The racing roller coaster took a big dive at Royal Ascot on Day 4 which was not a good day for favourite backers with roughies ruling in both G1 races and a first season sire produced the winner of the juvenile feature on the card.
The Group I Coronation Stakes (1m) produced the Aussie owned fairytale for all connections with Cercene victorious - read about her here.
The Group I Commonwealth Cup (6f) for three year-old sprinters had a hot favourite in last year’s Champion 2YO Colt Shadow of Light for Godolphin, but the son of Lope de Vega could only finish fifth with the win taken by a filly in Time for Sandals.
Trained by Harry Eustace and ridden by Richard Kingscote, Time for Sandals was sent off at 25-1 and charted a path down the middle of the track to score by a neck over a 28-1 shot Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev) with 20-1 shot Rayevka (Blue Point) in third.
It was a second G1 victory at the meeting for Harry Eustace, who also prepares Queen Anne Stakes winner Docklands.
“It was very smooth in that we'd planned to follow the American horse [Shisospicy]. Prior to today the draw was a concern, but with the first race winner coming from a low draw it gave us the confidence to stay with our plan; we didn't have much choice anyway,” said Eustace.
“Time for Sandals had just been training very well and a good strong pace to aim at was what she needed and Richard [Kingscote] gave her a fantastic ride.”
Time for Sandals was purchased for €35,000 from the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale, the same sale that also produced G1 winners at this meeting in Cercene and Docklands.
Bred by Ballyhane, Time for Sandals had been Group placed coming into this race but has come out of it a Group I winner and has the overall record of two wins and four placings from six starts.
She is the first stakes-winner among five winners from Days of Summer, a winning half-sister by Bachelor Duke to stakes-winner Pharmacist, the dam of Group I winner Red Rocks and three more stakes-winners.
Her grand-dam Pharaoh’s Delight won the Group I Phoenix Stakes at two and had multiple Group I placings as an older sprinter so Time for Sandals is running to her pedigree.
She is the fourth stakes-winner for her young sire Sands of Mali, a G1 winning sprinter by Panis that stands at Ballyhane Stud at a fee listed as private this year. His oldest progeny are just 3YO’s.
The Group III Albany Stakes (6f) for 2YO fillies had a hot favourite in Frankel filly Signora, who failed to make an impression with 7-1 shot Venetian Sun winning for Karl Burke over two rank outsiders in Awaken (Mehmas) and Balentina (Ten Sovereigns).
Venetian Sun won on debut last month and made it two wins in as many starts when scoring by a length and a half with Clifford Lee in the saddle.
“I think Venetian Sun is a very special filly. The work she has done at home, I haven't had a 2yo filly do work like it; just the last six weeks. She's kicking older group horses out of the way at home,” said Karl Burke.
“I worked a good, old work horse with her about a month ago or just after her debut and I had to work her with another good one that I knew was reliable and she did the same to him and I'm talking 110 rated horses. I think she's very special.”
Venetian Sun was purchased for 240,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 by Todd Investments and was bred by Tally Ho Stud, who stand her sire Starman at a fee of €10,000.
A Group I winning sprinter by Dutch Art, Starman has hit the ground running with his first crop of 2YO’s producing nine winners so far with Venetian Sun the second stakes-winner joining Lady Iman.
Venetian Sun is a half-sister to stakes-placed Sir Yoshi and is from stakes-placed Iffraaj mare Johara, who comes from a top class family that has produced Group I winning Champion 2YOs Earthlight and Shadow of Light for Godolphin.
