Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of not returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations features the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) as well as the daughter of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
3.45 Naas, Hcp, €45,000, 3yo, 7fT PADDINGTON (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will be one of the key attractions if Naas's card evades the forecast heavy rain and gets the go-ahead, being Ballydoyle's chief representative in this Madrid Handicap won in 2016 when it was staged at The Curragh by the subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas hero Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Labelled a 'TDN Rising Star' following his emphatic maiden win over this trip at The Curragh in October, the joint-second highest-priced lot at €420,000 at the 2021 Arqana October Sale is the pick of Ryan Moore over the stable's Londoner (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), a son of the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) who also impressed when taking his maiden at Dundalk in October.
4.55 Naas, Mdn, €16,000, 3yo, f, 8fT RED RIDING HOOD (IRE) (Justify) accompanies stablemate Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to Naas, as she did when they both travelled to Ascot in early September for their debuts. Not seen since finishing runner-up over this trip on that occasion, it may be significant that the daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine and 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) linked to Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and War Front's U S Navy Flag and Roly Poly is in the maiden won in the last two years by Galileo's subsequent Classic-winning sisters Empress Josephine (Ire) and Tuesday (Ire).
Ascot Racecourse announced total prize money will be a record £17 million across 25 racedays in 2023, an increase of £1.33 million (8.5%) from 2022. The overall figure excludes the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day. Prize money for Royal Ascot 2023 will also be a record £9.52 million, up from £8.65 million (10%).
All Group 1 races will be run for a minimum of £600,000 for the first time with increases to the King's Stand S., St James's Palace S., Gold Cup, Coronation S. and Commonwealth Cup (all £500,000 in 2022), while the Queen Anne S. will be worth £750,000 (£600,000 in 2022).
The Group 2 King Edward VII S. will be increased to £250,000 (£225,000 in 2022) while two Group 2 races for fillies and mares–the Duke of Cambridge S. and Ribblesdale S.–are raised to £225,000 (from £175,000 and £200,000). Both the Group 3 Hampton Court S. and Jersey S. also receive increases to £150,000 (from £100,000 and £110,000).
As in 2022, no race at Royal Ascot will be run for less than £100,000.
Outside Royal Ascot, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup meeting will be worth £640,000, a 15% increase, with all eight races run for £80,000 in addition to £25,000 in stable prizes. The same stable prize bonus will also be in place on QIPCO King George Diamond Day.
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said: “Against a backdrop of reduced central funding, an increase of more than £1.1 million or almost 14% in Executive Contribution has been required to get to this figure. That represents a significant investment and whilst many of the headline increases are at Royal Ascot, there are also boosts to Class 2 and Class 3 Handicaps on the Flat driven by the welcome increase to Minimum Values in this area. We have focused again on raising the profile of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which attracts international jockey talent from around the world and are delighted that each of the eight races will be worth £80,000.”
Wesley Ward would be the first to admit that he has a soft spot for his globe-trotting Breeders' Cup contender Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB} – Janina {GB}, by Namid {GB}).
“It's hard not to like a filly that has accomplished what she has,” he said with a smile. “Just from being around her, you know how special she is.”
For over two years, Campanelle has been a consistent presence in Ward's converted tobacco barn adjacent to the Keeneland grounds. The Stonestreet Stables representative has thrived on racing's biggest stages throughout her career, earning two victories at Royal Ascot and claiming the 2020 G1 Darley Prix Morny in Deauville, but soon she will make what could well be the final start of her career on her home turf in Lexington.
Over the weekend, the 4-year-old put in her final work over the Keeneland turf, going five furlongs in 1:03.80 on Saturday in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Ward spoke highly of how Campanelle is coming into the race.
“She thrives at Keeneland and I'm sure she's probably going to run the race of her life. Every workout is better than the next and she's glowing right now. I think she's going to have a great chance here.”
From there, Campanelle will take one of the shorter journeys of her career to travel to Fasig-Tipton for the 'Night of the Stars' Sale, where she will sell as Hip 272 with Eaton Sales as a racing or broodmare prospect.
Ward has been high on the Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac from the beginning. Picked out by Ben McElroy from Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Campanelle stood out as soon as she arrived in Lexington in the spring of her juvenile year.
“She was a big, beautiful filly and you could tell that physically, she was the standout of that particular group that Ben had sent in,” Ward recalled. “When we started training her we could really see the athleticism, and as soon as we got her on the grass, it was like a fish to water. She just took right off.”
The winner of the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 Darley Prix Morny during her juvenile season, Campanelle returned to the prestigious Ascot meet at three to defeat males in the 2021 G1 Commonwealth Cup.
This year, the long-striding turf sprinter opened her season with a win in the Giant's Causeway S. at Keeneland, finished in a dead heat for third in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. in her third trip to Ascot, and then got her first graded stakes win on American soil in the GIII Mint Ladies Sprint S.
“The thing about this filly is that she runs on any track and on any surface as far as conditions go,” Ward explained. “She'll run if it's a deep, soggy going or if it's a hard, firm turf. She just runs on anything there is. Every time you lead her over she tries so hard and physically, she's just a beautiful filly. Anyone could take a look at her and know that she's at the upper echelon of Thoroughbred racing right now.”
Stonestreet's Barbara Banke echoed that Campanelle has the looks and the heart to rank her among the elite members of Stonestreet's accomplished racing stable.
“It's really special to have a horse that can win among stakes competition in three different countries in England, France and the United States,” Banke said. “She carries herself well and she has a sense of dignity. She's got a lot of fight and she always gives it her best effort.”
Placing Campanelle in the Fasig-Tipton November Sale was no easy decision for Banke, but the commercial breeder said that ultimately, she believes that it will put Campanelle in the best position for success as she moves on to the next chapter of her career.
“When she goes on to be a broodmare, I think that she's worthy of the best turf sires in the world,” Banke explained. “Those are found more in Europe or Japan. Stonestreet is a very hands-on, detail-oriented breeding operation here in Kentucky and I don't think I could give her the focus and oversight she deserves if she were somewhere else. I think she needs to go to the elite turf sires. Someday we will have those here in America as well, but for her, I think this is the best thing. She will become the queen of someone's breeding operation.”
“Campanelle really reflects the international nature of our business today,” said Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “She's a tribute to the vision and the passion of an owner like Barbara Banke. Barbara's commitment to racing and breeding is really second to none and it's cool to see how they developed a plan of pointing these brilliant horses to Royal Ascot and they been able to succeed with it on several occasions.”
“I think the thing that makes Campanelle so attractive to buyers around the world is the combination of speed and consistency,” he continued. “She has answered the bell at Royal Ascot for three years in a row. She's by Kodiac, who has certainly done it the hard way but has been a tremendous stallion in Europe for many years. She's got worldwide appeal. It would not be surprising to see her produce major runners wherever she happens to go from here.”
Sara Gordon
Before Campanelle goes through the ring at Fasig-Tipton, Banke is looking forward to watching the brilliant filly represent her gold and burgundy colors one last time.
“I'm feeling pretty confident going into the Breeders' Cup and the people in the barn are feeling pretty confident in her as well,” Banke said. “She has some good competition in the race, including her stablemate Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), but she's a fighter and so I think my money is on her.”
Ward is also anticipating the return to the Breeders' Cup with his star filly, but he added that he is holding out hope that it won't be their last race together.
“When she goes in the ring, I'll have mixed emotions,” he admitted. “I'll be proud of what our team has accomplished with her, but I'll be sad if she doesn't come back to our barn. She is very lightly raced and is very sound. She is just peaking right now. I believe that with whatever hands she lands in, she's going to have a big year next year. Hopefully she comes back to our tobacco barn here, but whatever happens, it's been a good run so far.”
To take a look at more 'Spotlight on the Night of the Stars' features, click here.
William Haggas is looking to the future after Baaeed's shock swansong defeat in the Qipco Champion S. at Ascot on Saturday by revealing the six-time Group 1-winning superstar's younger brother is set to make his debut soon.
Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {GB}) lost his unbeaten record on his 11th and likely final start on Champions Day when finishing fourth, beaten a little under two lengths, behind Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}). That was despite being sent off as a prohibitively short-priced favourite at odds of 1-4.
Haggas was magnanimous in the immediate aftermath, simply saying that. “Jim [Crowley, jockey] said he couldn't quicken.”
He added at the time, “When he pulled him out he hoped he'd do what he's done before on faster ground, but he simply couldn't quicken on that ground.
“Perhaps it's not the greatest surprise. In my experience, it's rare a horse who acts as well on fast ground as he does also acts as well on soft ground. He tried his best, but he couldn't pick up.”
Now that the dust has settled on that performance, Haggas is concentrating on unleashing Baaeed's juvenile half-brother by Nathaniel (Ire), the sire of this year's brilliant Derby winner Desert Crown (GB), before the season is out. The colt has been named Naqeeb.
Speaking on Monday, Haggas said, “Most people who have got a full-brother are nothing like their full-brother, so though this mare has produced a fantastic horse in Baaeed and another very good horse in Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), there is a chance that he could be a good horse and we will campaign him as such.
He added, “But if he's somewhere near Hukum we'll be thrilled. We hope to run him this year. It'll be a mile maiden somewhere, I'd love to get him on the grass, but we're a bit tight for time now.”
