Royal Ascot wrap – day four
First for Bobby’s Kitten
Bobby’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) sired his first stakes winner when the Lanwades Stud homebed Sandrine (2 f ex Seychelloise by Pivotal) landed the Albany Stakes (Gr 2, 6f), the opening race on the penultimate day of Royal Ascot. Jockey David Probert steered the Andrew Balding-trained filly down the middle of the track, which was officially rated heavy after prolonged rainfall. Sandrine travelled strongly close behind the front rank approaching the final quarter-mile, and, when shaken up half a furlong later, she responded with a strong run, taking the lead with a half a furlong remaining and drawing ahead to win by a length and a half over the runner-up Hello You (Invincible Spirit). The stands’ rail-running Oscula (Galileo Gold) was third, a further half-length behind. The winner’s dam, Seychelloise (Pivotal), a four-time winner, is out of the Group 3 winner Starlit Sands (Oasis Dream), who placed second in the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) as a juvenile, from a prolific black type-producing Lanwades family. Second season sire Bobby’s Kitten stands at Lanwades Stud in Newmarket for £7,000 (approx. AUD$12,9000).
Lanwades through and through
Sandrine’s Albany Stakes victory was the latest triumph for Lanwades and its proprietor, Kirsten Rasuing, with the filly’s sire Bobby’s Kitten being resident at the Newmarket stud and her family’s blood running through the farm’s broodmare band right back to the mid-1970s. “I bought this filly’s fifth or sixth dam as a yearling at Goffs in 1976 and the family has been with me ever since. The filly today, everything on her catalogue page from top to bottom is home bred at Lanwades Stud,” said Rausing. “It gives me tremendous pleasure to keep continuity. This is Bobby’s Kitten’s first Group winner so we are thrilled with that.” Winning trainer Andrew Balding, revealed that the filly’s recent progress had prompted connections of the 16-1 shot to take the plunge off the back of a debut win at Kempton last month. “I rang Kirsten about a week ago and said she’s worked so well we are going to have to make an entry for the Albany and thankfully she was up for it. I am pleased for David Probert who gave her a nice beautiful ride.” Probert was thrilled with his second Royal Ascot success. “We knew she was pretty special but she has done so well to brave it through this ground and she hit the line nicely today,” the rider said.
Alenquer backs up Sandown Trial form in King Edward
Alenquer (Adlerflug) justified favouritism in the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) for William Haggas. The three-year-old was last seen landing the Sandown Classic Trial (Gr 3, 1m 2f) in April, when beating Adayar (Frankel), who went on to land the Classic at Epsom. Alenquer (3 c ex Wild Blossom by Aerion) was to be supplemented for the Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) but met with some minor setbacks so bypassed the race. Ridden by Tom Marquand, the colt was settled at the back, while Belloccio (Belardo) set the pace. Tasman Bay (Le Havre) took over a furlong and a half from home and Alenquer picked up well in the testing conditions to run him down and win by a length and a half from that rival with Title (Camelot) also coming from the rear to claim third, four lengths behind the winner. Bred in Germany by Gestut Romerhof, Alenquer was purchased by BBA Ireland as a foal in France and at Tattersalls Book 1 for 80,000gns by Armando Duarte. By the late Adlerfug (In The Wings) who died earlier this year, he is out of the winning Wild Blossom (Aerion) from the family of Champion stayers Mr Medici (Medicean) and Wild Coco (Shirocco), as well as Champion two-year-old Wild Romance (Alkalde).
St Leger looks to be on the agenda for Alenquer
Connections of Alenquer are excited for his future and the St Leger (Gr 1, 1m6.5f) could be on the agenda for the colt. “It was a shame he never really got his crack after the Sandown Trial win. He just had a couple of little issues and it just set him back a touch and supplementing for the Derby when you don’t have the opportunity of a smooth run in, it is tough to do.” winning rider Tom Marquand said. “This lad has a really bright future ahead of him. He is still pretty raw and learning the ropes. He didn’t like sticky ground but the wet ground he has proved he can go through easily. As long as he gets a fair surface with a bit of moisture in it, that is absolutely fine.” Maureen Haggas, wife of winning trainer William and a central part of the team, was on track and was full of praise for the colt. “He is going the right way for sure. He was probably a bit immature last year although he didn’t do much wrong. He surprised us a bit at Sandown and he has confirmed it today.” she said. “He is just a thoroughly nice professional horse and today he has really concentrated and focussed and he is turning into a really nice horse. I think he was a bit fresh today. He was a little bit keen the first furlong but once he (Tom Marquand) got him in behind and settled he was great.” Regarding future plans she added: “He could easily be (a Leger horse). It’s hard to know really but he wasn’t stopping here so we will see how it goes.”
Firsts for Murtagh and Coen
Victories aboard Choisir (Danehill) in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) and Golden Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) featured among Johnny Murtagh’s significant haul of Royal Ascot winners as a jockey and he saddled his first winner at the meeting as a trainer when Create Belief (Awtaad) ran away with the Sandringham Stakes (1m). “I was very successful at this track as a jockey. I love the place and to come back as a trainer it means the world to me,” said Murtagh following the five and a half length romp. “It’s a special place. It’s a magical place and it is a magical event. I’m a born winner. I want to be on the big stage. I knew coming here when the rain came this morning she had a big chance. She is on the up. It is very satisfying and it means the world to me.” Also experiencing the thrill of a Royal Ascot first was the man on board, Ben Coen. “I grew up watching Johnny riding winners here and now I am riding winners for him – it is a dream come true,” he said. “He fills me with confidence the whole time so it is nice to pay him back with this.” Carrying the colours of The Racehorse Club, Create Belief, now the winner of three of her five starts, again showed her liking for testing underfoot conditions as she shot clear up the stands’ side rail to come home in front of the favourite Samoot (Dubawi), who in turn finished three lengths ahead of Messidor (Vadamos) in a well stretched out field.
Quickthorn defies rise in weights to land Duke Of Edinburgh
Progressive four-year-old Quickthorn (Nathaniel) justified favouritism and defied a 13 pound rise in the handicap to take out the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (1m4f) and give Hughie Morrison a fourth win in the race. Ridden by Oisin Murphy for owner-breeder Lady Blyth, Quickthorn raced close to the pace, set by Zabeel Champion (Poet’s Voice), picked up in the final furlong and ran on to win by a length and a half from Raymond Tusk (High Chaparral) who kept on from the back of the field, while Zabeel Champion returned three quarters of a length behind in third. Unplaced in two starts as a juvenile, Quickthorn won on his return in June 2020, on the all-weather at Kempton, and was a close third at the same track the following month. After a ten-month break, he returned at Haydock last month and romped to an eight and a half-length victory. He looks to have a bright future with owners suggesting the Ebor (1m 5½f) could be an option or they might target Group options. He is out of the three-time winner Daffydowndilly (Oasis Dream) and his second dam is the Noel Murless Stakes (Listed, 1m6f) winner Art Eyes (Halling), while it is the further family of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells). His sire Nathaniel stands at Newsells Park Stud for a fee of £15,000.
Homebred victory for Lady Blyth
Quickthorn (Nathaniel) was bred at Lady Blyth’s Lemington Grange Stud and she said how special it was to have a homebred winner. “It’s our year (owner-breeders). It’s just different when you’ve bred them yourself. I was reasonably confident, Hughie’s been very upbeat about this horse.” The gelding’s trainer Hughie Morrison could shoot higher still with the four-year-old. “Last year he just wasn’t quite right and we took a very brave decision to turn him away for six months and look at what we’ve got. He’s obviously a very good horse if we can keep him the way he is. We’d always try to keep him to ground which wasn’t too quick but as long as he takes his racing well we might be a bit braver. I suppose we can dream about the Ebor, but Oisin said he’s plenty quick enough for a mile and a half, I wouldn’t worry about that. We might go for a Group race.” Oisin Murphy enjoyed ups and downs on the day, passing the line in front three times, including in the two feature races, one of which he lost in the stewards’ room. “Hughie is a family friend and has been good to me since I started riding and I’m thrilled to ride him a Royal Ascot winner,” the jockey said. “I know this was a very cleverly thought out plan. The lads in the yard work extremely hard, I know they fancied him so they’ll be having a big party.”
Significantly takes out finale
Significantly (Garswood) did just enough under Clifford Lee to take out the concluding Palace Of Holyroode House Stakes (5f). The Karl Burke-trained colt, who went unsold at £380,000 at Monday’s Goffs London Sale, saw off the late challenge of Boomshalaa (Shalaa) by a head, with Fantasy Master (Sepoy) another half a length back in third.
Heavy deluge put card in doubt
There was drama in the countdown to the fourth day of Royal Ascot after heavy rain at the course overnight and throughout the morning left the card in doubt. Officials inspected the track at 12.45pm after 26 millimetres of rainfall fell between the end of racing on Thursday and 11am yesterday, which left false patches of ground and areas of concern on the hill and on the home turn, with the going described as soft, heavy in places, having been quick for the first three days.