British-breds lead the way at Royal Ascot

THE Queen may be in attendance every day at Royal Ascot, but it was the British-bred who reigned supreme.

The GB suffix was carried to victory in exactly half of the meeting’s 30 races, while British based stallions were responsible for an additional three winners.

Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation is enjoying a fantastic season and that momentum rolled right on to the Royal meeting.

Juddmonte stallion Dansili sired three winners, including the Group 2 winners Harbinger (Hardwicke) and Strawberrydaiquiri (Windsor Forest), while studmate Oasis Dream was responsible for the winners of both the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and Group 3 Jersey Stakes, and Zamindar scored with Listed Sandringham Stakes heroine Timepiece.

However the high point of Juddmonte’s week was surely the magnificent homebred one-two of Byword (GB) and Twice Over (Observatory) in the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes.

Equally busy was Darley, with three winners, including the impressive Group 2 King Edward VII winner Monterosso. Darley’s British-bred stallions were also on target, with Dubawi siring two winners in Monterosso and the Listed Hampton Court Stakes winner Afsare, both from his first crop.

Singspiel also doubled up, landing the Ascot Stakes via Junior. Better was to come however in the Group 2 Ribblesdale where he was responsible for the one- two of Hibaayeb and Eldalil.

In addition, Darley’s affiliate Rabbah Bloodstock bred two winners; the Britannia Handicap victor Ransom Note – sired by Red Ransom when that late stallion was still based at Dalham Hall – and Hibaayeb.

Newsells Park Stud also enjoyed a banner weekend. In addition to Strawberrydaiquiri triumphing for owner/breeder Renatta Jacobs, the Hertfordshire stud also bred the outstanding Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup hero Rite of Passage, who was purchased by trainer Dermot Weld during Bokk 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling sale for only 20,000gns.

The victory of Equiano in the Group 1 King’s Stand was also a cause for celebration as Newsells Park purchased the sprinter for stallion duties just a week earlier.

Also off the mark with his first Royal Ascot winner was the National Stud’s second crop sire Pastoral Pursuits, who sired the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner in Marine Commando. The colt, bred by Leon Vaessen, sold for just 4,500gns as a yearling at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 3.

The Duke of Edinburgh Handicap also fell to a British-bred, the useful Cill Rialaig who was bred by Berkshire breeder Timothy Billington. A half-sister to the very useful sprint handicapper Sohraab (Erhaab) who was twice Listed-placed last season, Cill Rialaig is out of Riverine, purchased for just 2,000gns at Tattersalls December sale in 1997 when carrying Cill Rialaig’s dam. Riverine is herself out of a half-sister to the outstanding Hellenic, dam of Islington, Greek Dance, and Mountain High.

Word must also go to the Elite Racing Club, successful in the past at Royal Ascot with the top mare Soviet Song. The club was back in the winners enclosure last week courtesy of their homebred Dandino, who took his winning streak to four when landing the King George V Stakes. By Dansili, Dandino is out of the Generous mare Generous Diana.