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Royal Ascot: Alpine Star Defeats Sharing In Coronation, Ward-Trained Campanelle Wins Queen Mary

On the final day of the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting, Alpine Star emulated her half-sister Alpha Centauri (the winner in 2018) when storming to victory in the G1 Coronation Stakes.

The 3-year-old Sea The Moon filly, homebred by the Niarchos Family, was making her first start of 2020 and was off the bridle from some way out. Responding gamely to Frankie Dettori, Alpine Star took up the running entering the final furlong and kept on strongly for a four and a quarter length victory over American challenger Sharing (Graham Motion/Oisin Murphy), who stayed on well from off the pace.

Speaking from her base in County Kildare, Alpine Star's trainer Jessica Harrington said: “It is absolutely amazing because I am sitting here, I can't go racing, and watching it on the telly is very hard. I could not believe it because she was the only horse in the field that hadn't had a run this year, but she is amazing. She is a half-sister to a complete superstar, Alpha Centauri, who gave me my first Royal Ascot winner. She was just amazing today, she did it so easy.”

The Coronation Stakes had been the only Group 1 race at Royal Ascot in which Frankie Dettori did not have a victory, meaning Newmarket's July Cup is now the only British G1 race he has not won.

“It has taken 30 years to win all the Group Ones, but I can say that I have really conquered Royal Ascot now – I am delighted for all the people concerned,” Dettori said. “This was missing, Royal Ascot means a lot to me, the Coronation, I have been riding here for 30 years, but for some reason I have never managed to get on the right horse. Jessica and the Niarchos family offered me this ride a while back.

“I was very excited about the ride, I had a good draw, a good split, the filly was beautifully prepared by Jessica, she showed a good turn of foot, and I am thrilled, thrilled.”

Oisin Murphy, who partnered the second-placed Sharing, commented: “Sharing is a champion on really fast turf and she didn't get her conditions. Everyone should be very proud and hopefully it persuades Graham Motion to have more horses here next year – it was a massive performance. She was the best juvenile filly on turf in America last year and is a huge, physical filly.”

American interests did find success earlier on the card when the Wesley Ward-trained Campanelle won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, giving the trainer his 11th victory at the Royal Ascot meeting. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the 2-year-old daughter of Kodiac came out on top by three-quarters of a length from Sacred after a sustained duel in the closing stages.

It was a fourth Queen Mary Stakes for Ward following Jealous Again (2009), Acapulco (2015) and Lady Aurelia (2016). Like Lady Aurelia, Campanelle won in the colours of Stonestreet Stables. Earlier in the week, Ward had been responsible for two runners-up in Golden Pal (G2 Norfolk Stakes) and Kimari (G1 Commonwealth Cup).

“We are going crazy here,” said Ward, speaking from Keeneland, Kentucky. “She is something and in think that we are going to be heading to the Prix Morny now. I will talk it over with Barbara Banke and the team. We are all real excited – I had all the stables lads here at the barn and they are all jumping up and down.

“There is nothing like Royal Ascot. We didn't have a winner last year and we had a streak going. We've been trying our best, I can't thank everyone enough for giving me such a talented filly from where started at Stonestreet Stables. It is amazing and Frankie Dettori rode such a brilliant race as he always does. I have got my assistant Blake Heap there and we've got a wonderful team assembled in Florida – words just can't describe it right now.”

Saturday's Royal Ascot action began with the Silver Wokingham Handicap, a consolation race for those horses who missed the cut for the Wokingham itself later in the afternoon. It was 7-year-old Chiefofchiefs who came out on top, handing a second winner of the week to both trainer Charlie Fellowes and jockey William Buick.

“For me, Royal Ascot has always been the pinnacle,” Fellowes said. “When I set up training this was always the dream, and I am very lucky to be living the dream. Three winners in two years – a lot of trainers go a lot longer than that without having winners. I am very, very lucky, we have got a beautiful yard. I can't really complain much at the moment, to be honest!”

The third race of the day saw the longest-priced winner in Royal Ascot history when Nando Parrado captured the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at 150-to-1. The 2-year-old Kodiac colt had finished fifth on debut at Newmarket on June 4 and there was no hint of a fluke about his victory today. Always in a prominent position, Nando Parrado and jockey Adam Kirby took the lead just inside the final two furlongs and saw off all challengers to score by a length from Qaader.

“I did back him!” laughed trainer Clive Cox, recording his second winner of the week. “So we are very happy… I don't know what price I got yet. When I saw the price, it was a little bit of an insult to our thoughts on him, so I am delighted.

“Listen, it is all about having winners at Royal Ascot, and to have two like this is so, so special.”

There was no stopping Dettori on day five of Royal Ascot as the jockey brought up a treble when partnering Palace Pier to victory in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes. Trained by John Gosden for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the 3-year-old Kingman colt is now unbeaten in four starts.

It looked a three way battle between Palace Pier, Pinatubo and Wichita inside the final furlong and it was Palace Pier who found most, lengthening well to score by a length from Pinatubo, with Wichita another head away in third.

Dettori is now on six winners for the week and has enjoyed 73 Royal Ascot winners in total, equaling the record of the late Pat Eddery. He said: “What a day! We always thought a lot of Palace Pier, but he got a bit sleepy on us in the mornings and we were scratching our heads. John [Gosden] did a great job, and he thought, let's start him off in a handicap at Newcastle to see whether he would wake up, and he did. We threw him in at the deep end today, but in the back of our minds we knew that there was a good horse in that big body, and we just were not sure how much of a good horse he was. Today was no fluke.”

Trainer Charlie Appleby said of runner-up Pinatubo, last year's 2-year-old champion: “I am disappointed to get beaten again, but we saw the Pinatubo we saw last year, for sure. From the three to the two there I thought, it's just a matter of pressing the button again. Will [Buick] just said that on that ground, in the last 100 yards the tank was emptying out, but he is so courageous, he has held on for second still.”

Hello Youmzain landed the second G1 sprint of his career when taking the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, handing jockey Kevin Stott a first Royal Ascot winner. The 4-year-old Kodiac colt, owned by Haras d'Etreham and Cambridge Stud and trained by Kevin Ryan, landed the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup in 2019 and was also third at the 2019 Royal Meeting in the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

Today, Hello Youmzain blasted from the stalls and took the 10-strong field along. He was headed by favorite Sceptical entering the final furlong but rallied to regain the lead and held off the late challenge of Dream Of Dreams by a head.

After the Diamond Jubilee, Stott said: “Unbelievable. Listen, fair play to the horse – he dug very deep when I needed him. All credit to him more than me. I am blessed to be put back on him with the change of ownership and I can't describe in words how thankful I am that they put me back on him. It means everything.”

Stott immediately scored his second Royal winner in taking the day's seventh race, the Wokingham Stakes, with Hey Jonesy, also trained by Kevin Ryan.

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Ascot Braced for Super Saturday

   After the quintet of thrilling Group 1 contests this week at Royal Ascot, Saturday sees a triple treat as the G1 St James’s Palace S., G1 Coronation S. and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. provide the ultimate closing act. It is the St James’s Palace which entices the most, with the May 6 G1 2,000 Guineas second and third Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) re-enacting their Classic encounter as TDN Rising Star Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) joining in for good measure. On last year’s form, Pinatubo still holds sway and only this race will tell if he has truly been usurped as the kingpin of his generation. Big names such as Kris (GB), Giant’s Causeway and Kingman himself were beaten in the Guineas before getting back on track in this race and it is far too early to be writing off such a remarkable 2-year-old talent. It may be that the rain-softened ground will aid his cause, as Newmarket was the fastest surface he had encountered. Charlie Appleby is keen to turn him out again.

“I’m really pleased with him. William [Buick] sat on him on Wednesday and he had a nice breeze,” he said. “You can definitely see this horse has sharpened up for his run in the Guineas. As much as I’m not going to get away from the fact I was delighted with the way we were going into the Guineas, he is a horse as we saw last year that progressed race on race and I feel that race has definitely brought him forward. There is a drying forecast, but that doesn’t bother me because he has won on soft ground and even when he won the National S. it was on the slow side of good. Obviously, we have got to re-oppose the horse that was second in the Guineas and it is a good race, but I couldn’t be any happier with our fellow.”

Wichita will not appreciate it if the ground is on the easier side, if his third placing in the G1 Dewhurst S. on soft ground is any guide. Aidan O’Brien, who also saddles the Guineas also-rans Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), is the leading trainer in this race’s history with eight wins and he has a tactical edge with safety in numbers.     “We’re not sure about how he’ll cope with the ground really,” the trainer said of Wichita. “He’s a big, powerful horse but you can never be sure until they run on it. He does have a lot of power, so you’d think he’d be okay and we’ve been happy with him since the Guineas.”

Palace Pier has a lot to find on the formbook, having defeated this week’s Golden Gates H. flop Acquitted (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a mile handicap on Newcastle’s Tapeta June 6, but he is unbeaten and represents the Gosden-Dettori axis so is worthy of respect. Last year’s G2 Champagne S. winner Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and the G3 Solario S. scorer Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) add ballast despite coming up short in Group 1 company on their juvenile finales. John Gosden has warned that Palace Pier might be compromised by conditions.

“I’m not sure about the ground,” he said. “He’s got a smooth action and might find it too tacky, but we’re going to run. We went to Newcastle to get a run in and if he handles the ground I think he’ll run very well.”

Like the St James’s Palace S., the Coronation has also been shovelled onto the curtain-closer to allow the G1 1,000 Guineas fillies extra time for vital R & R. TDN Rising Star Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) ended a winter-long spell of expectation with relative disappointment when only a well-beaten third behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the June 7 Newmarket Classic, but she was too fresh and keen there and may be a different proposition this time. Last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile winner has some high-class individuals to contend with again in the form of the G2 Debutante S. winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}), the impressive Listed Pretty Polly Fillies’ S. scorer Run Wild (Ger) (Amaron {GB}) and the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). She even has to reverse Guineas form  with the runner-up Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and has two Ballydoyle contenders to deal with, so this is no easy task.

Quadrilateral’s rider Jason Watson sees her latest effort in a different light and said, “I think her run in the Guineas was mightily impressive considering how keen she was early on and it’s done her a lot of good–it’s taken the edge off and I think we’ll her see a more relaxed horse this time. I have sat on her since and we’ve been happy with her. She just got over-excited first time out and I can’t see why Ascot won’t suit her as she’s an all-rounder who is not ground-dependant or track-dependant.”

Harry Charlton, assistant to father Roger, added, “The team thought it was wrong to step straight up into the Oaks, having by chance run a bit keen in the Guineas after pinging the stalls. To go from a mile to a mile and a half seemed a bit unnatural. The way the race panned out wasn’t ideal for her, but she still ran a good race to finish third. She seems in good nick and she took the run in the Guineas well. She is a horse that always eats well and I think she will improve for what she did. Newmarket probably doesn’t play to her strengths, because she is a big, rangy filly and this might well suit her better.”

After the major yards have fought it out in the two 3-year-old highlights, another blueblood lines up as favourite for the Diamond Jubilee only this time for the little-known Denis Hogan stable. Godolphin cast-off Sceptical (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is favourite to emulate the Royal success of his dam Jealous Again (Trippi) less than eight months after trading at 25-1 for his racecourse debut in a five-furlong maiden at Dundalk. He meets a different class of sprinter than those he dispatched in the Listed Woodlands S. at Naas June 8 and while he will have a legion of well-wishers here he is the market leader only through potential at present.

“There’s so much about the horse, that I just hope everything goes well on the day really,” Hogan commented. “I suppose softer ground would be a bit of an unknown. My gallop here can get very soft during the winter and he seemed to cope with that alright, so I’d be hopeful. But at the same time, he’s only raced on the grass once and that was on good-to-firm at Naas.”

Already proven in this territory, Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud’s G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) has a lot in his favour, while Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is still unexposed at this trip. The dual G1 Prix de la Foret heroine was runner-up over this course and distance in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint, while it is hard to forget the finishing flourish of Saeed Suhail’s Dream of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) in last year’s renewal. Just a head behind Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) at the death, he was in front a stride after the line and Sir Michael Stoute is bound to have him cherry-ripe for his return.

Ascot’s high-octane fixture also sees the G2 Coventry S. feature a clash between the TDN Rising Stars Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with Godolphin’s Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) just one of the other exciting prospects engaged. Admiral Nelson looked one of his stable’s potential 2021 Classic protagonists on his winning debut over five furlongs at The Curragh June 12, the same day that Shadwell’s Qaader lit up Newbury with a four-length debut win. The latter is joined by the June 2 Kempton winner Army of India (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) and the June 6 Newcastle winner Thunder of Niagara (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) from Mark Johnston’s stable.

His son, Charlie Johnston said, “On homework, before they ran, Army of India was probably top of the pile. On the strength of what they beat, you would probably lean towards Thunder of Niagara, and on visual impressions you would probably lean to Qaader. All three have earned the right to be there, and we just hope at least one is good enough basically.”

Creative Force has had a relatively luxurious 16-day period to recover from his initial exertions and the form of his Newmarket success over this trip was boosted on Friday by the G2 Norfolk S. third Imperial Force (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Trainer Charlie Appleby is quietly confident.

“He was very professional on his first start at Newmarket, when he jumped and travelled well. That was a pleasing introduction and he has come forward for the run. He is a half-brother to Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was proven in slower ground. He has a sensible draw in the middle and we will be disappointed if he doesn’t run a nice race.”

In the G2 Queen Mary S., TDN Rising Star More Beautiful (War Front) is another gem for Aidan O’Brien who looked to have the world at her feet when successful on debut over this five-furlong trip at Naas June 8. Cheveley Park Stud’s June 4 Newmarket winner Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is one of those from the higher-profile stables charged with taking her on along with Stonestreet Stables’ May 31 Gulfstream Park maiden special weight scorer Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). She is joined by fellow Wesley Ward trainee Royal Approval (Tiznow) who she beat on debut and their trainer thinks the winner of that contest has the edge.

“Campanelle is a filly with real quality and the time of the race was a Breeders’ Cup quality time,” he explained. “She’s a bigger, longer type of filly but has plenty of speed to her. She goes there with a big chance, I think.”

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Letter From Ascot–NYC Edition: Royal Ascot…2020

Forget Junes in years past. Forget the top hat and tailcoat.

Forget the long airline flight to London. Forget the face mask and gloves.

It’s a new world in 2020 for those who love top-quality horse racing and believe that “mass follows class” on both sides of the Atlantic.

Now in the light of COVID-19, the unique Royal Ascot meet will take place on the same heath behind closed doors for the first time since 1711, when Queen Anne decreed that the beautiful flatland just a mile or so from Windsor castle would be the site of top quality horse racing.

For most of the past 26 years, I would have been trying on the pants, vest and tail coat that was required in the Ascot Royal enclosure. It seemed like every June the vest needed a bit more give and the pants needed every inch of the extra waistband. This year I can wear shorts and a tee shirt at home.

Instead of the relaxing one hour clickity-clack journey on the southwest rail line from Waterloo to the Sunningdale station,

now it is just steps from my home office to my television room, where this week both sets will be tuned to the Thoroughbred sport, and a computer to my wagering racing website.

This year is a great opportunity not just for sports fans, but for everyone to join the worldwide crowd for a totally different experience through 2020 media. Throughout these five days, starting Tuesday, one can enjoy not just the great racing. It is quite a menu, beginning in the mornings with a jockey fitness session providing an eye-opening insight into the sorts of fitness regimes professional jockeys must maintain. The little guys have to be strong and agile.

For more than three centuries, at 2 o’clock sharp London time, the Golden Gates would swing open and a procession of horse- drawn Landau carriages would trot up the stretch carrying members of the Royal family and racing personalities, as the band played the national anthem. This year no processions, but we can watch great historic videos of past Royal processions, treating us to scenes of Queen Elizabeth, as a young monarch in the 1950’s. She is now 94 years old and will be watching on the telly, as we will be.

Image galleries showcasing fashion and sport photography from the past, along with a cooking show of Royal Ascot specialties by Michelin Star chefs. There will also be a competition, reminding me of the Bobby Flay throw-downs. This year it’s the ‘Coronation Chicken Stakes.’

I don’t have children, but Ascot is making an activity pack for kids, which includes a design-your-own jockey silks guide. Not a bad idea to get the kids involved in racing very early.

Last year I remember a press release said that 80,000 cups of tea, in addition to a quarter million tea cakes and scones were served. This week instead of tea and scones, the Ascot kitchen will serve up the recipe to those watching on how to create your own VIP tea.

I’m not the target market they want for the sale of Ascot Jockey teddy bears. And I never did stay for the singalong  around the Bandstand, I wanted to get back to the city for a

cocktail hour. But the songbook is available on the Ascot website for the stay-at-home singers. Also on the website each day will be a different Ascot Signature Serve cocktail recipe, including the Royal Ascot Blush and Monkey Went To Ascot.  I’ll stick to a Manhattan whilst overseas.

As frivolous as some of these promotions might seem, you must salute them for the creative initiative. Our industry today

should be taking the advantage of the immediate lack of live major sporting events, instead they seem to keep shooting themselves in the foot. I’m sick of petty feuds spoiling the

game for us players. And American racing should notice or maybe even copy some of their promotional ideas.

As for our American heroes, the Cambridge-born Graham Motion (yes, you can still detect the accent) is sending Sharing (Speightstown), winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, for the G1 Coronation S. on Friday. I like her chances off the excellent prep race she won at Churchill Downs and the jockey. Superstar Oisin Murphy has won races all over the globe and recently guided Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) to a resounding success in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Washington-born Wesley Ward has the best record of any non-English trainer, with 11 Royal winners. Hard to believe that this 52-year-old was the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice rider in 1984. He will send out six runners from his stable this week and knows his way to the winners enclosure anywhere in the world. For the first year he is represented at this meet, he will be watching from Florida, with top hat and tails ready for next June.

If you have a bucket list, a trip to the Royal meeting at one of the greatest race courses in the world should be on it. This year get a flavor of what it is like watching this magnificent show on television, like me, Wesley, Graham and the Queen of England.

Editor’s note: Dave Johnson is a racecaller and sportscaster (famous for his signature `And down the stretch they come!’) whose streak of 25 consecutive Royal Ascot meetings was ended by the Coronavirus pandemic this year. His annual Letters from Ascot will be written this year from his home in New York City.

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‘A Shot Against The Best Horses’: Sharing Breezes, Set For Trip To Royal Ascot

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable's Grade 1 filly Sharing, who first became a stakes winner last fall at Laurel Park, punched her ticket to Royal Ascot with a six-furlong breeze Friday morning, trainer Graham Motion said.

Under exercise rider Lauren Mendenhall, the 3-year-old Sharing was timed in 1:14.60 over the all-weather surface at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., working in company with 5-year-old mare Mrs. Sippy, a Grade 2 winner.

“Everything's kind of falling into place, so far. We said we wouldn't do this unless everything kind of fell into place, and she worked super this morning,” Motion said. “I feel very good about everything, knock on wood, so far.”

Bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm, Sharing won the Selima Stakes last September at Laurel in her third career start, propelling her to an upset victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). She opened her sophomore season by extending her win streak to four races in the May 23 Tepin Stakes.

Motion said Sharing will van from Fair Hill to Keeneland June 14, then board a morning flight out of Indianapolis June 16 to Newmarket, England and run in the one-mile Coronation Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies June 20.

The Motion-trained Miss Temple City ran fourth in the 2015 Coronation after winning the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Motion hoped to follow a similar path with Sharing, but sidestepped to the Tepin with Maryland racing on pause until May 30.

“I was going to run her in the Hilltop at Pimlico, so when that didn't happen that was the next best thing that could have happened a week later. It was like a little miracle when it came up, and she was ready to run. We had planned on running her the week before, anyway,” Motion said. “And it also gave us a month to Ascot. Up until that point, we'd really given up on the idea. But, once we had a race and we had an option we kind of got back to thinking about it again, especially after the way she ran.

“Hopefully she didn't take too much out of herself. I always worry, first race off a layoff. I think sometimes they can take a lot of themselves, but she seems to have bounced back,” he added. “I brought her right back to Fair Hill afterward and she's kind of gone along, and I thought she breezed really nicely this morning.”

Miss Temple City, a debut winner at Laurel Park in October 2014, would go on to win three Grade 1 stakes and more than $1.6 million in purse earnings following her trip to England, and would return to Royal Ascot again in 2016 and 2017. Motion feels Sharing will represent herself just as well.

“Miss Temple City ran in this race and ran a very creditable fourth after winning the Hilltop. This filly's credentials at this stage of the game are better than hers were at that stage of her career,” he said. “Obviously, she went on to be a Grade 1 horse but at this stage, Sharing is more accomplished than Miss Temple City was.”

Winning a race at Royal Ascot would mean a great deal to Motion, having grown up in Newmarket before coming to the U.S. and winning his first race as a trainer in America in March 1993 at Laurel Park.

“I hope I take my own personal feelings out of it. Obviously, I'd like to do it but I want to be doing it for the right reasons. We're really not missing a Grade 1 over here by going, so it kind of falls in the schedule,” Motion said. “We're not going for the party, because we can't go. We're going because we want to give the filly a shot against the best horses.

“To me, it's always about the challenge. I think sometimes in racing we spend too much time trying to duck other horses,” he added. “Racing, ultimately, is about the challenge and seeing who's got the fastest horse. I think that's why we're doing it, and it's exciting.”

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