A half-brother to the 2016 G2 Silver Shadow S. winner Omei Sword, Lippizzaner (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) contests the G1 Commonwealth Cup at 12.40am AEST with the first race on the card due to kick off an hour before at 11.40pm AEST.
Starspangledbanner juvenile stars in Albany
Race 1, G3 Albany S., 11.30pm AEST
A 4.75l winner on debut, Flotus (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) looks to take on stakes company for the first time in the G3 Albany S. The filly’s dam is a full sister to the Group 1-placed Lottie Dod (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and a half-sister to Group 2-placed Hong Kong runner Travel Datuk (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
From the first Northern Hemisphere crop of Caravaggio (USA), Elliptic broke her maiden on debut by 1.5l at Tipperary. The filly is out of a Fastnet Rock half-sister to the Group 3 winner Hebridean (Ire) (Bach {Ire}) and bred on the same Scat Daddy (USA) son x Fastnet Rock daughter cross as multiple New Zealand Group winner Need I Say More (No Nay Never {USA}).
Birth Of Venus looks for update in King Edward VII S.
Race 2, G2 King Edward VII S., 12.05am AEST
Camelot’s (GB) G2 King Edward VII S. runner Title (Ire) is a half-sister to Australian winner and broodmare Birth Of Venus (Ire) (High Chapparal {Ire}). Imported to Australia in November of 2018, the 6-year-old mare raced until last September when she was bred to Yes Yes Yes. Birth Of Venus was offered at this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale but was passed in with a reserve of $150,000.
Belardo (Ire) sends Belloccio (Fr) out in the 2400 metre race for his third start of the year. The colt is out of a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Bathyrhon (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) with multiple Australian Group-placed runner Brigantin (USA) (Cozzene {USA}) also in the family.
Irish Lights son among Commonwealth runners
Race 3, G1 Commonwealth Cup, 12.40am AEST
Lipizzaner (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) represents G1 Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock) at Royal Ascot for the second time in the G1 Commonwealth Cup after a fourth in the G2 Norfolk last year. The stakes-winning colt joined Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}) as stakes winners from his dam after a Listed win last October.
Omei Sword had a Deep Impact (Jpn) colt in 2019, returning to Australia after that cover with the resulting colt selling at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this year for $500,000 to Busuttin Racing. She had an I Am Invincible filly last year and went back to I Am Invincible for 2021. Exported to the US in 2017, Irish Lights’ youngest is a colt by Justify (USA) born in the US this year.
Exceed And Excel’s Group 3 winner Sacred (Ire) finished second in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot last season and looks to go one better in Friday’s Group 1 against the males. The filly is out of a half-sister to US Champion Turf Female Lady Eli (USA) (Divine Park {USA}) and multiple Group 3 winner Bizzy Caroline (USA) (Afleet Alex {USA}).
Sir Prancealot (Ire) had a Group 1 runner-up on the first day of Royal Ascot and looks to go one better with Miss Amulet (Ire) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup. The filly is already a Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed and has only finished off the board twice in her nine race career.
Australian resident Power (GB) sees his Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Law Of Indices (Ire) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup. The colt, out of an Exceed And Excel mare is making his third start of the year after a pair of off the board finishes to kick off the season.
Belardo’s multiple Group winner Isabella Giles (Ire) is representing her sire in the Commonwealth Cup against the colts. The filly is one of two Group winners for her Group 3-winning Dubawi (Ire) dam alongside Majestic Colt (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and could make it a good week for the family with Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) finishing second in the G1 Queen Anne S. on Tuesday.
Sepoy’s Group 3 winner Mighty Gurkha (Ire) is running for his sire in Friday’s Group 1. Mighty Gurkha is out of a half-sister to Hong Kong stakes winner and multiple Hong Kong Group 1-placed Rewarding Hero (GB) (Exceed And Excel).
Cable Bay’s (Ire) Group 2-placed son Dragon Symbol (GB) lines up in Friday’s G1 Commonwealth Cup. The colt is the first foal out of a three-quarter sister to the stakes winner Oasis Dancer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple Group-placed Smart Enough (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}).
Belardo represented in Coronation
Race 4, G1 Coronation S., 1.20am AEST
Belardo sees another runner in a Group 1 when Lullaby Moon (GB) lines up for the Coronation S. The Group 3 winner is a half-sister to four other winners and her grandam is a half-sister to Royal Ascot Group winner Mind Games (GB) (Puissance {GB}).
Out of four-time Group 1 Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}), Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) tries to follow her dam’s lead and win the G1 Coronation S. Sky Lantern’s half-sister Scarlet Empire (Ire) (Red Ransom {USA}) is the dam of Danchai (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), who won the Ipswich Cup and was multiple Group-placed in Australia.
