Queen Enjoys Stakes Success with Toronado

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday April 14

A homebred for Her Majesty The Queen, exciting three year-old Tactical made a winning return to the track overnight at Newmarket taking out the Listed European Free Handicap (7f).

A classy juvenile last year that won the Group II Newmarket July Stakes, the Andrew Balding trained Tactical scored a neck win over the Godolphin runner Naval Crown, who started favourite.

He powered home up the fence under strong riding from Oisin Murphy and one can only image his win was well cheered by Her Majesty offering a happier moment in what has no doubt been one of the most challenging weeks of her life.
 



The son of Toronado has the overall record of three wins and a placing with more wins in store.

“Tactical was going to be a Jersey Stakes horse, a St James's Palace horse or a Commonwealth Cup candidate for Royal Ascot. He's proven today that seven furlongs is no problem for him so I think it's now all roads to Royal Ascot for the Jersey,” said John Warren, racing manager to The Queen.

Tactical is the first winner for stakes-placed Makfi mare Make Fast, a daughter of Group III winner Raymi Coya.

Toronado has had a great season!

Toronado is enjoying a great season in Australia with six stakes-winners headed by his Group I winning sprinter Masked Crusader.

A champion miler by High Chaparral, Toronado shuttles to Swettenham Stud in Victoria and covered 210 mares last spring.


 

Advertisment
More Reading...
What Should Breeders Make of This?
When a stallion (who is standing at a fraction of his esteemed peers 2025 fees) leads the 2025 2yo Australian General Sires list by Winners to Runners, what if anything is this signalling to breeders?
Winning Return for Zoustar Colt
Group placed during the autumn when he went around in several of the Golden Slipper lead up races, promising Zoustar colt Hillier made a winning return at Newcastle on Tuesday when resuming from a spell.
One to Watch – Newcastle
The O’Shea /Charlton stable have had a lot of success this season and pivotal to that have been the Kiwi breds in the stable highlighted by G1 winning 3YO’s Linebacker and Maison Louis and the dynamic duo unleashed a promising 2YO debut winner on Tuesday with the NZ suffix.
Veteran Tavis Court Keeps Winning Streak Alive
Evergreen galloper Tavis Court had won a race in every season of his career since he debuted as a three-year-old, and at the tail end of his nine-year-old year, he kept that remarkable streak alive at Hawera on Tuesday.
2YO Spandeedo Heads Sharrock Treble
It was a red-letter day at Hawera on Tuesday for Gavin Sharrock, with the Stratford trainer posting his first treble.
Kiwi Breeders to be Honoured at National Awards
The New Zealand thoroughbred breeding community will come together on Saturday July 26 to celebrate another year of excellence at the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre in Cambridge.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats won by juveniles at the Rosehill trials on Tuesday morning and they included a couple of promising horses that have already proven their stripes in stakes company, plus an unraced youngster by in form sire Flying Artie.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday July 15
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Qilin Queen First Group Winner for Pinatubo
As a Champion European 2YO by Shamardal, that did not win beyond 1400m, we might have expected Darley shuttler Pinatubo (IRE) to be a sharp juvenile sire, but that has not been the case in the Northern Hemisphere.
High Hopes for Up and Comers
Andrew Forsman is hoping the younger members of his stable can make their mark in the new season’s age group events.