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The Major Talking Points From Day Four at Royal Ascot

Hard to keep a rider as talented as Frankie Dettori out of the spotlight and, after a difficult start to the royal meeting, the legendary rider answered his critics aboard Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who produced a stunning performance to win the G1 Coronation S.

From Dettori bouncing back to Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) confirming himself one of the fastest horses in training, in doing so sparking debate about where he may stand as a stallion, Brian Sheerin discusses some of the main talking points from another hugely entertaining afternoon's racing at Royal Ascot.

Inspiral Another Cheveley Park Superstar

What's the first thing you think about when Cheveley Park is mentioned? Most likely it's outstanding racemares.

From Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo) and Nannina (GB) (Medicean {GB}) to Echelon (GB) (Danehill) and more recently Integral (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), the list of high-class racemares to carry the stud's renowned red, white and blue silks has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Add Inspiral to that list. The G1 Coronation S. had been billed as one of the races of the week with the G1 1000 Guineas winner, the G1 French 1000 Guineas scorer and a GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine in the line-up, but Inspiral stamped her authority on the field.

The only filly missing from the line-up was Dermot Weld's brilliant G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who missed the royal meeting due to unsuitably quick ground.

It will be fascinating to see if Homeless Songs and Inspiral lock horns between now and the end of the season, although John Gosden did suggest the latter could well step up in trip.

Regardless of where she goes next, Inspiral looks as though she will be very hard to beat and is another top-class racemare for Cheveley Park Stud to look forward to.

And what about the rider? Frankie Dettori had endured a hellish week up until the Coronation S. but trusted his instincts aboard Inspiral and class came to the fore.

Let's not forget the performance of Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}), either. She may have lost her unbeaten record to Inspiral but, if anything, enhanced her reputation in defeat.

Trained by American-based handler Graham Motion, who sent out Sharing (Speightstown) to fill the same spot in this race in 2020, Spendarella ran a cracking race and is a hugely exciting filly in her own right.

Fellow American raider Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), owned by Bobby Flay and trained by Christophe Clement, didn't enjoy the clearest passage and never threatened back in eighth.

The attraction of Royal Ascot is underpinned by international competition and the American fillies played a major part in what will go down as a memorable race.

A Perfect Fit For Power?

It is hard to believe that the G1 Commonwealth Cup was first run in 2015. In eight short years, the race has become one of the foremost stallion-making contests in Europe, with Muhaarar (GB), Caravaggio and more recently Advertise (GB) featuring among the list of winners.

Perfect Power will be in-demand as a stallion after his dazzling display in this year's edition of the race. However, the question remains, where will he stand?

A dual Group 1 winner at two, Perfect Power carried over that brilliance to his 3-year-old campaign, bouncing back from his G1 2000 Guineas defeat to prove himself one of the fastest horses in training.

There will be any number of suitors for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's talented sprinter for a stud career.

Given Tally-Ho bred Perfect Power, and the County Westmeath operation's modus operandi is to stand speedy stallions, they may well be the favourites to sign Richard Fahey's star. Time will tell.

Spencer Rolls The Big Dice

Richard Spencer, best known for sending out Rajasinghe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) to win the G2 Coventry S. in 2017, was rewarded for rolling the big dice with Ivory Madonna (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G3 Albany S.

Picked up for 150,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale in April, Ivory Madonna ran with credit when third on her only start at Goodwood.

Spencer clearly felt his filly was capable of much better, and was vindicated by running her in the opener on Friday, as Ivory Madonna belied her inexperience to stay on for third, picking up valuable black-type in the process.

She should be a shoo-in to break her maiden status and looks a promising filly for connections.

A Proper Ascot Pedigree

The style in which Candleford (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) landed the G2 Duke Of Edinburgh S. would suggest William Haggas has a Pattern-class performer on his hands.

One might think that Haggas, one of the finest practitioners of his craft, thought as much given he sat on a mark of 91 and charted a path to Royal Ascot without the benefit of a prep race with the gelding.

It proved an inspired decision, with Candleford pulling six lengths clear at the winning line, in doing so, bolstering his family's fine record at the track.

Candleford's half-brother Atty Persse (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) won the King George V S. at the royal meeting in 2017 and was second on his only other start at the track.

Speaking of Ascot-loving families, the Jessica Harrington-trained Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) had a hard act to follow in the G1 Coronation S. given her sister Alpha Centauri (Ire) and half-sister Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) feature among the roll of honour.

Discoveries ran a hugely respectable race to finish third, looking much more comfortable on a flat track like Ascot than she did at Newmarket in the 1000 Guineas, and there should be more to come from her this season.

And let's not forget Ivory Madonna for this segment, who we have already mentioned, as her dam Clem Fandango (Fr) (Elzaam {Aus}) finished third in the G2 Queen Mary S. in 2016.

Magnier Makes An Important Appearance

John Magnier made an increasingly rare appearance at Royal Ascot on Friday but for good reason.

The Coolmore boss, who hasn't been seen on a racecourse for some time, made the hugely significant trip to the royal meeting to see Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) land the G3 Albany S. before Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran out a fortuitous winner of the G2 King Edward VII S.

That double brought Aidan O'Brien's tally of Royal Ascot winners to 80, an amazing achievement, and one that went some way to explaining Magnier's presence on the day.

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Stars Out For Friday At Royal Ascot

It has taken over a month longer than expected, but Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) finally gets racing again on Friday as she bids to pick up the thread of her flawless 2-year-old campaign in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. While her achievements in winning the G2 May Hill S. and G1 Fillies' Mile seemed laudable enough at the time, subsequent events have unfolded to display them in even better light particularly as they were garnered during her formative phase. As the Fillies' Mile and May Hill runner-up Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) chased home the Fillies' Mile third and 'TDN Rising Star' Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the 1000 Guineas, the Gosdens' unbeaten filly was at Clarehaven waiting to fully bloom. Now that “Flaming June” is here with the weather to accompany it, she is here in glorious, vibrant colour with the world for now still at her feet.

Careful Tending

It was once said by Jim Joel that the late Sir Henry Cecil was “a man with green fingers for horses”, and it is that gentle and nurturing approach that has been adopted by John Gosden as patience was called for throughout recent weeks. “Inspiral was very slow coming to hand this year–it can happen to some fillies hormonally in the Spring,” he told QIPCO British Champions Series. “She had a tough Spring. You don't want to be forcing them and she was like a little bud that stayed tight, but we are very hopeful we'll get her there in good order. We are beginning to see the filly of last year again, so hopefully she'll put in a big performance. It will be great to have her back and her form from last year has looked great this year.”

Established Prestige

Highclere Thoroughbred's landmark Classic winner Cachet is undeniably at the forefront and the fact that she was just undone by Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp a fortnight after her Newmarket exploits only serves to enhance her reputation. She did not go fast enough there and James Doyle will be keen to revive the aggressive tactics that worked so emphatically at her beloved Newmarket from his draw in nine. That should set up a tactically straightforward affair, with her old rival Prosperous Voyage also sure to go forward from stall 12 to ensure a hot pace. With Inspiral absent from the Guineas, Cachet has to prove that she owns the crown and it was not merely leased but trainer George Boughey the filly with the admirable work ethic to shine again. “I think her work has stepped forward again and she looks stronger,” he told QIPCO British Champions Series. “She was coming back at the end at Longchamp and I slightly blame myself. We were drawn wide and I didn't want to blow her in front, so told James to crawl round if he could and turn it into a sprint. I'm very confident she stays a mile well and so we'll possibly look to make plenty of use of her. The weather looks set fair for fast ground, which her best form is on.”

A Diverse Cast

Under the Brit A-listers Inspiral and Cachet, there are key protagonists from France, Ireland and the States in what constitutes a fully stocked flowerbed for the mile championship for the 3-year-old fillies. Next to each other in seven and eight are the US duo Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) and, with their contrasting racing styles, it will be fascinating to see where they are positioned by Jose Ortiz and William Buick respectively. Spenderella likes to force it, as she proved when winning the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland Apr. 9, while Pizza Bianca uses her power late. Spenderella's trainer Graham Motion told QIPCO British Champions Series, “We feel she really belongs. I don't want to compare her with the other fillies I have brought, because they were really good fillies in their own right. She is obviously less-campaigned than they were and she hasn't run against the likes of these horses, but she really hasn't done anything wrong.” A fast pace will also set it up for 'TDN Rising Star' and G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio), the daughter of the 2011 Coronation heroine Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who could prove that her eighth in the Guineas was all wrong.

Celebrating The Commonwealth

Tenebrism would have been a major player in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, which looks a wide-open affair as it enters its eighth year. Now firmly fixed in the Royal Ascot schedule and the international racing calendar, the only question is “why did it take so long to be established?” Last year's G2 Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who went on to capture the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S., is back in his comfort zone after a valiant try at the 2000 Guineas and there are no weak spots where he is concerned over this stiff six. It is notable that in Newbury's seven-furlong G3 Greenham S. Apr. 16, he readily beat Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) who has since taken off and almost won Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace S. El Caballo (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) is a genuine contender, with his winning streak culminating in Haydock's G2 Sandy Lane S. May 21 where he had several of these behind. Shadwell's 'TDN Rising Star' Ehraz (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) gives the impression he is building towards something special, while Ger Lyons is hoping that his luckless streak with raiders here can come to an end via Juddmonte's talented G3 Round Tower S. winner Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).

An Albany To Savour

Friday's card gets underway with a fascinating G3 Albany S., where a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Godolphin's Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and Amo Racing's Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never) take on Ballydoyle's May 15 G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. scorer Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never). Mawj, a half-sister to Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), was a scarcely-believable 4 3/4-length debut winner from a subsequent scorer at Newmarket May 14 given her pedigree and normal progress will make her hard to beat. Queen Olly also impressed at York May 12 and looks to give Amo Racing that first Royal Ascot winner. In the G2 King Edward VII S., Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) represents the Derby form and he was an admirable fifth in Epsom's June 4 Blue Riband, especially as he probably raced too hard early and paid for it in the straight.

Diane Attracts 18

Ensuring there was no repeat of the Prix du Jockey Club double-draw farce, an independent bailiff was on hand to oversee Thursday morning's presentation for the 173rd edition of Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane Longines. Proceedings concluded without hitch, with the overnight pre-confirmations all standing their ground and a final field of 18 is set to head postward for Sunday's €1-million 10 1/2-furlong Classic, turfdom's very own Competition of Elegance. Imad Al Sagar's Oaks third and 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) fared well in stall two, to the outside of Juddmonte's G2 Prix Greffulhe runner-up Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) on the fence. Last term's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine and this year's 1000 Guineas fourth Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was also drawn favourably in five, while the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third, fourth and fifth Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Rosacea (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) and Daisy Maisy (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) are worse off in stall nine, 17 and 11, respectively. Last month's G1 Prix Saint-Alary second and third, Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Queen Trezy (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), are drawn alongside each other in stalls eight and seven while Ballydoyle's Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been allocated post 16.

Click here for the group fields.

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Bobby Flay: ‘Royal Ascot is the Pinnacle for Me’

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is excited to swap his apron for a top hat and tails at Royal Ascot and described his bold bid for G1 Coronation S. glory with Breeders' Cup-winning homebred Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) as “an experience of a lifetime.”

The Coronation S. has been the main aim for Pizza Bianca ever since she stormed to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last November and Flay has said that next week's royal meeting is the pinnacle.

“I feel like I have won already just by participating in a race like this,” the television star told TDN Europe on Thursday. “It's one of the things that I love about this game, being able to participate in big races, and no matter what, we are going to have a great time.

“We have big races at home in our back yard worth a lot of money but Ascot is the experience of a lifetime and we're so excited,” – Bobby Flay

“Royal Ascot is the pinnacle for me. The pageantry of it all, the quality of the horses, the food and beverage, the building itself and the royal family. It has everything that you could possibly want at a horse racing event.”

Flay didn't become one of the most successful owner-breeders in America by simply wanting to take part. He bought White Hot, a half-sister to G1 Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), for 1.25 million gns out of the 2014 Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale. Pizza Bianca is her first foal.

She has proved an outstanding addition to Flay's broodmare band, which is said to have numbered only 10, with Pizza Bianca flying the flag for the family with that Breeders' Cup success representing an important first for her trainer Christophe Clement.

Flay said, “Christophe is incredibly talented and extremely knowledgeable. He's got a great team and is meticulous. They love what they do and are great communicators. It's been such a fun experience having a horse with him and I was so happy for Christophe to win his first Breeders' Cup race with Pizza Bianca. We have big races at home in our back yard worth a lot of money but Ascot is the experience of a lifetime and we're so excited.”

He added, “Pizza Bianca has an incredibly rich pedigree and it's mostly European. To be able to showcase her talents on the biggest stage in Europe is a privilege. I have 10 mares. The philosophy behind the operation is that we try to breed the best to the best. We try and leave mediocre to the side and everything we breed is of a very high quality.

“My bloodstock agent, James Delahooke, is a bit of a legend in European racing and helped create a lot of the good Juddmonte families. If you look through some of their great horses, James would have picked out the third or the fourth dams in the pedigree, so having somebody who can see into the future is a huge help.”

Flay has surrounded himself with some of the brightest minds in racing in order to give himself a fighting chance of succeeding but he does a lot of the matings himself and selected Fastnet Rock for White Hot, with the resulting foal turning out to be the now famous Pizza Bianca.

He explained, “Fastnet Rock has been an amazing sire in Australia and when he shuttled to Europe he got a lot of good horses over there as well. Galileo might be the best sire of all time but, the problem with him is, he has a lot of sons at stud. When you have a Galileo mare, the choices are not there at the highest end, and when I was looking at what stallion to go with for White Hot, Fastnet Rock just seemed like he would be a really good choice.”

Flay added, “He was a very fast racehorse and I felt like White Hot needed some speed. As everyone knows, 95% of these things are guesswork, but one of the things that I really believe in is, if you have a mare with good blood, it will show up at one point. You don't know when, but if you breed well, she is going to produce something special. I just didn't think it would be with her first foal! White Hot has an Uncle Mo colt yearling and a Not This Time colt foal. She is in foal to Into Mischief so hopefully there is a lot to look forward to.

“I spend a lot of time on matings and have a couple of rules that I follow. I don't go to unproven stallions. I just don't do it. When I think about sires in the United States, I think Curlin, Uncle Mo, Quality Road and Into Mischief–the top of the food chain. Not This Time and Constitution, they are going to take the lead at some point, but I am very careful with my breeding choices.”

Not only has Flay enjoyed a great deal of success with Pizza Bianca in recent times, he remains a shareholder in GIII Pimlico Special S. winner First Captain (Curlin), a horse he bred, and recently bought into GI Belmont S. contender We the People (Constitution).

An unrelenting ability to make good and informed decisions has led to Flay's outstanding run of success, according to Clement, who says he is no such believer in luck.

Clement said, “I am a realist and Bobby is an optimist–and thank God he is an optimist because this is a tough game and he has done very well. When I was an assistant trainer for Luca Cumani, we trained horses for Gerald Leigh, and Bobby Flay will be the next Gerald Leigh.

“He has a small broodmare band, is very disciplined, sells his colts well and keeps his mares in training.”

The trainer added, “The main thing that makes him successful is that he is amazingly disciplined. He has a wonderful broodmare band and you need to give him credit. Many people have tried to do it but not many have done it as well as he has.

“Bobby has surrounded himself with very good people in his own business and in racing as well. He has bought into some of the top pedigrees and is now involved in racing at the top level.

“I don't believe in luck whatsoever and Bobby is successful because he had a good plan and it's working well.”

Flay's yellow and orange silks will be carried by Pizza Bianca in a race that features Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), representing Moylgare Stud in Ireland, the Cheveley Park-bred Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and a host of Coolmore-bred blue bloods. It may seem daunting, but Flay is relishing the challenge.

He said, “I don't buy a lot of horses because I don't have the resources that some of these people I am competing against have. Some of these people own countries. I mean, they have extreme wealth and can just fire away as they please, but I have to be very clever and save my powder for the moments when something special comes up.

“When White Hot was in the sales, I knew she wasn't going to be cheap, but it's like buying a piece of real estate to me. I would never buy a colt like that. I can't afford to try that. If White Hot was a colt, she'd be worth zero [once she never raced] but, the fact that she's a filly, you still have a chance.

On the race itself, he added, “William Hill has Pizza Bianca at 10-1 but everyone else has her odds at 16-1 so maybe the guys at William Hill took a bet.”

Pizza Bianca is not the only horse that Clement runs at the royal meeting with the rapidly-progressive sprinter Slipstream (More Than Ready) due to line out in the G1 Commonwealth Cup as well.

Speaking about his chances of landing a royal winner at the first attempt at travelling horses to Britain, Clement, who was once based in the United Kingdom, said, “I worked in England for four years as assistant to Luca Cumani and have been lucky enough to train for Her Majesty in America. To have runners at Royal Ascot is a lot of fun and I actually like that they are not favourites.”

He added, “Slipstream was very impressive when he won at Keeneland in April. He has a good mind and has a lot of talent. He is still improving.

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Pizza Bianca Punches Royal Ascot Ticket in the Hilltop

Bobby Flay homebred Pizza Bianca, heroine of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, punched her ticket to Royal Ascot in style here.

In an impressive 2021 campaign, Pizza Bianca broke her maiden over the Saratoga grass on debut July 22 at Saratoga and jumped right into Grade I company, finishing second behind Wild Beauty (Frankel {GB}) in Woodbine's GI Natalma S. Sept. 19. That set her up for a run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, where she posted a half-length victory at 9-1. Pizza Bianca returned from the bench to be second, beaten just three-quarters of a length, as the 4-5 favorite in the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct Apr. 24.

Confidently backed at 2-5 here, she raced in sixth behind pacesetter Murph (Malibu Moon) through an opening quarter in :23.31. Patiently handled and still with plenty to do heading into the far turn, she started to move along the inside, then switched back out as the field turned for home. She was let loose in the stretch and came rolling over the top to win going away.

“[Jockey] Jose [Ortiz] did exactly what we were hoping for,” Flay said. “She broke; he kind of put her to sleep around the track; asked her a little bit; and she performed very nice. Really, a sigh of relief, but also just a beautiful performance.”

The G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot will be next.

“I ran in that race in 2011 with More Than Real,” Flay said. “She didn't run that well, but it doesn't matter. It was an amazing experience. To me, this is what this is all about. These horses can take you on experiences of a lifetime.”

On behalf of Flay, bloodstock agent James Delahooke went to 1.25 million guineas ($2,122,050) for Pizza Bianca's dam White Hot at the 2014 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Pizza Bianca is the first foal for her unraced dam. The half-sister to G1 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) is also represented by a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and birthed a colt by Not This Time in 2022.

Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

HILLTOP S., $100,000, Pimlico, 5-20, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.54, fm.
1–PIZZA BIANCA, 122, f, 3, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)-White Hot
(Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Bobby Flay; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds
(KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 5-3-2-0, $717,635.
2–Diamond Hands, 118, f, 3, Frosted–Love Cove, by Not For
Love. ($25,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $425,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Robert Masiello & Steven Rocco; B-Brant
Laue & Godolphin (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $20,000.
3–Vergara, 120, f, 3, Noble Mission (GB)–Figure of Beauty, by
Street Cry (Ire). ($130,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gary Broad;
B-Neil Jones (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $10,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HD, NK. Odds: 0.40, 7.20, 4.70.
Also Ran: Lady Puchi, Determined Gold, Murph, Hail To, Determined Star.

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