......... not to mention sired by non other than Bustino and produced Nashwan. And of course, the year Gordon Richards was knighted he deprived the Queen of what would have been her only Derby winner by beating Aureole into 2nd place (the closest she ever got to an Epsom Derby winner)
1. Dunfermline 2. Highclere 3. Aureole 4. Doutelle and Almeria 6. High Veldt 7. Pall Mall 8. Escorial 9. Height of Fashion 10. the rest a fair order. Have I missed any? perhaps Magna Carta, but only at 10.
I hate to admit it but I don't recall Escorial I know exactly where I was when Dunfermline beat Alleged. Devil's Dyke, Hove; with my then girl friend (if that's the right term)
Probably being a bit kind to Escorial, maybe Example should be there. Yes Canisbay did win the Eclipse but it was a total shock in a very poor race. My favourite was Highclere. I saw her 2nd run at Ascot when she beat Polygamy into 3rd. On a literal reading of form she came out as Polygamy's equal. When in the March I saw Polygamy was favourite for the 1000G and Highclere was 33-1 I backed her but instead of it being a single I backed her in a double with the 'couldn't be beaten' Appalachee. Highclere's best day was at Chantilly when she easily beat the French fillies in the Prix de Diane. The 2nd, Comtesse de Loir, went on to finish 3rd in the Arc. 12f was probably beyond her when she was 2nd to Dahlia in the KG. She was never the same filly again.
Looks like there could be 3 Royal runners next week. Hard to Resist may make her seasonal debut in the fillies mile handicap on Friday. Her dam Magnetic Charm was 2nd in the same race. Gilded Water runs in either the King George V Hcp or the Hampton Court Stks, both on Thursday. Crown Estate is another with a Thursday entry, his being in the Britannia Stks. If they can ride him so he only hits the front in the last 50yds he may be placed. Treasure is entered in the Ribblesdale but surely won't be declared. It remains to be seen if Desert Hero will run in the Hardwicke.
Desert Hero is declared at the 5 day stage for the Hardwicke. Gilded Water gets another entry in a 3yo handicap on Saturday: so I think we can take it that he'll run in one race this week. Treasure is entered in the same handicap but will surely only run if the going description has a SOFT in it. Disappointments follow disappointments, Serried.Ranks, who looked so promising last year, ran a lifeless race at York on Saturday while the maiden The King' General could only manage a 4th in a Doncaster maiden on Sunday.
Sans Desert Hero, last year's Royal Ascot was a bit disappointing for the King and the Royal Stud. There's only one word for this year's and that's disappointing. The 4 horses that ran cumulatively beat about 8 horses home. Treasure was a waste of entrance fee as she didn't let herself down on the firmish going. Desert Hero appears to have lost the plot. Why was Hard to Resist running first time out this season (in a tough handicap on going she didn't seem to appreciate last year)? Gilded Water looked as if he didn't stay. So who decided on these runners and why? The 3yos don't look very good at all. Rainbows Edge who won on her debut back in March is entered at Newcastle this week maybe she has something about her. It's up to the 2yos now to rescue what looks like a miserable racing year for the King..
At last, a Royal winner in June. Crown Estate gained his second win by taking a decent handicap at Salisbury..I didn't feel that the race panned out to show Crown Estate's strengths as I'd have expected him to come late. As it was there was no pace so Shoemark took it up and led all the way. He seemed fine on the ground. So that's 5 for the year (4 of them from Gosden). With luck he'll add to that on Friday when Rainbows Edge makes her second start at Newcastle. A surprise was the entry of unraced 3yo Falsetto (Balding) who is the Royal's last Galileo. She was withdrawn at the 2 day declaration stage.
Two winners in a week for the King and both from the Gosdens/Shoemark team. After a 100 day gap Rainbows Edge ran in and won her second race. Unlike her first win she looked to have 4 challengers at the distance but came away readily from her field. Judged on the pedigrees of the first four home this looked to be a decent Novice event. It will have to be a listed event next. Gallop reports had been very positive. Handcuffed, a 2yo Dark Angel half-sister to Tactical and Works of Art gets an entry at Newbury next Thursday. Out of nowhere another 2yo is named. By Land Force out of Medley (so a half-sister to Light Music) this colt is given the name Gift of the Queen: no trainer so far.
Handcuffed, the second Royal 2yo of the year, makes her debut at Newbury this evening. At 9/2 early doors, she now seems to be half that price and favourite. The stable must expect something from her today. Later in the evening the 3yo filly Falsetto makes her debut. There doesn't seem to be the same expectations about her. Hopefully she's got some ability as she's the both last Royal foal by Galileo and the useful racefilly Set to Music.
A seventh win in 2024 and both a first 2yo winner and Balding winner (he joins Haggas and the Gosdens). This Dark Angel filly won comfortably after seeking room 2f out. She had to come around her field and ran grreen but definitely had the upper hand in the last 50 yards. I suppose her next race will be another 6f Novice race. She doesn't look ready for a race like the Princess Margaret Stakes: but promising..
Handcuffed gets an entry in the Lowther. Surely she'd need another outing before challenging at that level? Hard to Resist ran again but it looks as if she has not trained on. Kings Ginger made her seasonal debut but either needed the run or is not very good. Drumstick was sold for 10,000gns at the July Sales after two poor runs (why did they wait until then?). The King's dual winner Crown Estate was down to be sold but withdrawn. Only two 2yos have been entered and both have run. The non-winner Royal Equerry has not been entered recently nor have any of the unraced 2yos. Worryingly a number have been withdrawn from training (forever or short-term we have no idea). Dust Cover (Beckett), Bouquet de Paris (Balding) and Purple Rainbow (Haggas) have been taken out of training. There are also a number who have never gone into training plus a number who haven't been named (some of whom may not exist (now)). Hardly satisfactory: I judge a broodmare by 1) its fertility, 2) by the number of its offspring that run then 3) by the number of offspring that win races and finally 4) by the number of its horses that get black type. A lot of the Royal mares seem to be not getting over fence 2. As regards foals it's difficult to know if returns have been put in or not. But the figure of live foals I can be certain of is 17 (9 colts and 8 fillies). That means 8 mares may not have produced a foal (they could have been barren, miscarried or died OR there may not have been a return for them yet). 17 is not a great number (68%) but this happens sometimes: I hope the stallions were on a no foal no fee basis. Particularly disappointing is that Diploma and her daughter Portfolio were both sent to Frankel and there's currently no return for either of them. The Royal Stud has not had much luck with Frankel. Finally High Order, who is by Frankel out of Diploma, has been gelded: there's hardly a bollock left amongst the 3yos.
Well, Handcuffed does get another race before York and it's the one I didn't think she'd go for, the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. Surprisingly the Gosdens have Rainbows Edge running in the subsequent race, a Fillies Group 3 over 8f. I hope she has a chance as I hate to see these horses tilting at windmills and trailing in near the back. According to OR ratings she's got about 14lb to find. No more 2yos entered.
Handcuffed remains set for Ascot on Saturday. Not a race Royal fillies run in very often, though Highclere was 2nd in it in 1973. She'll be up against the Albany Stakes 2nd,Simmering, amongst other promising looking fillies. Despite a thumbs up from the gallop watchers, Rainbow's Edge has been withdrawn from the group3 on Saturday. Maybe they'll find a nice Listed event somewhere to initially get some black type before going for a Group 3. I can't count, there are 18 foals (8 fillies and 10 colts). Still only a 75% hit rate. 80%+ would be better.
Surprise, surprise: Reach for the Moon won his hurdle maiden at Worcester yesterday. This was his fourth attempt and he jumped quickly and fluently (other than the last).His first two starts were fairly disappointing but on his third start was carried out after the first hurdle.
Handcuffed couldn't have been more disappointing. No excuses, beat one home. Just when I thought it was all over two Frankel colt foals turn up. That's 20 foals but not too bad.
The score ticks up to 8 wins with the victory of Reaching High in a Racing League handicap. That's Stoute's first Royal winner of the year (he only has one horse). Interesting that the gelding won so easily on the the occasion he was racing over 14f for the first time. As a son of a Gold Cup winner surely it's not a surprise he needs long distances. Looked odd racing in Yellow racing league colours, at first I thought he'd been sold!. I should think some 14f+ targets will be aimed at before the handicapper clips his wings. Still only two 2yos entered so far and both of them (Royal Equerry and Handcuffed) look limited in ability. The former was a disappointing 4th in a maiden at Nottingham, though backed down to Evens favourite. Beckett is yet to have a winner this year for the Royals. Hopefully Haggas and the Gosdens will start getting some 2yos out soon.
It seems that 4 mares didn't foal. They are:- Memory (visited Baaeed): top class 2yo and dam of Recorder and Call to Mind, 3 other winners, Daphne (visited Dubawi): Listed winner and dam of useful Perfect Alibi, Perfect Alibi (visited Night of Thunder): black type filly, first foal and Portfolio (visited Frankel): winner and black type filly, first foal is yearling. 3 even 4 misses with top sires.
