Pedigree Watch -Euro – British Champions Day G1

Tara Madgwick - Sunday October 20

Racing in Australia on Saturday was dazzlingly good in Sydney and Melbourne, but we weren’t the only place on the planet celebrating the very best in thoroughbred racing with Ascot in the UK hosting Qipco British Champions Day featuring four Group I races, so let’s take a look at the winners.

G1 Champion Stakes (1m2f) – This is the race won last year by three year-old Wootton Bassett colt King of Steel over a gallant Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina, who was subsequently sold to Yulong and will run as one of the favourites in the Cox Plate next weekend.

This year’s race produced a shock result two geldings fighting out the finish with 40-1 shot Anmaat scoring a half length win over the favourite Caldangan, who was a last start second in the G1 Juddmonte International behind City of Troy.

Already a Group I winner in France last year, six year-old Anmaat is a Shadwell homebred by Awtaad trained by Owen Burrows and has the overall record of nine wins and five placings from 15 starts.

Anmaat is a half-brother to Group III winner Syntax and is the best of seven winners from African Moonlight, a full sister to Group III winner Mkuzi.

G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1m) -  The favourite got the cash in this one with four year-old Dark Angel stallion Charyn picking up his third G1 mile win this year and one of those was at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes when he beat the OTI owned Docklands, who makes his Australian debut in the Cox Plate.

Charyn is a full brother to Group II winner Wings of War from stakes-placed Kodiac mare Futoon.

Advertisement

G1 British Champions Sprint (6f) – Three year-old Blue Point colt Kind of Blue was unraced at two, but has had a busy year in the James Fanshawe stable lining up to win his first stakes race at his seventh start following a string of placings including a last start second in the G1 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Kind of Blue is the 13th stakes-winner and third Group I winner for Blue Point, who is currently at Darley in Victoria covering his fifth book of mares in Australia. He’s been super consistent this year with three wins and three placings from seven starts with his only unplaced run a fourth in the Group I Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Kind of Blue is the best of two winners from Blues Sister, a half-sister to elite sprinters The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, who both also won the British Champions Sprint.

G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares (1m3 ½ f)- Juddmonte Farms homebred three year-old filly Kalpana was also unraced at two and has worked through her grades this year for the Andrew Balding stable coming into her first G1 race at her eighth start. Winning her last two starts in Listed and G3 company by daylight, she started favourite for this with William Buick on board and scored a dominant win.

With five wins and three placings from eight starts, Kalpana looms as a very exciting prospect for next year and is the first Group I winner among five stakes-winners for her sire Study of Man, whose oldest progeny are just three year-olds. A Group I Prix du Jockey Club winner by Japanese super sire Deep Impact, Stud of Man stands at Lanwades Stud at a fee of £12,500.

Kalpana is the best of five winners from stakes-winning Dansili mare Zero Gravity, a full sister to Group I winner Zambezi Sun.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 2
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Vale, G1 winning horseman Tony Dennis
A member of one of New Zealand racing’s most famous and successful families has died, with the recent passing of Tony (Anthony) Dennis, aged 86.
First Foals for Lofty Strike
One of the most interesting young stallions that we saw on the recent Victorian stud tour was at Swettenham Stud and it has not taken long for the big baldy face of Lofty Strike to find it’s way on to one of his first foals.
Vale, Robert Priscott
Former Group One-winning trainer Robert Priscott has passed away.
Spring Trial Watch – Caulfield
With a plethora of Group racing for colts and geldings last weekend and fillies to take centre stage Sydney on Saturday for the Group II ATC Furious Stakes it was interesting to see a Caulfield trial on Tuesday morning that featured six stakes-winning 3YO’s.
Via Sistina Crowned Australian Horse of the Year
Via Sistina (IRE) has been honoured at a great many awards events in the past couple of months and the Yulong owned daughter of champion sire Fastnet Rock took the big one in Brisbane on Sunday.
Melbourne Racing Club Announces Official Trial Schedule for 2025–26
The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) is thrilled to announce a comprehensive schedule of 15 Official Trials across the 2025–26 season, providing an essential service to trainers, owners and jockeys while addressing the industry’s increasing need for metropolitan grass access.
Five Lots Announced for Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale
Tattersalls Online, Europe’s leading online thoroughbred sales platform, will break new ground when offering for auction five lots who took part in the ITM Irish EBF Barrier Trials at Leopardstown Racecourse earlier this week. The sale which takes place on 3rd – 4th September can be viewed on the Tattersalls Online website www.tattersallsonline.com.
Tara Talks Racing - We Chat with the Breeder of Raging Force
The Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes was won last Saturday by exciting Cosmic Force gelding Raging Force, so this week we’re chatting to his breeder Dr Richard McClenahan of Mullaglass Stud, who has a self-confessed ‘mare addiction’!
Waller Stable Hold the Key to Melbourne Cup
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller has 27 of the 120 entries for this year’s $10million Melbourne Cup, which equates to more than 20 per cent of the total, so it’s probably worth having a closer look at them.