Royal Ascot is firmly on the agenda for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s promising colt WAREETH following his second career win in a Salisbury novice in mid-May.
The son of Sea The Stars, who won by 14 lengths on debut at Newcastle, bounced back from defeat in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket with another authoritative success for stable jockey Hollie Doyle.
Stepping up to a mile and a quarter, Wareeth may now head to the Group 2 Queen’s Vases at the Royal Meeting. Archie told Racing TV: “That race, along with the King Edward VII Stakes, is definitely under consideration. He’s a high-class horse but is still a big baby.
“He didn’t learn much winning so easily at Newcastle but we had to step him up in class at the Craven Meeting to see if he was a potential Classic horse. Unfortunately, he just didn’t cope with the undulations but still finished his race off nicely. He’s enjoyed himself stepping up in trip back in calmer waters and will definitely get further in time.”
Royal Ascot is also the likely destination for exciting two-year-old Flight Signal, who made a strong impression in a five-furlong novice at Bath on 22nd May. Wathnan Racing’s son of Mehmas eased clear of his rivals under Hollie Doyle, who later on the card took a crashing fall which left her in hospital with a broken left leg.
All of us at Iveagh wish Hollie a speedy recovery. As Archie said: “She’s been a vital part of our team and our success over the years and we can’t wait to have her back with us soon.”
It was champion jockey Oisin Murphy who did the steering on our juvenile debutant Abrahamsen at Leicester four days later. This grey son of Kodi Bear, who was bought by Blandford Bloodstock for only 7,000 euros, kept on gamely to justify favouritism in a seven-furlong seller for owners SAS Thoroughbreds.
Merlier continues to enjoy a productive year for the same connections and won for the third time in a Beverley seller on 12th May, justifying favouritism for Hollie in the five-furlong dash. The win supplemented his two on the All-Weather back in March.
Meanwhile, Our Sioux Nation filly Vollering, a two-year-old winner for us on debut at Redcar, ran a solid race to be fourth in Listed company at Chantilly at the end of the month, only just missing out on valuable black type for Luke Morris and owners Jinky Farms.
by Simon Mapletoft
