Former record company boss Wright has a long history of naming his horses after song titles, and when it came to the half-sister to the multiple group winner, the selection of Heartache Tonight (Fr) (Recorder {GB}) seemed fitting. There may well have been a little heartache involved, too, as at the time she was signed up as a private purchase at Arqana's October Yearling Sale, her elder-sister had only recently exited stage left, her season and career curtailed by injury. By that stage, however, Wonderful Tonight had already won the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 QIPCO British Champion Fillies & Mares S., as well as the G2 Hardwicke S at Royal Ascot and the G2 Lillie Langtry S. at Goodwood, her local track.

Now in her place at Menuisier's Sussex stable is her three-year-old sibling, who on Friday will become her trainer's first runner in a British Classic. Like Menuisier, Heartache Tonight was born and bred in France, but they have both migrated across the Channel. Despite Britain now being the filly's permanent base, she has raced solely in her native country in her three starts to date. 

By the Sumbe sire Recorder, a son of Galileo (Ire) bred by Her Late Majesty the Queen, Heartache Tonight is out of the Montjeu (Ire) mare Salvation (GB) and was herself bred by Sylvain Vidal, the former head of Haras de Montfort & Preaux, where the Sumbe stallions reside. 

Menuisier demonstrates his trademark sangfroid when it comes to lining up at Epsom. “We're keeping our feet on the ground,” he says. 

“The main plan has always been and will still remain the autumn for this filly. She will have a break after this and she will be trained for the Arc. If she's not good enough we can bring her back. That said, I wouldn't run [in the Oaks] if I didn't think she has a chance, but I personally feel no pressure about Friday.”

No box-walking for the trainer, then, and he is justified in his belief that his filly, who runs in the colours of Chris Wright in partnership with Andy MacDonald, deserves her place in the line-up. 

Heartache Tonight was the easy winner of her sole start at two, which came on heavy turf and over nine furlongs at Lonchamp. She returned to Paris in April for the G3 Prix Cleopatre, in which she was beaten just over a length when third behind Crown Princesse (Fr) and Elusive Princess (Fr). All three were pitched straight into Group 1 company for their next start in the Prix Saint-Alary and finished second, third and fourth behind Jannah Rose (Ire), with a length and a half separating the quartet. 

“I think that the two trials she ran in were interesting races and they came across as being of a good level,” says Menuisier. “When we ran in the Cleopatre, she was the only filly making her seasonal debut in the race and it was only her second race ever. We don't train on turf here, we train on wood chip, so it was her second time on the grass and I thought she ran a strong race.

“She was always going to need the run. A furlong and a half out she looked like she was getting swamped but then she had a little breather and picked up again, so that was a really good performance.”

He continues, “We decided to aim high and I said at the time that we would only run in the Saint-Alary on soft ground, because I think that she would have lacked a little pace to have won over 1m2f on good ground. 

“It was a bit of a stop-and-start race, but it was the same again, and when they quickened, she looked like she was getting swamped again, but then she picked up and rallied and was only beaten a length and a half. The second and the third were the fillies who finished just in front of her in the Cleopatre, so the form repeated itself and the filly gained experience. She was really green at Saint-Cloud but she's learning all the time and we feel at home that she has improved more since the Group 1 than she did between the Group 3 and the Group 1. So, we'll see.”

Stepping up to the mile and a half of the Oaks test, rather than remaining at the shorter distance for the Prix de Diane, especially now that the ground has dried out significantly, will suit Heartache Tonight, according to her trainer. 

“I think she wants 1m4f to compete at the top level. It's great to go and run in France but every time it is a long journey. We're only 45 minutes from Epsom so it's perfect to run here.”

It is only natural to draw comparisons between half-sisters, especially when they emanate from the same stable, but Menuisier outlines one key difference in the make-up of Heartache Tonight.

He says, “This filly is very similar to her sister in many ways. She has a strong temperament but she is so much easier to train than Wonderful Tonight. This one is pretty bombproof, and I'd be surprised if she was fazed by the preliminaries. When she ran at Longchamp, she stayed in Chantilly and travelled over to the racecourse in the morning, and it was quite busy at the track and the stables were packed but she didn't turn a hair. She was sleeping flat out in her box before the race. She has the constitution to go to war in the big races.”

Menuisier adds, “It's a fantastic story for everybody really. What is the chance of having two sisters competing at Group 1 level, especially when you buy them at the sales? It's pretty exceptional.”

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A winner at two, Wonderful Tonight rose through the ranks at three, winning the G3 Prix Minerve in August of 2020 before winding up the season with a Group 1 double in the Prix de Royallieu and the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S.

Kicking off a 4-year-old campaign last year aimed at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Wonderful Tonight won Royal Ascot's G2 Hardwicke S. and Glorious Goodwood's G2 Lillie Langtry S. before finishing fourth in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks. Wright and Menuisier's Arc dreams were dashed when Wonderful Tonight suffered a condylar fracture in training three weeks out from the race and was retired.

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Christopher Wright's 4-year-old filly had been an intended runner in Sunday's G2 Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp as a stepping stone toward the Oct. 3 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, trainer David Menuisier's goal since her Royallieu win.

“She did her final piece of work this morning and was due to go tomorrow morning first thing to France,” said Menuisier. “She cooled down fine and it wasn't until two and a half hours later that she couldn't put her foot on the ground. The vets took an x-ray and she has a little condylar fracture in her fetlock, so it is game over.”

A €40,000 Arqana August yearling, Wonderful Tonight indicated her talent with a 2 1/2-length win in last August's G3 Prix Minerve. Fifth behind the eventual Breeders' Cup winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Prix Vermeille on her next start, Wonderful Tonight had 1 1/4 lengths over the classy Pista (American Pharoah) in the Royallieu before gliding over the soft ground at Ascot last October to best Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) by 2 1/2 lengths in the Fillies & Mares S. With Menuisier vocal all season about his plans to run Wonderful Tonight in the Arc, the filly indicated her wellness with wins in the Hardwicke and Lillie Langtry before checking in fourth in last month's G1 Yorkshire Oaks over ground dryer than ideal.

“It just shows how fragile they are,” Menuisier continued. “She was in great form and we were just waiting to see if they got any rain at Longchamp before we made the final decision–fate decided for us, really.

“I'm just thankful we had her for the time we did. I'm taking her to the hospital this afternoon and I'm just relieved we can save her. She'll be a lovely broodmare and that's all we can think of really–that and the good times that she gave us. Words fail me, they really do.”

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The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

Snowfall, a 3-year-old daughter of Deep Impact (JPN) out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Best In The World (IRE), is three for three this season. The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly returns to York where she began her 2021 campaign with a win in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (G3), before cruising to a record-breaking 16-length victory in the Cazoo Oaks (G1) at Epsom in June. Snowfall followed up on that success with another wide-margin victory in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1) at The Curragh on July 17. She is joined by stablemates Divinely (IRE), last seen finishing fourth in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (G2), and La Joconde (IRE), the outsider of the field.

Trained by David Menuisier and ridden by William Buick, Wonderful Tonight (FR) steps up to Group 1 competition for the first time this season. The 4-year-old daughter of Le Havre (IRE) won the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (G1) at ParisLongchamp and QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (G1) last October. This year, Wonderful Tonight captured the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot in June before winning the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (G2) at Goodwood on July 31.

Menuisier had alternative options in France for his star filly but has decided to head to York.

He said: “Obviously I'm hoping there's a bit more rain, but if the ground is good we'll give it a go.

“I've been in Deauville for four or five days and I've found that the ground is pretty chopped up. The weather forecast is not that positive for downpours and I'm sure the ground will be better in York than it is in Deauville.”

Connections of Albaflora (GB) will be hoping their 4-year-old filly can improve against Wonderful Tonight. Owned and bred by Miss Kirsten Rausing, Albaflora finished fifth in the Hardwicke Stakes and third in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes. It would be a first win in this race for trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Rossa Ryan, if successful.

John Gosden has won this race five times. Now training in partnership with his son Thady, the duo saddle Loving Dream (GB), with jockey Frankie Dettori set to ride. The 3-year-old daughter of Gleneagles (IRE) was last seen when winning the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot on June 17.

Finishing three-quarters of a length behind Loving Dream that day at Ascot was Shadwell Estate Company's Eshaada (GB). The lightly raced Group 2 placed 3-year-old filly, trained by Roger Varian and ridden by Jim Crowley, completes the field.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks winner to start in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run at 1 3/8 Miles on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

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Love also has the question mark hanging over her concerning the kind of opposition she has so far faced, having met only four members of the other sex, all in the Prince of Wales's where her stablemate Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was just 1 1/2 lengths behind. Old-stager Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling) was only 4 1/2 lengths back on that occasion and he is nowhere near this level these days, so it may be that the filly has something to prove here despite the positive vibes. “She ended up making the running in the Prince of Wales's, but she's very straightforward and very genuine and everything has gone well with her since,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “She's very versatile–she had the pace to win a Guineas and seemed to get the Oaks trip very well but we want nice ground as she's a nice mover.”

Ryan Moore has hit a seam with the stable's Group 1 runners in the past three weeks and added, “This is possibly a deeper race than the betting would have you believe. She was obviously an exceptional 3-year-old and we were delighted with her reappearance win in the Prince of Wales's S. here, as she wouldn't have been fully tuned up then. There could easily be more to come from her too and I think it is fair to say she is the one to beat if it stays fast. She is a top-class racehorse.”

If the weather turns, Christopher Wright's Wonderful Tonight will be poised to strike and after what happened in the course-and-distance G2 Hardwicke S. June 19 she will be a key member of the select party in the case of the ground easing significantly. This time last year, she was being put in her place by Valia (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in ParisLongchamp's Listed Prix de Thiberville, but her subsequent ascension has been remarkable and she is a true elite performer now. Finding two stones of improvement through wins in the G3 Prix Minerve at Deauville in August and the G1 Prix de Royallieu back at ParisLongchamp and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot in October, she showed the kind of acceleration when dealing with Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the Hardwicke that wins these kind of races.

“She has everything,” trainer David Menuisier said earlier this week. “The will to win and the strength. She's sweet but assertive. She knows what she wants in life and that translates to the track. She does everything actively, she's a busy bee. This filly, on very soft ground, does not need to make an effort when others do. Even when she's lacking fitness, that gets her there because the others get tired.”

While this race used to be the second port of call for winners of the G1 Epsom Derby after the Eclipse and Irish Derby, that is no longer the case and it came as something of a mild surprise when Charlie Appleby committed Adayar to the cause this year. There have been mitigating circumstances for the void of Derby heroes appearing here, with injuries and the weather intervening to scupper some best-laid plans. Of the trio who have tried the lauded double since the success of Galileo in 2001,  Kris Kin (Kris S.) managed a third placing in 2003 despite being one of the lesser Epsom winners since the turn of the century and both Workforce (GB) (King's Best) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had excuses when finishing out of the frame.

Adayar looks at this stage to be one of the better blue riband heroes of recent times, with the form of his June 5 romp subsequently upheld by the exploits of stablemate Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and others including the GI Belmont Derby winner Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Until proven otherwise, the Appleby yard seems to have the two best middle-distance colts of their generation and now that Hurricane Lane has upped the ante the ball is in Adayar's court again. “It hasn't been done since Galileo, so to take Adayar there is a huge occasion,” his trainer said. “What surprised us at Epsom was the turn of foot he showed halfway up the run-in, because we'd never seen it before. Post-race we analysed it and Hurricane Lane probably wouldn't have been able to quicken like Adayar did.”

“We've seen what St Mark's Basilica did for that generation in the Eclipse at Sandown and now the 3-year-olds go into the big-boy division over a mile and a half,” Appleby added of the homebred, who is only the second runner for his sire in this and the first to trade at short odds. “I'd love to think he's still developing. It will be interesting to see what the paddock watchers say on Saturday, but he looks fantastic and I'd be confident if you didn't know who he was, you couldn't pick him out as a 3-year-old among the older horses.”

Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's Lone Eagle was missing from the Epsom line-up due to a late setback and based on his impressive win under a penalty in the Listed Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood May 21 he would have been in the mix. Subsequently denied late on when second in the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh June 26, the homebred has the scope to progress again. “It's all systems go and we hope he can go one place better, but if we learned anything at The Curragh it was to put up with disappointment,” trainer Martyn Meade said. “It was just the worst thing, getting done on the line. He was so far clear two out and we were just about reaching for the champagne at the furlong marker, so it was hard to bear.”

Prince Faisal's Mar. 27 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) has the most weight to carry along with Broome, but he remains a colt with the quality to have a say shaping fitter for his comeback third in the G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown three weeks ago. “He's doing well. It's obviously a tough race–most of the top horses around seem to be heading there,” Thady Gosden said. “He's come on for his run at Sandown and goes there in good enough form. He obviously ran in February and March and it's a long time to keep them going all season, so we thought we best give him a break before the summer.” Aidan O'Brien gave an indication that Broome could set the pace as he said, “He loves to bowl along. In an ideal world you'd like to get a lead, but he is a horse who likes an even tempo. We'd be delighted if someone gave him a lead–if not he'd bowl along himself, I suppose. He's in good form and seems to have come out of his last race well.”

Ballydoyle are also represented by the aforementioned Armory in the G2 Sky Bet York S., where he has to give 12 pounds to the sole 3-year-old Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Despite his Group 1 credentials, that is a tough task given that Shadwell's  G3 Hampton Court S. winner is held in such high regard by William Haggas. Racing manager Angus Gold said, “I'm very much looking forward to seeing Mohaafeth run. We've waited for this race particularly and William and his team have been very happy with him. Let's see if he can take the next step and go from there. He's an exciting horse and one to look forward to and obviously he's done everything right this year. Hopefully there will be no excuses and we can see how we get on.” Aidan O'Brien said of Armory, who was very much on the premises in the Prince of Wales's, “We thought this looked a nice race for Armory. It's 10 furlongs on hopefully good ground and that is what he wants. Hopefully he'll run well.”

Back at Ascot, the G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S. over six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies sees the June 26 Listed Empress Fillies' S. first and second System (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) and Desert Dreamer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) renew rivalry. The latter has subsequently been back to Newmarket to finish runner-up in the July 9 G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. and trainer Stuart Williams is hoping she can gain due reward for her consistency. “We were very happy with her run in the Duchess of Cambridge,” he said. “She seems to have come out of the race really well, so we're looking forward to running her on Saturday. She's very tough and she takes her racing really well. I don't think she's ground-dependent really. She obviously goes on fast ground, but she won on good ground earlier in the year so I wouldn't mind it if it were good or even good-to-soft–it wouldn't bother her at all.”

Clipper Logistics' Attagirl (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) scored by four lengths over this trip at Haydock July 2 and trainer Karl Burke said he is hopeful she can make an impact. “I think a lot of her,” he said. “She's a lovely filly and I'm looking forward to seeing her run–she seems in great shape. She was impressive and we think she can improve on that, so we're very much looking forward to it.” Imad Alsagar's Nazanin (Declaration of War) scored on her debut over this trip at Newbury June 22 and is another of the unexposed types looking to step up. In the seven-furlong Listed Pat Eddery S., Godolphin's New Science (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) bids to put a disappointing seventh placing in the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot June 19 behind him having beaten that race's runner-up Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on debut at Yarmouth May 28. “He was disappointing, but it was very soft ground at Ascot last time,” Charlie Appleby said. “William [Buick] said he wasn't happy even going to post on the ground. We've put a line through it. His homework has been good since, I'm pleased with his preparation and if he can bounce back to his Yarmouth maiden form he's a major player.”

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The Group 1 contest offers the winner an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Longines Turf this fall at Del Mar.

A dual-Classic winner last year, Love returned to action this season by winning the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. She will be joined by her Group 1 winning stablemate Broome.

Wonderful Tonight (David Menuisier) is also declared for the race, having gotten the better of Broome when winning the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal Meeting in June.

Further intrigue is provided by Mishriff (John & Thady Gosden), who has recorded international success this year in Saudi Arabia and Dubai and steps up to a mile and a half in this country for the first time.

Completing the line-up is Lone Eagle (Martyn Meade), the other 3-year-old runner in the race who was second in the Irish Derby, form which has already been franked by the winner Hurricane Lane.

Ahead of the race, Adayar's trainer Charlie Appleby, said: “I'm delighted with his preparation; he looks a million dollars. It's going to be a fantastic race to watch hopefully and whoever wins it will be top of the mile and a half division.

“It looks at the moment as if it was a good Derby. It [winning the King George and the Derby] hasn't been done since Galileo so for Adayar to turn up here is a huge occasion for everybody.

“It's a challenge and now we're stepping up into the big boy division so it's going to be a fascinating race. We're looking forward to it and excited to see what Adayar does.”

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One regrettable absence was the buzz of the crowd. The maximum number of 12,000 attendees per day is of course low by usual standards. With the late announcement that even this number would be permitted, not to mention the complications surrounding Covid-testing, it is perhaps no surprise that there was not a capacity crowd, but those who opted not to go missed out on an extremely special occasion. 

One of the relatively few international visitors, Mariam Zerehi, the Californian part-owner of the G2 Queen Mary S. winner Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}), perhaps summed it up best when she said, “We had Sharing last year in the Coronation Stakes and she placed second but none of us were able to be here to witness that so I am just happy to be here.

“This is a really big moment because we are in a very different place today than we were just a year ago. I think this Royal Ascot represents a lot of hope and optimism that we are all moving in the right direction, so that's special to be a part of–it's not just an ordinary Ascot for me.”

Indeed, ordinary it was not. For a start, Her Majesty the Queen did not make an appearance at her own racecourse until Saturday, but when she finally arrived–by car this time, rather than horse-drawn carriage–the reception she was given was properly rousing even with fewer people on course on normal. And after all, there can be no party without the host, especially one who has done more than most to ensure that Britain retains its reputation as the foremost racing nation, even though it is very much now a pauper compared to some of its ostentatiously rich neighbours.

Honours Even

There was a pleasingly egalitarian feel to the results of the week. The eight Group 1 contests went to eight different trainers, with John and Thady Gosden setting the tone in the first race of the meeting with a victory for the world's current top-rated horse, Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The Gosdens would end the week as leading trainers–the first time that accolade has gone to a partnership but surely not the last. Their four winners equalled the tally of Andrew Balding but the Gosdens secured the title on countback for placed horses.

Balding and the Kingsclere team can look back on the week with immense satisfaction, however. As well as the victory of Alcohol Free (No Nay Never) in the G1 Coronation S there were two juvenile group-race winners in Berkshire Shadow (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Sandrine (GB). The latter provided a first group success for her sire Bobby's Kitten and the first winner at the Royal Meeting for her owner/breeder Kirsten Rausing, who also stands the stallion and has nurtured Sandrine's family for five generations since her purchase of the filly's fourth dam Sushila (Ire) (Petingo {GB}) in 1976.

It was particularly enjoyable to see Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) bounce back to form for Roger Teal, just as it was pleasing to see Sir Michael Stoute back in the winner's enclosure after a Group 1 race with the 7-year-old Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead), who had been beaten a head in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. in the past two seasons.

Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) continued Wesley Ward's love affair with Royal Ascot, albeit only after a fairly lengthy stewards' enquiry following interference from first-past-the-post Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}). The eventual winner continued an excellent season for her breeder Tally-Ho Stud, which also bred the G2 Norfolk S. winner Perfect Power (Ire), as well as his first-season sire Ardad (Ire), who, like Campanelle, is by their resident stallion Kodiac.

Without doubt, however, breeder of the season at this stage–and it's hard to see him being beaten–is Jim Bolger. Poetic Flare (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) may have won the Guineas by a short-head and lost the Irish Guineas by a short-head to his stable-mate Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) either side of his comparatively lacklustre French Guineas attempt, but his victory in the St James's Palace S. was nothing short of emphatic.

It is still rather extraordinary to think that we first saw Poetic Flare in public when he won the first 2-year-old race of the season in Ireland in 2020. This was also the final meeting before Irish racing went behind closed doors, and that is where it has remained. Fortunately, this brilliant colt has been tested far and wide beyond his own shores by his trainer/breeder who had the sense to know when to back off last season when Poetic Flare went through a growing spell. After winning his maiden on Mar. 23 we didn't see him again until the G1 Dewhurst S on Oct. 10. At the time his reappearance may have seemed as if Bolger was tilting at windmills, and his tenth-place finish behind the winner St Mark's Basilica (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) that day initially appeared to back that up. But time has taught us never to underestimate his trainer. Poetic Flare went to his winter quarters on the back of a Group 3 victory at Leopardstown just a week after the Dewhurst and he has since developed into the pre-eminent colt of his generation ahead of St Mark's Basilica, who has only enhanced his own reputation by taking both colts' Classics in France.

Lots To Love

The long-awaited comeback of last year's sensational 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) proved to be one of the highlights of Royal Ascot and, despite the defection of Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G1 Prince of Wales's S. turned into a battle royal between Coolmore's golden girl and the returning GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

While Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) couldn't claw back the sweeping surge of Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) when taking second in the G2 Hardwicke S., his full-brother Point Lonsdale (Ire) backed up his impressive Curragh debut to give Aidan O'Brien a sixth win in the Chesham S. The trainer was polite enough to apologise in the post-race debrief for beating the Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by half a length, but the 95-year-old monarch almost certainly knows by now how to take racing's rough with the smooth and will surely have been pleased with a second and a third from her runners on the day she attended the meeting. 

The previous evening at Newmarket, her homebred Wink Of An Eye (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had won his second race in eight days, with William Haggas having increased his chances of becoming racing's next knight by saddling the 3-year-old to win his first race on what would have been the late Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday.

Pure Gold

The Queen had not been in attendance to present the Gold Cup on Thursday, as is her usual custom, but the great staying race nevertheless provided one of the best moments of the week.

Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was odds-on to win the race for a fourth time and to set a new record for five consecutive wins at the meeting, but instead we witnessed the coronation of a new staying king, Dr Jim Walker's Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).

Gratifyingly, it was a race that had everything: the reigning champion, the up-and-coming star, last year's Derby, Irish Derby and Melbourne Cup winners, and the remarkable Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}). The latter's jockey Joey Sheridan must be congratulated for riding an astutely tactical race, keeping the master tactician Frankie Dettori firmly in an unenviable position, and bringing the mare home in second. But it was Subjectivist's day, and it will be staggering if his dam Reckoning (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) is not Broodmare of the Year in Britain in 2021. 

Third to Hukum (GB) in last year's King George V S., Subjectivist then won the listed Glasgow S. and the G3 March S. by a whopping 15 lengths before landing his first Group 1 in the Prix Royal Oak at Longchamp last October. A warm up in the desert in March in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup proved to be the perfect, if lengthy, lead in to his Gold Cup success. 

Since his victory at Meydan, his half-brother Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}) returned from a 571-day absence to win first the listed Further Flight S. and then the G2 Jockey Club S., beating Pyledriver (GB) at Newmarket on Guineas weekend. 

The brothers are both with Mark Johnston, as is their stakes-placed half-sister Alba Rose (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) and the mare's 2-year-old, a full-sister to Sir Ron Priestley who was retained by her breeder Susan Hearn of Mascalls Stud.

This may have been a fourth Gold Cup victory for Johnston, following Double Trigger (GB) in 1995 and Royal Rebel (GB) in 2001 and 2002, but it was no less enjoyed by the team at Kingsley House Stables, especially the trainer's wife Deirdre, who still had tears in her eyes 48 hours later when recalling the round of applause given to Subjectivist as he appeared in the yard the following morning.

“It just meant so much to the whole team at home,” she said.

It was a memorable week for Deirdre Johnston as she is also the co-owner of the hugely promising eventer JL Dublin, who won the CCI4* at Bicton International Horse Trials with rider Nicola Wilson the previous weekend.

All The Young Dudes

Age is merely a number, as they say, but there was a youthful feel to plenty of the winning trainers and jockeys at Royal Ascot. Among those scoring a first-time success was the 40-year-old David Menuisier, whose Wonderful Tonight posted one of the most visually impressive performances of the week on her favoured soft ground and will surely be a force to be reckoned with again this autumn.

Gavin Cromwell is perhaps not the youngest of bucks but he is incredibly versatile and increasingly prominent as a trainer. In the last three months he has saddled the winner of the G1 Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and now the smart juvenile Quick Suzy, who is arguably his standout Flat performer in a stable in which the jumpers outnumber the Flat horses three to one.

The filly, who became the first group winner for her first-season sire Profitable, also provided a Royal Ascot first for Gary Carroll. The Irish rider was joined in this regard by Cieren Fallon, Ben Coen, Hector Crouch and Clifford Lee, as well as Marco Ghiani and Laura Pearson, two of the most impressive apprentices riding at present in Britain. 

The last tip of the top hat should go to Dave Evans, who is not young but is certainly a dude and arguably hugely underrated as a trainer. Rohaan (Ire), one of two Royal Ascot winners for the similarly underrated Cheveley Park Stud stallion Mayson (GB), was picked up by Evans at last year's Horses-in-Training Sale for 20,000gns having made two underwhelming starts as a 2-year-old. Awarded a rating of 55 after his first run for his new stable, he has progressed through the ranks, winning seven times since last December, including the G2 Sandy Lane S. and the Wokingham S. 

The fact that he was gelded before he made his debut precluded Rohaan from running in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, but it will not stop him from attempting to emulate his sire in the G1 Darley July Cup on July 10. From 55-rated handicapper to Group 1 winner in the space of eight months would be quite something, and Evans would surely be vying with his son-in-law Adam Kirby for having provided the feelgood racing story of the season.

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The four-year-old filly was making her seasonal debut after winning the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on her final start in 2020.

Racing keenly early on, jockey William Buick eventually got Wonderful Tonight (5/1) settled behind the leaders before kicking clear in the straight for an impressive length and a half success over 9/4 favorite Broome. Hukum (8/1) was the same distance again back in third.

Menuisier said: “Wonderful Tonight is an absolute champion. I couldn't be bullish in the press before the race because she was always going to improve for the run.

“She was running against tough opposition with the benefit of at least one run, so you always have to be on the side of caution, but she is amazing. I didn't know what to say in the last 50 yards, it gave me a great sense of pride.

“Wonderful Tonight showed a tremendous turn of foot which she perhaps never showed before. I am very proud of the team, proud of the filly and also proud it is the only day Her Majesty came to this week, so I'm pleased she got to see this filly live.

“The fact that she handles soft/heavy ground so well compensated for the lack of fitness today. Can I go as far to say she will show the same traits on good ground? I don't know. Perhaps we will try in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe if the ground happened to be good. Would we try her on good ground before that? I don't know. She loves Longchamp and Ascot so we will keep an eye on all the races she can run it at both venues.

“The King George was run on very soft ground last year. The Hardwicke was not the plan until last week and at the confirmation stage I saw that there was rain forecast and we decided to keep her in. Sometimes you need to be lucky as well!

Speaking about what a first Royal Ascot win means, he added: “It means the world because you carry it like a monkey on your back until it happens. I am absolutely thrilled.”

Winning owner Christopher Wright said: “I couldn't believe it. I honestly couldn't believe it, I was breathless. Absolutely staggered. I knew she needed the race. What a filly. She is amazing.

“I wasn't expecting her to win, the trainer had managed my expectations and he had also managed the expectations of the entire punting public in the Racing Post by saying that she was at 80/85 percent fit. Maybe she was, I don't know, but didn't she win so well! What a filly she is, that was unbelievable.

“I have been running horses here for 40 years, almost every year at least one, sometimes several. I've never ever had a winner at Royal Ascot – lots of seconds, lots of very good horses. Culture Vulture, who won a Classic, was second twice, but I've never had a winner here. I almost can't believe it – I thought I never ever would have a winner here, but I have.

“It means everything, actually. There are winners and winners, but a Royal Ascot winner… I've won a lot of very good races, but to win at Royal Ascot is like I've died and gone to heaven.

“After last year, when we almost ran Wonderful Tonight in the Arc, we thought that we would target the Arc this year. I know that's like shooting for the moon, and it's a pretty tough target to aspire to, but that has been the target and her program has been based around it, so we didn't want her to start the season too early. We don't think she's a filly who will like a mid-season break particularly, so we wanted to start the season and gradually bring her along so she could peak on the first weekend of October. This was step one of that plan.”

Buick is still in the hunt for the Royal Ascot leading jockey title after riding his third winner of the week. He said: “Wonderful Tonight has a lot of stamina. I won the Fillies & Mares on her on Champions Day last year and I rode her like a real stayer because she'd won the Royallieu, the 14-furlong fillies race on Arc weekend, making plenty of use of her.

“She is top-class. She probably does handle this ground well compared to some others, but I thought that performance today against the colts was her best yet. And she showed a turn of foot today that I don't think she'd shown before. I thought she looked great – David and his team had done a great job with her over the winter and have bided their time.

“She is very versatile tactically. She can make her own running as long as she's in a good rhythm and doesn't get chased along too early. She was entitled to be a bit fresh today, first run for a while, but I was very comfortable where I was after a furlong or so. It was a nice smooth race; good performance from her and she's got it all ahead.”

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Wonderful Tonight won the G3 Prix Minerve last summer before scoring at the top level for the first time in the G1 Prix de Royallieu over 14 furlongs. Rather than supplementing for the Arc, connections opted to take in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. over the same mile and a half trip, which she won by 2 1/2 lengths.

“She's back in training, she's been back in about four or five weeks now, but we are just going to take our time with her,” Menuisier said. “She's not the kind of filly you can stop and start with. The classic French way to prepare for the Arc is to have a spring campaign, then a summer break and come back for the autumn, but once you get going with her, she really doesn't understand the summer break. The idea would be to have four or five races in consecutive months leading up to the Arc, so we don't want to run too early and because of that, I don't really have any strong plans.”

Menuisier said he will be hoping for plenty of rain wherever Wonderful Tonight does run.

“She's entered in the [G2] Middleton at York next month and the [G1] Coronation Cup, but I don't think Epsom would really be her favourite option unless the ground came up very soft. She's usually a bit keen and even on good ground, I could see her doing too much down the hill there and not finishing her race.

“Anything quicker than good wouldn't really rock my boat for her. I wouldn't want her to have too many hard races on the way to October, although obviously as a dual Group 1 winner you are always going to be up against good horses, wherever you run. She will probably be entered in races like the [G1] King George [VI and Queen Elizabeth S.] and then we'll just be hoping for a rotten summer. Even if the weather doesn't favour us, we know we'll have to run her somewhere to get her ready.

“There's also options in France–the [G2] Grand Prix de Chantilly at the Jockey Club meeting would be one and the [G1] Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is another. She owes us nothing though and we will respect her.”

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At his local course of Goodwood on Sept. 23 he lost the horse who played an enormous part in the growing success of his stable, Thundering Blue (Exchange Rate). The 7-year-old's fatal injury in the listed Foundation S. was a cruel blow which brought the trainer and his partner Kim to tears. But when the racing gods take, they so often give something back and, while nothing could fully compensate the Menuisier team for the death of the much-loved grey, less than a fortnight later the trainer celebrated his first Group 1 success in his home country of France.

The progression of Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) from a “lanky, unfurnished” yearling to a fully-flegded Group 1 star has not gone unnoticed. As we speak, Menuisier is occupied overseeing a yard extension. His excellent grasp of idiomatic English leads him to explain that he is “dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's so that we can have a smooth transition from having 45 horses to about 70 or 75.”

He adds, “It's about making sure we hit the ground running.”

Menuisier certainly ended the 2020 season in some style. Following her victory in the G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend, Wonderful Tonight backed up a fortnight later to win the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. to set the seal on her trainer's most successful year since he set up at Pulborough in 2014. From his relatively small team, he is now responsible for one of the best middle-distance fillies in Europe, with Wonderful Tonight's official rating of 117 placing her behind only the Oaks winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in this sphere.

“Last year was just a weird year,” says Menuisier. “In a normal season she probably could have prepared for races like the French Oaks but because of the lockdown it was just very hard to get your head around things and get the horses to peak. This filly is very active, so not knowing when the races were going to start again I just kept the lid on her for as long as possible and she wasn't ready for those Classics when they came up. We just built her up as we went along and at the end of the day she did herself justice.”

With Wonderful Tonight's main target of this year being the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Menuisier is giving her an extended nearby break nearby at Arundel and will bring her back into training later this month.

“She gets fit really quickly because she's so active so I don't want to bring her in too early.  She's only down the road so I pop in and see her regularly,” he adds.

Wonderful Tonight runs in the colours of successful owner-breeder Chris Wright and, like so many runners owned by the co-founder of Chrysalis Records, she has a song title for a name. In her case, however, she is not a product of Wright's Stratford Place Stud. Her acquisition at the Arqana August Yearling Sale could be said to have been fortuitous. Wright had just sold the day's top lot for €360,000 to Godolphin. Meanwhile Menuisier had been approached by Wonderful Tonight's breeders, Sylvain Vidal and Mathieu Alex, after the filly had been led out of the ring unsold in the same session.

“I saw the filly and I'm not going to lie: she was a lanky, unfurnished filly and she didn't look much in fairness, but she was a half-sister to a stakes horse already and it's the family line of Camelot (GB). Her dam is by Montjeu (Ire), which is something I've always liked, and of course she is by Le Havre, the same sire as my first stakes winner, Havre De Paix (Fr),” Menuisier recalls.

“I bumped into Chris and I wasn't really thinking of that at the time but I said to him that she was really very little risk if we could buy her for €40,000. He said if I liked her then I should have her vetted, and my feeling was that if she won her maiden she would retain her value. Two Group 1s later it's a dream come true really.”

Wright, who has previously raced Dark Angel (Ire), the homebred Bungle Inthejungle (GB), and Breeders' Cup winner Chriselliam (Ire), now has another four horses in training with Menuisier in Sussex and has been a patron of the trainer almost from the outset of his career.

“Chris sent us our first yearling when we had only 16 or 17 horses,” Menuisier adds. “For a major owner like him to support a small trainer was very flattering. I couldn't be more pleased that I managed to find him such a fantastic filly to thank him for his support.”

With four wins—three of those coming in her native country—from eight runs, Wonderful Tonight could yet make an even bigger name for herself. Clearly very effective on soft or heavy turf, a campaign geared towards the autumn seems sensible and, if she is able to return to ParisLongchamp this October for the main event, perhaps her trainer will be able to accompany her this time around. For the French-bred trainer to take his French-bred star back home, there is not just the pandemic to worry about this year, but also the extra complications posed by Britain no longer being a member of the EU.

He says, “The main plan will be the Arc de Triomphe. Then it's a case of planning towards the Arc. Technically I don't know how just yet because the consequences of Brexit are a bit of a problem. At the moment it's just getting my head around the situation. I will give it another four to six weeks and see how things go. Obviously she is one who ideally would go back to France to run, perhaps in a race like the Prix de Pomone in Deauville in August. She goes on any ground but she's better on softer ground and that's also a part of the equation. But I have a fair few others I want to campaign in France this year so it's a matter of seeing how things go in the next month and then trying to make it happen as smoothly as possible.”

Despite the better prize-money on offer in France and increased travel restrictions post-Brexit, Menuisier insists he has no intention of leaving Britain to train in his home country, where he was formerly an assistant to Criquette Head.

“I'm happy where I am and I will do my utmost to stay here and keep on having a flourishing business, ” he says. “As long as circumstances allow, this will always be my main aim. I would only contemplate going elsewhere if at any point I was feeling that my business or my life was affected by it. I'm very happy here. My partner Kim and I have a daughter and we love Sussex. There's no reason for me to go to France.”

There are indeed plenty of reasons to keep Menuisier at his Pulborough stable as, alongside Wonderful Tonight, he has a number of horses that he is itching to get back to the racecourse this spring.

He says, “Last year was weird but exceptional for us really. We had our first treble at Sandown, a double at Salisbury with 2-year-olds winning for the first time. There have been a lot of firsts: I've had my first winner at Wolverhampton as well!”

Menuisier continues, “When people ask me what was the highlight, of course 'Wonderful' comes first but there were a lot of other horses that made me proud. Bellocio (Fr) (Belardo {Ire} is a horse we've always liked. He won at Salisbury and then I was meant to run him in the Group 1 at Saint-Cloud but he had a problem with the transport so he was unable to take part. Then we sent him to Toulouse three weeks later and he won the listed race really convincingly. So fingers crossed he could be a flag-bearer this year.”

Among the new recruits to the stable is Xaario (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), who was runner-up to subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) on debut last May before winning and then having to have a break with a small injury.

“I hope to target the Stewards' Cup with Atalanta's Boy (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) this year,” Menuisier adds. “We had bad luck with him last year when it mattered because he missed the break. He missed it in the Stewards' Cup and also in the Ayr Silver Cup, so it was quite unfortunate but I know he has the ability to run really well in those races.  Nuits St Georges (Fr) (Mount Nelson {GB}) ran well in the November Handicap and I would expect him to have a decent year, as well as 3-year-old Rewired (GB) (Power {GB}), who got beaten a head by a horse of Godolphin's at Newmarket last year. He's another exciting horse to follow and I'd like to believe we have a strongish team with about 35 2-year-olds.”

The trainer is also keen to return to Australia following a successful visit in 2019 when Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) won the G2 Schweppes Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley. It was Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), for the same owners, Australian Bloodstock, who became Menuisier's first ever Group 1 winner in Germany that same year, but Wonderful Tonight's first strike at the top level in Paris was understandably extra special for the Frenchman.

“It was a shame I couldn't attend because of the [Covid] restrictions and I needed to be at Tattersalls two days later. It was a little bit frustrating, but to watch on TV from here was just unbelievable. Speaking to Chris afterwards, he was crying on the phone, and when you deal with someone who's had horses for four decades and you see what it means to them, it was really moving,” he says.

“Most Group 1s in the season end up going to very few stables and I think it's good for racing when it happens to a smaller set-up. It was fantastic to see Archie Watson winning at the Champions Day meeting, and by the same token it was fantastic to see Roger Teal doing well last season. It's David against Goliath most of the time in this business and sometimes it's good when David wins.”

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