Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The third day of the Royal Ascot meeting is led by the G1 Gold Cup where last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup winner looks for his first win of 2021 against a field that includes Zoustar’s half-brother. Thursday’s action starts at 11.30pm AEST and the Gold Cup is the fourth race on the card at 1.15am AEST.
Benbatl relative runs in G2 Norfolk
Race 1, G2 Norfolk S., 11.30pm AEST
Wesley Ward again has a strong hand in this race with Nakatomi (USA) (Firing Line {USA}) and Lucci (USA) (Not This Time {USA}). The former needs to prove his effectiveness on turf, but he was well on top of a subsequent stakes winner when making a successful start at Keeneland and can take this step up in class in his stride.
Instinctive Move (Ire) by former New Zealand shuttler Showcasing (GB) also looks very promising, as does Cadamosto (Ire) for Ballydoyle by another former shuttler in No Nay Never (Ire).
Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) is out of a half-sister to the dam of G1 Caulfield Cup winner Benbatl (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who also finished second in the G1 Cox Plate.
Starspangledbanner son among Hampton Court entries
Race 2, G3 Hampton Court S., 12.05am AEST
Starspangledbanner has been having a big year in Europe and The Rosstafarian (Ire) looks to make it even bigger with a win in the G3 Hampton Court S. The stakes-placed colt broke his maiden last year by 4.25l and has only made three starts since then, most recently running in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.
Matchless (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) broke his maiden to end last year and is looking to get back on track after two off-the-board finishes to start his 3-year-old campaign. The colt is a full brother to Group 3 winner Delphi (Ire), who was imported to Australia after his Group 3 win in Ireland last August and he made his first Australian start on Saturday in the Listed Wayne Wilson.
Shadwell runner Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is out of a half-sister to the dam of multiple Australian Group-placed Dal Harraild (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). Mohaafeth won the Listed Newmarket S. by 5l last time out to take his 2021 record to three-for-three.
Fastnet Rock sends out Movin Time (GB), who could help give G2 Crystal Mile winner Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) a big week. The family also has stakes winner Posted (GB) (Kingman {GB}) running on Wednesday. Also benefiting if Movin Time wins, is New Zealand Group 2-placed Intrigue (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}), who recently transferred to Chris Waller.
Australian stallions represented in Ribblesdale
Race 3, G2 Ribblesdale S., 12.40am AEST
Fastnet Rock’s Twisted Reality (GB) broke her maiden by 1.25l last year and is making only her third career start in the G2 Ribblesdale S. The filly is out of a Galileo (Ire) mare whose dam is a half-sister to Australian runner Belle Famille (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}). Belle Famille was imported to Australia in 2008 and had six foals. Her last is a yearling Churchill (Ire) colt, who sold to Lindsay Park for $225,000 from Blue Gum Farm at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
A full sister to top racemare Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Cazoo Oaks-third Divinely (Ire) is just one of the runners for her dam Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab {USA}) at Royal Ascot.
Out of a half-sister to G1 Mackinnon winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), stakes-placed Nicest (Ire) is looking to give American Pharoah (USA) a Royal Ascot winner. This is also the family of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s multiple Australian stakes winner Dr Drill (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and retired Australian stakes winner Tall Ship (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
Starspangledbanner’s stakes-placed Aristia (Ire) looks to become the second stakes winner for her dam alongside Listed Andrew Ramsden S. winner Glorious Sinndar (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}) in the Ribblesdale.
A full sister to Australian Group 3 winner Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Noon Star (Ire) is looking for her first stakes victory in this spot. The filly’s six-time Group 1-winning dam is also a half-sister to Gosford Cup winner Midsummer Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}).
Melbourne Cup winner lines up in Gold Cup
Race 4, G1 Ascot Gold Cup, 1.15am AEST
Last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) had a pair of thirds to start the season but the Lloyd Williams-owned gelding is stretching back out to two-plus miles when going 4000 metres in the G1 Gold Cup. In addition to finishing third in a Royal Ascot race as a 3-year-old, he has Royal Ascot form in his pedigree with his dam a half-sister to G2 Ribblesdale winner Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Zoustar’s half-brother Emperor Of The Sun (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) easily won against a tough field over 2800 metres last out and stretches out even farther to 4000 metres on Thursday. The 4-year-old’s dam Zouzou (Redoute's Choice) was exported to Ireland in 2015 after having five foals in Australia.
Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) looks to tie for the most ever G1 Gold Cup victories if he can win his fourth edition on Thursday. The 7-year-old entire’s dam is a half-sister to the grandam of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).
Out of successful broodmare Alluring Park (Ire) (Green Desert {USA}), Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a three-quarter brother to New Approach (Ire). Another one of Alluring Park’s half-siblings also founded a branch of the family that produced the Group 1 winner Zoutori (Zoustar) and Group 3 winner Kiki (Zoustar).
