Cover image courtesy of Megan Coggin
England
Charyn adds third Group 1 in Ascot G1 Queen Elizabeth II S.
There was a sense of inevitability in the lead-up to Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and for the vast majority of the mile feature as Nurlan Bizakov's 4-year-old entire Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) capped a near-perfect season at Ascot. Adding to his G1 Queen Anne S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois successes, the 13-8 favourite had only Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) to concern him late on but ultimately subdued his latest challenger to record a 2l success.
Asserting his superior strength in the final furlong, the homebred forged another elite-level win as Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) finished 4.25l away in third. The win took Charyn’s record to seven wins from 18 starts, ad was his third Group 1 victory this year.
“Charyn is a super horse and that was fantastic,” Varian said. “Everything went very smooth, and it was a lovely race to watch. He's got everything, that horse. I promise you, he's got the most amazing constitution. Every time I've run him in his life, I've thought he was too heavy because he just holds his condition like no other horse. Touch wood, he's sound, he loves his work, he loves his racing. He's just got such a good mentality for the game and an engine to go with it.
“He recovers from his races so well and takes his training so well. He doesn't waste any energy at home. He has had a long year, but he doesn't stress about life. He is under the radar at home. When he gets to the races, he's completely here which is why I think he can get through the year like he has done.
“I think it's already been announced that he will retire at the end of this season. He will be a stallion for Nurlan Bizakov's stud operation in France. I, of course, would love him to stay in training, but I think that's not going to be the case. We'll have to see how he comes out of this race, we might just contemplate one more international run.”
Charyn, who is a full brother to the G2 Mill Reef S. winner and G2 Sandy Lane S. and G2 Hungerford S.-placed Wings Of War (Ire), is the second foal out of the triple Listed-placed Futoon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) from the family of another Mill Reef winner in Galeota (Ire) (Mujadil {USA}) who was also runner-up in the G1 Golden Jubilee. Also connected to the G3 Sirenia S.-winning half-siblings Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Futoon's unraced 2-year-old full sister to Charyn named Shinara (Ire) was a 850,000gns (AU$1.7 million) purchase by his owners at Tattersalls Book 1 in October, while the yearling full sister was Godolphin's 2.9 million gns (AU$5.9 million) purchase during last week's renewal. She also has a colt foal again by Dark Angel (Ire).
Kalpana gives sire first Group 1 in G1 Champions Fillies & Mares S.
Saturday's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes looked there for the taking beforehand, with no standout performer in the line-up and in the end it came down to who was the most progressive. Step forward Juddmonte's 3-year-old filly Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), who had made a significant advance last time in the G3 September S. and who successfully carried that momentum into this mile-and-a-half test, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf next month.
“I have never known a horse improve as much as Kalpana,” trainer Andrew Balding said. “She is just an absolute diamond, as you can see afterwards. She has a very special temperament and is by an exciting young stallion. She's from the first crop of Study Of Man, so it's pretty exciting for them as well.”
Kalpana, who becomes the first Group 1 winner for her second-crop sire, is out of the Listed Prix Petite Etoile winner Zero Gravity (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who is a full sister to the operation's G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Zambezi Sun (GB) and also the listed-placed Shared Account (GB) who produced three black-type performers headed by the G2 Athenia S. and G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Pocket Square (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). From the family of the G1 July Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp hero Continent (GB) (Lake Coniston {Ire}), Zero Gravity who was a 35,000gns (AU$71,500) cast-off at 2021 Tattersalls December, has an unraced 2-year-old full brother to Kalpana named Net Zero (GB). Her yearling filly by Too Darn Hot (GB) was a 425,000gns (AU$868,000) purchase by Shadwell at last week's Tattersalls October Book 2.
Blue Point adds another Group 1 winner in Champions Sprint
James Fanshawe trainee and G1 King's Stand S. fourth 3-year-old colt Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) was acquired by Wathnan Racing after a posting a second-place finish in last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and provided an immediate return on investment with a brave success in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S.
Cruising into contention at the quarter-mile marker, he was ridden to the fore approaching the furlong pole and kept on in resolute fashion under a continued drive to hold the rallying Swingalong (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) by a head. Flora Of Bermuda (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) contributed to a thrilling finale in the six-furlong dash and was a neck down in third.
“Kind Of Blue is the third close relation that has won this race, all from the same family and all bred by the Hoppers, the Grundys and the Morrises,” said Fanshawe, who trained all three with the other two being Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) and The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}).
“All trainers get attached to families that do them well and this is a family that has done us tremendously well. Wathnan Racing bought him three weeks ago and he's a really exciting horse for them going forwards. He's got the Group 1 under his belt now and it's been a big team effort to get him here. Dan Muscutt has ridden him in all his races and done all the homework on him. Obviously to all the team back home, I'm really grateful. He had a couple of niggles as a two-year-old, but up Warren Hill in the spring he was looking pretty special early on. He'll be done for the year now. We'll talk with Richard Brown and the connections, but he's had a long season and we'll look forward to next spring.”
Kind Of Blue, who becomes the third Group 1 winner for his second-crop sire, is one of two scorers out of an unraced full sister to Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), himself the winner of this contest in 2011. The February-foaled bay's dam Blues Sister (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) is kin to the race's 2016 hero and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}). She is also a half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Holley Shiftwell (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}). Kind Of Blue's second dam Persario (GB) (Bishop Of Cashel {GB}) is a winning half-sister to G1 Lockinge S. second and three-time G3 Leicestershire S.-winning sire Warningford (GB) (Warning {GB}).
Outsider Anmaat wins G1 Champions S.
Saturday's G1 QIPCO Champion S. threw up a major shock as Shadwell's 6-year-old gelding Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) swooped late to register a 40-1 success and provide further evidence of the skill and guile of trainer Owen Burrows. Contesting his second Group 1 having scored on his only previous try in the Prix d'Ispahan last May, the 6-year-old was coming off a below-par fifth in the G2 Prix Dollar 13 days ago but at least had his favoured testing ground to aid his cause.
Four runners appeared to be coming to win it in the last 200 metres, but the real danger was in behind as Anmaat surged between rivals to grab Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) close home. At the line, there was a half-length between the winner and that 6-4 favourite, with another outsider Royal Rhyme (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) 1.75l away in third.
“We've always thought a lot of this horse and I know it's easy for me to say it now, but I quite fancied him for the Eclipse last year after he won in France,” Burrows said. “Of course, he picked up that complex foot injury which kept him off for the rest of last season and the first part of this. He disappointed in France two weeks ago but I felt it was a muddling race, Jim said he could have ridden him a bit better so as long as he was okay, which he was, Sheikha Hissa very kindly said we could roll the dice again and she's been vindicated.”
“That was a massive performance, I felt,” he added. “It's up there with Hukum winning the King George as my best ever day–Ascot's quite a lucky place for me! There were a few people who rang me this morning who couldn't believe what sort of price he was–it was the first time he'd ever been out of the first three and I felt he had excuses. He was locked away and I'll be honest halfway up the straight I put my binoculars down, I thought he had no chance. Like Jim (Crowley) said, all the time he was locked away he was actually filling him up because he couldn't do anything so it sometimes works in your favour.”
Anmaat has now won nine of his 15 starts and his dam African Moonlight (UAE) (Halling {USA}) also produced the G3 Kent S. winner and G2 San Luis Rey S. runner-up Syntax (Ire) (Haatef {USA}) and the Listed-placed Sir Gin (Ire) (Moss Vale {Ire}), while the second dam is the Listed-placed African Peace (USA) (Roberto {USA}) was responsible for four black-type performers headed by African Moonlight's dual G3 Curragh Cup-winning full brother Mkuzi (GB).
Kyprios wins again
Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot.
“All credit goes to the team and everyone at home who has done all the work with him and have a very close connection to him,” said Aidan O'Brien after collecting a fourth edition of the marathon. “It is incredible to have him back and we thought the best that would happen would be that we could save him to go to stud. He still has a massive team around him, his stable is outside the front door and we see him every day.
“He is a very special horse. Ryan (Moore) was in total control on him after the first furlong, and it was a joy to watch it. He is relentless and has an unbelievable amount of quality, so it doesn't matter if you go slow or if you go fast, he just goes there and he switches off. Ryan rides him incredibly and knows him inside out. He is very relaxed, loves racing, and he loves this distance and finds it very comfortable.
“Credit to the lads for leaving him at this distance. You wouldn't have known he had had a race the last day and he didn't lose any weight. He is so laidback, his blood doesn't get up until after the race, but it takes a race to get his blood up. The plan was to come here, give him the winter off, then give him two trials before the (G1) Gold Cup next year. That's what we are working for. We will get through the winter and the spring, and try to come back here for the Gold Cup.”
Kyprios is the latest of 10 foals, all winners, produced by dual Broodmare of the Year Polished Gem (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself out of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Trusted Partner (USA) (Affirmed {USA}). Trusted Partner is the third dam of this term's G2 Queen Mary victrix Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). Kyprios is kin to seven stakes winners headed by dual G1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Prince of Wales's S.-winning sire Free Eagle (Ire) and G2 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. victrix Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}). The 6-year-old entire has now won 15 of his 19 starts.
Japan
G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) won by Urban Chic, whose dam resides in Australia
In a messily run race, the 3000 metre G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) on Sunday evening was won by 3-year-old colt Urban Chic (Jpn) (Sauve Richard {Jpn}) from Redentor (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) and Admire Terra (Jpn) (Rey De Oro {Jpn}). Urban Chic now has four wins from seven starts.
A last start winner in the G2 Asahi Hai Saint Lite Kinen, Urban Chic is part of Japan’s racing royalty with his third dam being G1 Gelsenkirchen Aral Pokal winner Wind In Her Hair (Ire) (Alzao {USA}), the dam of Champion Sire Deep Impact (Jpn) and three other stakes winners.
Urban Chic’s dam, winning mare Edgy Style (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) was imported to Australia in 2022 and has a yearling colt by Castelvecchio and a colt foal this season, also by Castelvecchio. Both Australian born colts are bred by the Arrowfield Stud and Jungle Pocket joint venture.
Wind In Her Hair is the ancestress of G1 Hanshin Oka Sho winner Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), G1 Hopeful S. winner Regaleira (Jpn) (Sauve Richard {Jpn}), dual Group 1 winner and sire Rey De Oro (Jpn), while Wind In Her Hair’s Listed winning full brother to Deep Impact, Black Tide (Jpn) is the sire of multiple Group 1 winner and sire Kitasan Black (Jpn), who in turn is the sire of recent Horse Of The Year Equinox (Jpn).
Ireland
Frankel juvenile filly adds Group 3
The 2-year-old fillies have been a step or two ahead of the colts all season and further evidence that we are dealing either with a substandard crop of colts or above-average crop of fillies was seen at Leopardstown on Saturday when the battle-hardened Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) dominated the G3 Killavullan S. She took her record to two wins and four placings from seven starts.
Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said, “She's a queen of a filly, she turns up for every dance and she's been consistent all year. She obviously ran a fantastic race in the Boussac last time. Wayne gave her a lovely ride, kept it simple, she quickened and class told in the end. You'd love to have them all like her, she's so straightforward and tough and gets it done. She mightn't be finished for the year.”
“If she came out of it well we could look at the mile race in France next weekend for her. It depends how she comes out of it but it is an option. We'll see where the rest of the team fit in after the weekend. She's fierce well and even looking at her going around the ring she still has her coat and she's holding her condition well. Mentally she's loving it and you'd love to have a stable full of ones like her.”
Exactly is the second foal out of the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Flying Childers S. winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), whose first was this stable's Listed Ruby S. winner Salt Lake City (Ire) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). Heartache is the leading performer for the Listed Lansdown Fillies' S. winner Place In My Heart (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), a half-sister to the G3 Tetrarch S. scorer Leitrim House (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) who also produced the G3 Cornwallis S.-placed Unbreak My Heart (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Also connected to the G2 Sapphire S. and G3 Flying Five winner Stepper Point (GB) by Heartache's sire Kyllachy (GB), Heartache's yearling and foal are full sisters to Exactly.
Starspangledbanner juvenile adds Group 3
Joseph O’Brien trained 2-year-old filly Sigh No More (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) was sent out at 40-1 in the G3 Eyrefield S. over 1800 metres but was having none of that price when she came with a strong surge inside the final furlong under Mikey Sheehy to win by 1.75l.
“She got a lovely ride from Mikey and the race set up very well,” O'Brien told irishracing.com. “She's as tough as nails, she's progressive and she's never run a bad race. I'm delighted to win a big pot and a group race for a big ownership group, a lot of them are here today. She's gone well on a better surface as well so she's very versatile ground-wise but she does certainly handle soft conditions. There is a big team of people in the filly and everyone will get a great kick out of it. She's been a model of consistency. We've had a great year with her so far and it's great to finish it off with a big win.”
She will be set for a Classic trial next year at three. In taking her record to three wins from seven starts, and winning her first black type race, she becomes the 47th stakes winner for shuttle sire Starspangledbanner.
Sigh No More became the second stakes winner for unraced mare Silent Thoughts (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who previously produced Listed winner Neptune Rock (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) and her 3-year-old filly Unreasonable (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) was a winner at two and Listed placed. Silent Thoughts is a half-sister to G3 One Thousand Guineas Trial winner Yellow Rosebud (Ire) (Jeremy {USA}) and Listed winner Seeharn (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).
USA
Emery claims Grade 2 win
Emery (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) claimed the G2 Lexus Raven Run S. for owner Stonestreet Stables. “I think (getting her to settle off the pace was key), but she could show the way if need be, if there's a lack of pace in the race,” said trainer Brad Cox. “I want to start off by thanking the (owner) Stonestreet (Stables) team — Ms. (Barbara) Banke and her whole team. They're very easy to work for.”
“We had to give this filly some time off after her second start, and she's come back and rewarded them in a big way this year. I'm very proud of the filly, and (jockey) Tyler (Gaffalione) did a great job. He put her in a perfect position today and she fired.” The 3-year-old filly now has five wins from seven starts.
Emery is the second winner from as many to make the races for Athena (USA) (Street Sense {USA}), a three-time stakes winner in her own right, is herself out of a half-sister to GI Carter H. hero Peeping Tome (USA), who visited the winner's enclosure on 14 occasions in addition to being multiple Grade I-placed in his career. This is the extended female family of multimillionaire Sun King (USA).
