The Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (5f) at Royal Ascot overnight was a virtual charge of the light brigade with 27 runners engaged and victory going to Havana Gold colt Chipotle, but the run of Brazen Beau colt Boonie to grab third would have brought great excitement to his Australian connections.
Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, Chipotle had won two of his three previous starts and forged clear of the pack to win by two and a quarter lengths.
The eig
hth stakes-winner for Teofilo’s Group I winning son Havana Gold, Chipotle is from placed Makfi mare Lightsome, who comes from the family of five time Group I winning mare Attraction.
The real story of the race from an Australian perspective centres on Boonie, named for the great Aussie cricketer David Boon, and raced by SA businessman Darren Thomas of Seymour Bloodstock and Mark Balnaves.
The Seymour Bloodstock colours tasted success at Royal Ascot previously with the great sprinting colt Merchant Navy and he is the catalyst behind Boonie explains Mark Pilkington.
“Will Johnson assisted me buying two mares in the UK for Seymour Bloodstock with intention to send to Merchant Navy up there a couple of years ago,” said Pilkington.
“One was the Shamardal mare Dice Game, who we paid just £9000 for and she was in foal to Brazen Beau and the result of that mating is Boonie.
“Dice Game has a yearling filly by Starspangledbanner, a filly foal by Zoustar and is getting covered SH time most likely by Frankel before eventually coming back to Aussie to be covered by Merchant.”
A little bit of Black Type for Boonie has just made Dice Game and her progeny that little bit more attractive!
