By Tom Frary
Things hadn't gone smoothly for Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Brant's TDN Rising Star Age Of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–Turret Rocks {Ire}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) since last summer, but it finally clicked into place for the talented Ballydoyle second-string and Wayne Lordan in Saturday's G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot. In the shadow of Ryan Moore's choice The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the 1.1million gns Book 1 graduate was nevertheless let go at a surprising 22-1 given that Aidan O'Brien had run him first time up this season in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.
Placed close to the strong early pace set by the 11-4 favourite Covey (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the son of the G2 May Hill S. winner Turret Rocks was committed inside the two and had to fight to the line as the closers came. Finding it in time, he prevailed by a length and a neck from fellow outsiders Zoology (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) and Streets Of Gold (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) respectively to provide his trainer with an 85th Royal winner and deliver a 12th Royal Ascot trainer's title.
AGE OF KINGS (Kingman) the ultimate victor in the G3 Jersey S. at #RoyalAscot! pic.twitter.com/pyiwQMfWuR
— TDN (@theTDN) June 24, 2023
Granted his TDN Rising Star tag following his emphatic Curragh conditions win at the beginning of last June, Age Of Kings had come here days later to contest the G2 Coventry S. and was seventh before returning to Kildare to be a close fourth in the G2 Railway S. on his third start in 25 days. Whether that busy workload cost him afterwards is hard to say, but it was significant that he was the stable's chosen representative in Leopardstown's G3 Tyros S. in July which is always a marker of merit when it comes to Ballydoyle's juveniles. Only third there before disappearing off the radar, he was a surprise member of the line-up for the Irish Guineas and although he was 10th he was beaten less than eight lengths by Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}).
“Wayne kept it uncomplicated and said he'd get a mile if we wanted,” O'Brien said. “The Guineas was only his first run of the year, it was a very good run and he came forward from that.” Lordan added, “At two he had a few runs and maybe got a bit weak, but he's come back and he's stepped forward nicely, even in his work.”
Trainer James Ferguson said of Zoology, “They went very hard and, in the mid-stage of the race, you just think he's struggling to keep up but they've all come back and he's stayed on very well. It's a tough race this and the fast ground certainly suited him. He has done absolutely nothing wrong and ran a super race in the Greenham, when he obviously didn't like the ground. Back on a sounder surface, he's run an absolute belter of a race and I've got very high hopes for this horse. I think he could be a superstar.”
Streets Of Gold's trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said, “That's probably the hardest race he has run in and, on Timeform figures, that's probably the highest he's ever run to. He is in the Bunbury Cup, we might go there or we might try to find an easy race to win–we will see.”
Pedigree Notes
Age Of Kings is the first foal out of the aforementioned Turret Rocks, who also took the G3 Blue Wind S. and G3 Meld S. and was runner-up in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and third in the G1 Pretty Polly S. for Jim Bolger. She is a half-sister to Beyond Thankful (Ire) (Whipper), who captured the G3 Newcastle Cup and was second in the G3 Killavullan S, while this is also the family of the G2 Fuji TV Sho Spring S. winner and G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) third Galore Creek (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}), the G3 Stanerra S. winner Cimeara (Ire) (Vocalised) and her 2-year-old full-sister Comhra (Ire) who was third in last month's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Turret Rocks, who is also related to the brilliant Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), has the 2-year-old colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) who was a 600,000gns purchase by David Redvers at last year's Book 1 Sale. Named Trafalgar Square (Ire), he is followed by a yearling full-brother to Age Of Kings.
Saturday, Royal Ascot, Britain
JERSEY S.-G3, £150,000, Ascot, 6-24, 3yo, 7fT, 1:26.93, g/f.
1–AGE OF KINGS (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Turret Rocks (Ire) (MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $396,000), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Beyond Compare (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Gold Bust (GB), by Nashwan
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (1,100,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith & Brant; B-Farmleigh Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. £85,065. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 7-2-1-1, $136,790. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zoology (GB), 129, c, 3, Zoustar (Aus)–Peach Melba (GB), by Dream Ahead. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (90,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-R Kent & Executors of Lady Lonsdale (GB); T-James Ferguson. £32,250.
3–Streets Of Gold (Ire), 129, c, 3, Havana Gold (Ire)–Truly Honoured (GB), by Frankel (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£27,000 Ylg '21 TATIRY). O-J Allison & G C Stevens; B-Vimal & Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Eve Johnson Houghton. £16,140.
Margins: 1, NK, NK. Odds: 22.00, 22.00, 28.00.
Also Ran: Holloway Boy (GB), Olivia Maralda (Ire), Holguin (GB), Flight Plan (GB), Thunderbear (Ire), Covey (GB), Alexander John (Ire), Enfjaar (Ire), Mysterious Night (Ire), The Antarctic (Ire), Empty Metaphor (Ire), Quar Shamar (Ger).
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