Aussie mare Asfoora captured the Group I King Charles Stakes for the sprinters at Royal Ascot on Day 1, but there were also two Group I races at1m with the St James’s Palace Stakes producing a vintage renewal featuring all three Euro Guineas winners and the Queen Anne Stakes very nearly won by an Aussie owned horse.
The Group I St James’s Palace Stakes (1m ) was a showdown for the best colts with English 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech, Irish 2000 Guineas winner Rosallion and French 2000 Guineas winner Metropolitan all engaged.
The Richard Hannon trained and Sean Levey ridden Blue Point colt Rosallion took the prize finishing too well for the Coolmore entry Henry Longfellow to win by a neck with Metropolitan third, while Notable Speech failed to fire and trailed home in seventh place.
"Rosallion was special before today. Unfortunately, we lost in the Guineas(English), but he has always been brilliant, both physically and mentally,” said Richard Hannon.
"I couldn't believe he got beaten in the Guineas the way he was travelling that day. He went and won the Irish Guineas very well and he's the complete package. He's as good as I've ever seen in our place.”
A Group I winner at two and now twice at three, Rosallion has the overall record of five wins from seven starts.
A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, Rosallion is the second winner from Rosaline, an unraced sibling by New Approach to Group I winners Triple Time (who shuttles to Darley NSW this year) and Ajman Princess, Group winners Ostillio and Cape Byron and stakes-winners Third Realm and Captain Winters.
His sire Blue Point is back in Australia for Darley this spring in Victoria at a fee of $44,000.
The Group I Queen Anne Stakes (1m) was won by four year-old Dark Angel stallion Charyn, who scored by two and a quarter lengths over the OTI Racing owned entry Docklands.
Third in the Group I St James’s Palace Stakes last year behind Paddington, the Roger Varian trained Charyn has been in hot form this year winning his first two runs back before finishing second in the Group I Lockinge Stakes last month.
Given a good ride by Silvestre de Sousa, Charyn was dominant in winning by more than two lengths from the gallant Docklands, a four year-old by Massaat, who may well find his way to race in Australia later this year according to his trainer Harry Eustace.
“We're very proud of Docklands. It was a big step up but he keeps answering everything we ask of him. He just loves this race track and, when there's lots of pace on, he just travels and that gives you confidence,” said Harry Eustace.
“He was second best on the day but we'll take that. All we need to do now is make him a winner this year. Australia has always been the end of year agenda and we'll work back from that. We know we're competitive at Group 1 level now and I'd say the aims in Australia have changed after that performance but we'll see.”
It was a first Group I win for Charyn, who has the overall record of five wins and seven placings from 15 starts.
"He's owned by Nurlan Bizakov, who is a very ambitious man, and we campaigned him ambitiously last year, believing he was a good horse, but he kept bumping into a horse called Paddington " said Roger Varian.
“He ran a fine race in the Lockinge when he came right away from all the horses he raced with. I need to watch it again but he looked pretty good today.”
Charyn was bought for 250,000 guineas from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 and is a full brother to Group II winner Wings of War from stakes-placed Kodiac mare Futoon.
He is the 17th Group I winner for Dark Angel, whose Group I winning son Top Ranked (IRE) stands at Raheen Stud where he covered 109 mares lasts spring at a fee of $7,700. His proven sire son Harry Angel is also back in Australia this spring for Darley.
Charyn is also the second Group I winner for Kodiac as a broodmare sire.
The Group II Coventry Stakes (6f) for two year-old colts nearly provided a dream result for Cambridge Stud shuttler Hello Youmzain (Fr) with his talented colt Electrolyte going down by a nose in a blanket finish with the race won by 80-1 outsider Rashabar, a son of veteran sire Holy Roman Emperor.
Trained by Brian Meehan and ridden by Billy Loughnane, Rashabar was placed at his first two starts and broke through for a valuable win in a massive field of 22 runners!
Bought for €120,000 at the Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale by Sam Sangster Bloodstock, Rashabar is the first winner from Amazonka, an unraced half-sister to Group III winner River of Stars and stakes-winner Apadanah, who is also by Holy Roman Emperor. He comes from a tough German female family with third dam German Oaks winner Amarette, a three-quarter sister to Melbourne Cup winner Almandin.
Rashabar is the 103rd stakes-winner for 20 year-old Holy Roman Emperor, who shuttled to Australia for eight seasons, initially for Coolmore and then in later years to Queensland for Aquis.
He remains on the Coolmore Ireland roster at a fee of €8,000.
