Trainer Roger Charlton, who currently holds a joint licence with his son Harry, will give full control of the licence to his son, Charlton announced on Sunday. Harry was added to the elder Charlton's licence last year.
He told Racing TV's Luck On Sunday, “We had a joint-licence and I discussed with Harry whether that was the right approach and we thought it was, you have a sort of seamless transition and the owners get to know him better. I think it's right now, as he's extremely experienced, very able and bright person, I think it's right for him to hold the licence.
“I think it's right for Beckhampton's image to have a slightly younger image going forward, so we thought at the end of this season it [coming off the licence] was a sensible thing to do. It was just a case of when it was going to be announced and I have managed to ring all the owners already.”
Roger Charlton will continue working at Beckhampton, but not in a formal training role. Charlton was previously Jeremy Tree's assistant beginning in 1978. He began training in his own name in 1990, the same year he saddled Quest For Fame (GB) and Sanglamore to win the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 French Derby, respectively. Other top runners that bloomed under Charlton's care include Tamarisk (Ire), Group 1-winning sprinter Avonbridge (GB), Thistle Bird (GB), Al Kazeem (GB), Decorated Knight (GB) and Quest For More (Ire) among many others.
“I'm not going anywhere,” he added. “I've been there 45 years really doing the same thing I've been training for 33 years and I'm not suddenly not going to get up in the morning. I like doing it. I like horses and I love going round evening stables every day and I love going out on the downs and mowing the grass on the tractor and doing everything to keep Beckhampton going.”
Impressive in the G3 Flame of Tara S. at The Curragh in August, Opera Singer (Justify–Liscanna {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) took it to another level on Sunday as she outclassed her contemporaries in ParisLongchamp's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, a GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf qualifying race.
Stoked up from the break by Ryan Moore to enjoy a narrow lead from Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), the half-sister to War Front's top-level winners Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna had that rival in trouble inside the straight and lengthened away to score by five lengths from Rose Bloom (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), with 3/4 of a length back to the TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) in third.
“She's a big filly, genuine and strong and long-striding with loads of class,” Aidan O'Brien said of the 17-10 favourite. “She got a brilliant ride. She has the option of going to the Breeders' Cup, but we'll talk to Ryan and speak with the lads.”
Introduced in the seven-furlong Curragh maiden won by stablemate Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in June, Opera Singer was up to this trip to open her account at Leopardstown in July before dropping down again to be a head second to A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) in The Curragh's Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race in mid-August. It was two weeks later back in Kildare that the flashy bay really came alive, galloping her rivals into the ground to win the Flame of Tara, run under the banner Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF S., by 6 1/2 lengths.
There was no hiding place here, with the winner closing out with a final three furlongs in :32.92 and a penultimate split of :10.59 which was faster than Rosallion's equivalent in the preceding race.
“Ryan said she was very straightforward,” O'Brien added of Justify's first European Group 1 winner. “I thought she was very strong all the way to the line and it was an impressive performance. She's by Justify and they get better with age. As she steps up in trip she's something to look forward to next year.
“She's obviously a filly that would have no problem starting off at a mile in a Classic and you would imagine she would have no problem going up to a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half. Ryan was raving about her there coming in–he said I look forward to this day next year!”
Nicolas Clement said of Rose Bloom, “She had a very good race behind the winner and despite running a bit freely, ran on really well at the finish. She was beaten by a good filly and we're the first home of the French finishers, so we are hopeful of having a good filly on our hands for next season. I don't think she'll run again this year.”
Francis-Henri Graffard said of Les Pavots, “We're delighted with her performance. She's a very professional filly, but the winner seemed unbeatable and so we're pleased with our third place. We're going to talk to her owners, but it's possible that she'll run in the Breeders' Cup. That's always been on the owner's mind. She acts well on a sound surface.”
Pedigree Notes
Opera Singer is the 11th foal out of the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Liscanna (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), whose aforementioned Brave Anna captured the G1 Cheveley Park S. and Hit It A Bomb the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The second dam is the dual listed winner and G2 Rockfel S. runner-up Lahinch (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose four black-type performers include the G3 Kilternan S. winner The Bogberry (Hawk Wing) and the G1 Oaks runner-up Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Another of her Galileo progeny was the G2 Kilboy Estate S. second Lahinch Classics (Ire) who is in turn the dam of the GI Summer S. runner-up Grafton Street also by Brave Anna and Hit It A Bomb's sire War Front.
From an aesthetic perspective, the only similarity between Sodashi (Jpn), the world's most recognizable and talented white galloper, and her year-younger full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune) is the latter's broad blaze, but they now have something else in common, namely Group 1 winner, after Mama Cocha dove across the line to narrowly best Mad Cool (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Sunday's Sprinters S. at Nakayama Racecourse. Favoured Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) was a further length back in third.
“This filly is a completely different type of horse comparing to her famous sister, but she has good potential in her own right to become a good sprinter,” said winning jockey Yuga Kawada. “While still winless in grade-level race coming into this, I felt she had a good chance.”
The third betting choice at just under 4-1, Mama Cocha bounced away beautifully from gate six and raced fairly handy as the fleet-footed American-bred Jasper Krone (Frosted)–who defeated Mama Cocha in the Aug. 20 G3 Kitakyushu Kinen–showed the way early from T M Spada (Jpn) (Red Spada {Jpn}). Mad Cool was also forwardly placed, with Namura Clair off his flank and Mama Cocha in the three-wide line as they approached the turn. Kawada allowed his mount to roll up three wide leaving the 600-metre peg and was more or less on even terms at the top of the straight, but despite having gone the opening half-mile in :44.5, Jasper Krone was still battling hard at the fence. Mama Cocha finally got the better of that tussle, but Mad Cool emerged from between rivals and looked to perhaps nose in front in the dying strides, but was on the losing end of a tight photo. It was the second straight win in the race for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, who saddled Gendarme (Kitten's Joy) to an upset victory 12 months ago.
Whereas Sodashi was an instant hit, securing championship honours in her first two seasons at the races, Mama Cocha had been slower to come around. Group 3-placed at age two, the filly strung together three wins in the lower grades late last year, but was found out in a pair of group efforts over the 1600 metres. She recorded her first black-type success in a 1400-metre contest at Kyoto in May and ran on well to just miss behind all-the-way winner Jasper Krone last time out.
Kawada feels there is better still to come.
“She still has a lot of room for improvement and there were moments where I had to be careful in keeping her in good rhythm while she was forced out slightly by pressure from the horses in the inside between the last two corners,” the leading rider commented. “She did respond well though when challenged at the straight and I am glad that she was able to sustain her bid to the wire to claim the win.”
Pedigree Notes:
Mama Cocha is the 20th winner at group level for the French Deputy stallion Kurofune, who also counts 2008 Sprinters heroine Sleepless Night (Jpn) among his now seven elite-level scorers. The late King Kamehameha (Jpn) has now accounted for 30 individual group winners as a broodmare, including 10 G1SWs, among them Dubai World Cup hero and GI Breeders' Cup Classic-bound Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}).
Though she never earned black-type, Mama Cocha's dam Buchiko had a cult following of her own, based mostly on her physical appearance, but she was something other than an abject failure at the races, with four wins and three minor placings from 16 starts. Buchiko's half-sister Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune) was a three-time listed winner on the dirt, while her half-sister Marshmallow (Jpn) (Kurofune) produced dual Group 3 winner Hayayakko (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Shirayukihime is also the third dam of Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), fifth in Sunday's race.
Buchiko is the dam of the white 2-year-old colt Kalpa (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), third on Hakodate debut July 9, a yearling dark bay colt by the same sire and foaled a white Maurice filly Feb. 9.
Beautiful sunshine bathed ParisLongchamp on its biggest day and Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere proved a fitting opener to the action with Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}–Rosaline {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) dominating the closing stages of this up-to-scratch renewal. Brilliant in Ascot's Listed Pat Eddery S. in July but disappointing when third in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster last month, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's homebred was truly on song here to provide Sean Levey with all the good vibrations in this qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Anchored in rear early from his compromising wide draw, the Richard Hannon-trained relative of some of the owner-breeder's best recent performers was finally unleashed 300 metres from the finish as Ryan Moore sent Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for home. Accelerating impressively as he had done at Ascot to swamp that rival inside the last half furlong, the generously-priced 6-1 shot had a length to spare at the line as the too-keen previously-unbeaten TDN Rising Star and even-money favourite Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) wound up 1 1/2 lengths behind in third.
“He felt exceptional today,” Levey said of the live 2000 Guineas contender who was providing his first-crop sire sensation with his first Group 1 winner and setting a new track record into the bargain. “At Doncaster, when I asked him he didn't know what to do on that soft ground and he's still so babyish. He has a great mind though and he'll keep learning. He had to overcome a lot today from that draw and was a bit confused when I restrained him, especially in the false straight. I was always going to win today. He had his ground and that's how good he is.”
Rosallion, who had struck on debut over 6 1/2 furlongs at Newbury just before Royal Ascot, had set almost the benchmark in terms of British-trained juveniles in the Pat Eddery, where the likes of Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) had trailed in his wake. Hannon had kept the faith after the Champagne and was relieved with this justification, completed in course-record time ahead of the previous 1:18.40 set by this race's winner Naaqoos (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in 2008.
“It was very sticky ground at Doncaster and he hated it, but I was so disappointed–I couldn't believe he got beat. We scoped him afterwards and everything was fine and the only thing I can put it down to was the ground. Sean was as gutted as I was at Doncaster–I don't think he said a word to me after he got beat in the Champagne S. He couldn't believe it either, that's the sort of horse he is. Today was a recovery mission and you don't generally come to the Lagardere on a recovery mission, as it takes an extremely good horse to win it but he showed today that he's the horse we thought he was.”
“We'll look forward to the Guineas now for next year,” Hannon added. “I wouldn't rule out the Breeders' Cup, but I'm very happy to look forward to the Guineas. I haven't had much luck at the Breeders' Cup, obviously it's got to change at some stage but I think it's unlikely.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Unquestionable and the pace-setting Henry Adams (Ire) (No Nay Never), who finished fourth, “The trip was okay and both will be fine at a mile. Ryan said Unquestionable could be a horse for America, so we will look at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf after seeing how they are. Unquestionable is definitely a Guineas horse, we will see which one next year.”
Yann Barberot said of Beauvatier, who recorded the race's fastest individual split between the two and the one at :10.56 but who was too free throughout the early stages, “We have been helped by the quick ground, but you need a colt with a lot of speed to win the Lagardere and he is not made for speed. In future, he will run over 1600 metres or even 2000 metres. I am very happy with him, he performed well. He found himself a bit behind at the start of the race, because he was impeded by the Andre Fabre-trained horse who pulled a lot.”
Pedigree Notes
Rosallion's unraced dam Rosaline is one of the progeny of the owner-breeder's sensational producer Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), whose seven black-type performers include this year's G1 Queen Anne S. hero Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Rosaline is a full-sister to the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein victor Ostilio (GB), while other Reem Three notables are the G3 Bengough S. winner Cape Byron (GB) by Blue Point's sire Shamardal and this year's Listed Heron S. winner Captain Winters (GB) whose sire Lope De Vega is also by Shamardal. The third dam is Jumaireyah (GB) (Fairy King), herself responsible for the G2 Celebration Mile and G3 Sovereign S. winner and GI Arlington Million runner-up Afsare (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Next up from Rosaline is a yearling colt by Make Believe (GB).
GROUP 1 GLORY FOR ROSALLION
A seriously top-class performance in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and a perfect ride delivered once again by @LeveySean!
GROUP 1 GLORY FOR ROSALLION 
and a perfect ride delivered once again by 
