By Sean Cronin
Rockcliffe Stud's homebred Celandine (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Pepita {Ire}, by Sir Prancealot {Ire}) followed up a May 24 debut seventh at Goodwood with a breakthrough score at Windsor earlier this month and continued on a roll with a career high in Saturday's Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket.
The Ed Walker trainee broke sharply from the stands' side stall and seized an immediate advantage in this black-type bow. In command throughout, the 9-1 chance came under pressure when threatened passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly up the hill to easily account for Tales Of The Heart (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Arabian Dusk (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) by 1 1/2 lengths and a neck.
“She's quick and, annoyingly, I asked Tom [Marquand] where do we go from here and he said the [G2] Lowther [at York], but that closed this week and I didn't put her in,” explained trainer Ed Walker. “I put her in the [G1] Moyglare though, thinking she would end up going further. Tom is adamant she has loads of speed and if we change from six, come back to five rather than going up to seven [furlongs]. She's an exciting filly and very well bred. It's great to get a stakes winner for Rockcliffe Stud and I'm really happy.”
Pedigree Notes
Celandine, who becomes the 82nd stakes winner for her sire, is the third of five foals and one of two scorers from as many runners out of Listed Maggie Dickson Stakes victrix and G3 Summer Stakes third Pepita (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), herself kin to three black-type performers headed by stakes-winning G1 Criterium International third Redolent (Ire) (Redback {GB}). Descendants of her second dam Esterlina (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) include G1 Flying Five runner-up Son Of Rest (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and G2 Gimcrack Stakes second Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). The March-foaled homebred bay, who hails from the family of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Forest Flower (Green Forest), is full to a yearling colt and half to a weanling filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus).
An excellent performance by Celandine who wins the Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes with @TomMarquand onboard for the Ed Walker stable! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JBhbaomHbU
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) June 29, 2024
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
MAUREEN BRITTAIN MEMORIAL EMPRESS FILLIES' S.-Listed, £40,000, Newmarket, 6-29, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:10.52, g/f.
1–CELANDINE (GB), 128, f, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Pepita (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
2nd Dam: Esterlina (Ire), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Shaquick, by Shadeed
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Rockcliffe Stud (GB); T-Ed Walker; J-Tom Marquand. £22,684. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $35,525.
2–Tales Of The Heart (Ire), 128, f, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Shoshoni Wind (GB), by Sleeping Indian (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (400,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Andrew Rosen & Marc Chan; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £8,600.
3–Arabian Dusk (GB), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Lady Macduff (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (80,000gns Ylg '23 TATSOM; 525,000gns 2yo '24 TATBRE). O-Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. £4,304.
Margins: 1HF, NK, HF. Odds: 9.00, 4.50, 2.75.
Also Ran: It Ain't Two (GB), Santa Savana (GB), Queue Dos (GB), Sunshine State (GB), Havana Gila (GB), Teej A (Ire), Pouting (GB), Tequila Rose (Ire), Miss Nifty (Ire). Scratched: Naina (GB).
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