Superstar Fastnet Rock mare Atlantic Jewel was a champion on the track and has left a legacy at stud as the dam of blue-blood Irish bred Galileo gelding Russian Emperor, who won his third Group I event in Hong Kong on Sunday when taking out the Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) for the second year in a row.
A Group III winner at Royal Ascot when trained by Aidan O’Brien, Russian Emperor was sold to race in Hong Kong after finishing seventh in the 2020 Epsom Derby.
Second in the Hong Kong Derby, the Douglas Whyte trained Russian Emperor has been consistent at the top level since then and produced another elite performance for Hugh Bowman to beat the favourite Romantic Warrior by a neck.
“He’s (Russian Emperor) a superstar of my stable and he’s certainly given me one hell of a ride since he’s joined me. We’ve had our ups and downs but there’s been a lot more ups than downs,” Whyte said, referencing February’s successful sortie to the Middle East where he won the QAT G1 H.H. The Amir Trophy (2400m).
“To travel with him and winning in Doha, and coming back now to repeat that effort on a firm track. You’ve just got to give it all to the horse. When he won in Doha that was probably the highlight of my career, both as a jockey and a trainer, to go abroad and do that.
“The issues he has to deal with, and then you get a win out of him in a race today on a track that doesn’t suit him and it just takes you to another level.
“It’s certainly one of the better performances he’s done and one of the highlights of my career. But I don’t stop there, there’s the vets, there’s the farriers – there’s a whole bunch of people I should be thanking because they’re the ones that do the day-to-day work to get this horse to the races and I take the glory and so does the jockey.”
Praising unflappable Bowman, Whyte said the Australian’s ride was “patience personified, really.”
“He’s a great jockey to have on a horse, especially in a big race like that. He makes a difference. They were getting cheap sectionals early, the favourite looked like he was just ambling along and dictating affairs.
“Hugh sussed that out and got rolling at the right time. He dug down deep and prevailed. It was a well-executed ride, a very heady ride. He put him to sleep and let things unfold and took advantage of that at the end.”
A four time Group I winner by Fastnet Rock, Atlantic Jewel was sent to the Northern Hemisphere to begin her stud career for Coolmore and Russian Emperor is the best of her two winners to date.
She was returned to Australia in 2019 and covered by Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) with her colt from that mating sold by Coolmore at Inglis Easter last year for $240,000 to Dermot Farrington Bloodstock.
Named Marvillas, he is being trained by Annabel Neasham, but has yet to trial or race.
Sadly, the colt is her final foal as Atlantic Jewel passed away in 2020.
