008), Coolmore Australia stallion So You Think (High Chaparral) (2012), Highland Reel (Galileo) and Love (Galileo), drawing him level with Henry Cecil and John Gosden.
Raced by an ever-dominant partnership that includes Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, John Magnier, and Westerberg, Auguste Rodin (4 c Deep Impact – Rhododendron by Galileo) has won at the elite level as a juvenile, three-year-old, and now four-year-old following Wednesday’s success.
He is the first foal out of Coolmore’s three-time Group 1-winning mare Rhododendron (Galileo), a sister to Magical, who won a remarkable seven top-flight contests throughout her 28-start career, and Group 3 winner Flying The Flag being out of the Classic-winning mare Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal).
Reynier confirmed that October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) was the main target for Zarakem, but also couldn’t rule out a potential return to Ascot for the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 27.
“I am very happy with him,” the trainer said. “It’s been the start of a really nice career – he won his maiden, won his class 2 and two Listed races, and he went on to the ring and got sold at the Arc sale for half a million.
“The new connections have been very kind to leave the horse with me, and on his reappearance this year he won a Group 2 on heavy ground, and today he’s been second in a very hot race at Royal Ascot in a Group 1 on firm ground, so he can do everything.
“He’s a tough one to get, Auguste Rodin; he was a very strong contender and has plenty of international experience. For Zarakem this was his first time abroad, and a very interesting first time out of France, so it opens many, many doors, and we’ll see if we’ll be back for the King George in a few weeks time.
“We will see – we don’t want to rush him, and we can keep the Arc as a final target for the year.”
The strong pace set by the pacemakers put too much pressure on Inspiral’s (Frankel) stamina, according to her joint-trainer John Gosden, after the filly finished sixth, one place in front of the disappointing Blue Rose Cen (Churchill).
“They’ve gone very, very hard on a stiff mile and a quarter and it’s caught her out on stamina,” Gosden said. “The Santa Anita mile and a quarter is very easy and they went slow that day.
“Auguste Rodin’s a Derby winner and they’ve gone flat out. She’s come with a run and flattened out the last furlong – she wasn’t beaten that far. There’s no reason she can’t go back to racing against fillies again, but it was a stamina test today and she didn’t come through it but that’s not her fault.”
376 for Galileo
Illinois (3 c ex Danedrop by Danehill) became the 376th individual stakes winner for the legendary breed-shaper Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) when proving too tough for his ten rivals in the Queen’s Vase (Gr 2, 1m 6f) at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, who was sending out a record-equalling eighth winner of the race alongside Sir Henry Cecil, the 7-4 favourite beat his stablemate Highbury (Galileo) by a length and a quarter with another Irish raider, the Jessica Harrington-trained Birdman (Free Eagle), a further three-quarters of a length away in third. Group 1 placed at two, Illinois is a homebred for Coolmore, whose pedigree is laden with stamina. He is the 16th foal out of the unraced Danehill (Danzig) dam Danedrop, making him a brother to the Group 3-winning pair Venice Beach and Broadway and a half-brother to a further four winners, headed by Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) heroine Danedream (Lomitas). With his win in Wednesday’s Group 2, Illinois became the 61st stakes winner bred on the Galileo / Danehill cross. Galileo, the sire of 99 individual elite-level winners worldwide, died in 2021 at the age of 23.
Illinois enters St Leger reckoning
Subsequent St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6.5f) scorers Leading Light (Montjeu) and Kew Gardens (Galileo) figure among Aidan O’Brien’s seven previous winners of the Queen’s Vase and a date at Doncaster in mid-September looks to be very much on the cards for Illinois after his Royal Ascot triumph under Ryan Moore on Wednesday. “Ryan felt that he would stay,” said O’Brien after the colt had no issues stepping up in distance, keeping on well in the closing stages of the 1m 6f contest. “He’s going to be a mile and a half, mile and six horse and he’s going to get better from three to four. He’s a sound, honest horse. He’s a bit of a baby mentally still, so he might have a little rest now and maybe go to York on the way to the Leger, something like that.
I think he might have a little bit more class than a Cup horse. His sister won the Arc, so he’s that type.” Those sentiments were echoed by Moore, who after riding his 80th Royal Ascot winner, said: “He’s got plenty of talent. He’s got a good engine, he’ll keep improving and he’s a real nice staying horse.” When asked if he thought Illinois was a contender for the Doncaster Classic on September 14, Moore simply said: “Yes”. Unsurprisingly the bookmakers sat up and took note of not only the performance, but also the post-race fallout and cut Illinois into a best-priced 6-1 for the Leger with only his Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f)-placed stablemate Los Angeles (Camelot) trading at a shorter price for the world’s oldest Classic at around the 4-1 mark.
Running Lion bounces back in Duke Of Cambridge
Having finished last of eight runners on her previous start when sent off as favourite for the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 1/2f) on June 1, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Running Lion (4 f Roaring Lion – Bella Nouf by Dansili) produced a career-best performance to land Wednesday’s Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Gr 2, 1m). Handing Oisin Murphy with a second winner of the week following Asfoora’s (Flying Artie) incredible success in Tuesday’s King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 5f), the four-year-old daughter of the late Tweenhills Farm stallion Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) made all to beat her stablemate Laurel (Kingman) by two lengths. The William Haggas-trained Doom (Dubawi) ran third, beaten four lengths by the winner. Running Lion became the 11th Royal Ascot winner for the John and Thady Gosden partnership, while it was John Gosden’s 66th overall. “She’s by the horse that put me on the map, Roaring Lion and she’s owned by David Howden, who sponsors Ascot through Howden Insurance – he’s here,” the winning rider said. “She was brilliant today, we got it together. The plan was to go forward and forget about her last two races. She relaxed for me, you could see her pricking her ears before we joined in, and how dominant was she at the line. She was too keen at Newmarket and I got there too soon. Today, I pretended Newmarket didn’t happen.”
Nine for Kodi Bear
Rathbarry Stud stallion Kodi Bear (Kodiac) chalked up his ninth individual stakes winner on Wednesday when Leovanni (2 f ex Kassandra by Dandy Man) landed the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot. Ridden by James Doyle, the Karl Burke-trained filly, who had made a winning debut at Nottingham just a fortnight previous, raced in the far-side group and took up the lead with a furlong left to race. Despite drifting left towards the centre of the track, Leovanni ran on well to beat the Gavin Cromwell-trained Mighty Eriu (Inns Of Court) by a length and three-quarters with a further neck back to the Adrian Nicholls-trained Maw Lam (Acclamation) in third. Bred by Kilmoney Cottage Stud, Leovanni was originally purchased for 20,000gns by Blandford Bloodstock at the Book 3 session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale before making £190,000 when purchased by the same organisation for Wathnan Racing at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in April. A half-sister to winner Knocklane Lass (Profitable), she is out of the Dandy Man (Mozart) mare Kassandra, herself a sister to Group-placed winner Parbold and half-sister to Listed scorer Majestic Myles (Majestic Missile). Kodi Bear is standing for a fee of €15,000 (approx. AU$24,156).
Doyle delighted to get Wathnan off the mark
After a few near misses on the opening day at Royal Ascot, powerhouse owners Wathnan Racing got on the board at this year’s royal meeting when Leovanni stormed to an impressive success in the Queen Mary Stakes under James Doyle. Wathnan, the racing stable of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, have been buying up horses in the run up to the meeting and had a frustrating day on Tuesday, including coming within a nose of winning the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) with Electrolyte (Hello Youmzain), and Doyle was delighted to get them off the mark at this year’s summer showpiece. “The message after last year was to get a good team together for this year and it’s been a lot for everyone behind the scenes. It’s easy for me just riding them,” Doyle, who was riding his 19th-ever Royal Ascot winner, said. “She won like a potentially smart filly on debut but it’s always so hard to tell. I’ve won this race before on a smart filly called Rizeena and she’s got all the class and raw speed she had. There’s lots to look forward to.”
First for Sands Of Mali
Ballyhane Stud-based first-season sire Sands Of Mali (Panis) scored his first stakes winner when his son Ain’t Nobody (2 c ex Burmese Waltz by Showcasing) produced an impressive display to win the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Royal Ascot. Trained by Kevin Ryan and ridden by Jamie Spencer, the colt defeated US-raider Gabaldon (Gone Astray) by a length. Aviation Time, who like the winner is also by Sands Of Mali, was a further half a length away in third. Bought by Hillen / Ryan for £30,000 at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, Ain’t Nobody is out of dual winner Burmese Waltz (Showcasing) and hails from the same family US Grade 1 winner Domedriver (Indian Ridge). Sands Of Mali stands for a fee of €5,000 (approx. AU$8,054).
Frankel’s Wild Tiger takes the Hunt Cup
Saeed Bin Suroor was handed his 39th Royal Ascot win when Wild Tiger (Frankel) justified joint-favouritism to win Wednesday’s ultra competitive Royal Hunt Cup (1m). Ridden by Oisin Murphy, who was riding his third winner of the week and 14th overall at the meeting meeting, the five-year-old gelding stayed on strongly to repel the late challenge to deny Sonny Liston (Lawman), eventually beating that rival by a head. Perotto (New Bay) came home another three-quarters of a length away in third. Bred and raced by Godolphin, the gelding is out of dual Group 3 scorer Antara (Platini), making him a half-brother to fellow Group 2 winner Algiers (Shamardal).
Group 3 aspirations for Wild Tiger
Following Wild Tiger’s victory on Wednesday, Saeed Bin Suroor said: “Physically he looked much better and now he’s won at Ascot. We’ll look for a Group 3 for him next and stick to the mile for now, there’s a race at Salisbury, but he could go up to a mile and a quarter. The numbers are down, from 250 horses to 40 horses, but sometimes we have luck. Last year we had Mawj who won the 1,000 Guineas and a Grade 1 in America and this year we’ve Wild Tiger. We’ll start looking for a Group for him – he’s not going to be a handicapper. We’ll still keep him at a mile, he showed plenty of speed.”
Stakes races on the agenda for regally-bred Doha
Stakes races will now be the target for Wednesday’s Kensington Palace Stakes (1m) winner Doha (Sea The Stars). Trained by Ralph Beckett, the four-year-old filly is bred in the purple, being the fourth foal out of the multiple Group 1-winning champion mare Treve (Motivator). Like her famous mother, Doha sports the familiar colours of Al Shaqab Racing, who also bred the filly. Having broken her maiden as a juvenile, the filly returned this season with a second-placed finish over a mile and two furlongs at Haydock. Clearly appreciating the step back in trip, Doha bravely battled all the way to the line, eventually beating the second-placed Hopeful (Make Believe) by a head. Beckett said: “Royal Ascot is a big deal for Sheikh Joaan and Al Shaqab. It just occurred to me that dropping back to a mile in a race like this, where they go a good gallop, might just play to Doha’s strengths. Obviously she’s bred to get a mile and a half well, and more, so it was a roll of the dice but it was worth doing and it worked out. It’s been a bit of a circuitous route because we only dropped her back to a mile [at Windsor] because we thought it was a winnable maiden.”
King to make Royal entrance
A newly married Rachel King is set to cap her globetrotting season with two rides at the prestigious Royal Ascot carnival. The UK-born jockey, who grew up an hour away from the famous English course, moved to Australia 11 years ago and has gone on to cement her place in the highly competitive Sydney arena. She enjoyed a successful stint in Japan over the summer where she became the first foreign female rider to win a graded Japan Racing Association flat race, claiming the American Jockey Club Cup (Gr 2, 2200m) in January. On Thursday, she will celebrate another career milestone with her first ride at Royal Ascot aboard OTI Racing’s Highland Bling (Highland Reel) in the King George V Stakes (1m 4f). She has also been booked to partner the Yulong-owned Strutting (Frankel) for John and Thady Gosden in the Sandringham Stakes (1m) on Friday. “I’m very much looking forward to coming back. Thursday I’ve got a ride, and Friday as well,” King told FanDuel Racing. “We came every year as kids. We used to have a day off school to come. I really wanted to do it for dad, and mum and dad are both going to come on Thursday. It will mean a lot just to have a ride and hopefully be a bit competitive as well.”
11 chasing Coronation glory
Opera Singer (Justify), last year’s champion two-year-old filly in Europe, will face ten rivals when she takes her chance in Friday’s Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Royal Ascot. Lining up against her will be the first three home in the English 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), Elmalka (Kingman), Porta Fortuna (Caravaggio) and Ramatuelle (Justify), as well as Rouhiya (Lope De Vega), the winner of the French equivalent.
Commonwealth Cup attracts 15
A field of 15 will take on Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f), in which Insherin (Shamardal) will bid for a breakthrough success at the highest level. His owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum is also represented by another leading contender in Elite Status (Havana Grey). River Tiber (Wootton Bassett) has not been declared for Aidan O’Brien, with the trainer relying on the outsider Military (Siyouni) instead.
Mullins considering Australia with Belloccio
A trip to Australia and a tilt at the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) is under consideration for Tuesday’s Copper Horse Handicap (1m 6f) winner Belloccio (Belardo) his trainer Willie Mullins has revealed. Following the six-year-old’s length and a quarter win Mullins said: “This fellow will probably go to the Ebor. He’s entered here on Saturday, but we won’t make any decisions about this weekend yet. We’ll see how he comes out of this race, and I think the bigger picture may come into it. The long-term aim might be to qualify for the Melbourne Cup.”