By Tom Frary
Providing Wesley Ward with that much sought-after Royal winner on the final day, Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) delivered a fourth renewal of the G2 Queen Mary S. for the meeting's most frequent flyer. Despite the potential poisoned chalice of stall one, the 9-2 second favourite was kept wide on the far flank by Frankie Dettori with her rider keen to have a target to aim at. Arriving at the fore alongside the smoother-travelling Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) heading to the final furlong, she had that bit more in the tank of the duo at the finish and prevailed by 3/4 of a length, with 2 1/2 lengths back to Caroline Dale (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}) in third. Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star More Beautiful (War Front) was the heavily-supported even-money favourite and showed speed from the outset, but could only manage eighth.
“She didn't really jump that great, but they were going very fast and with that outside draw I had the luxury of controlling where to go,” Dettori commented after kickstarting an afternoon treble that would take him to another jockey's title here. “She went straight as a gun barrel, I had plenty of horse left going to two out and she was very sensible, controlled her energy and quickened very well. It wouldn't be the same without having a Wesley Ward runner in the two-year-old races here. He is a great supporter of English racing, as are his owners as well. Barbara [Banke] is a big supporter of mine and it adds spice to the international nature of Royal Ascot.”
Eleven years on from his initial successful raid on this meeting, where Jealous Again (Trippi) was the second of two winners when capturing this, Ward was creeping closer to the breakthrough in 2020 as Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was denied late on in the previous day's G2 Norfolk S. and Kimari (Munnings) also filled second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup. Campanelle had excelled on fast ground on her sole start in a May 31 Gulfstream Park maiden special weight and the surface had dried here following the midweek rain, but her pedigree suggested she was more versatile than some of her barn's cross-Atlantic runners. Professional out on the wing, she gave generously for Frankie Dettori as Sacred looked to have it in the bag inside the final two furlongs and when the crunch came was firmly on top.
“She's something,” Ward said from Keeneland after watching his remarkable 11th Royal winner. “I think she's going to be heading to the [G1 Prix] Morny now. I was fine with stall one, as she can drift out a little bit in the mornings. I told Frankie to come out with the stick in his right hand and he's the greatest. That's the Frankie Dettori that we all love. She won on a tropical climate in Gulfstream down on the grass there, which was the first maiden race on turf. She then shipped from Miami through to Amsterdam and all the way to Newmarket. To run right back in the biggest two-year-old filly race at Ascot and for her to come through proves what a really good filly she is. Barbara has won the Prix Morny with Lady Aurelia in the past and hopefully the sanctions will be lifted and she can go over and enjoy the wonderful racing.”
Ward was keen to share the praise around and added, “I can't thank the team enough, especially Ben McElroy, who bought the filly specifically for this race and it all came true. In horseracing, that hardly ever happens and Ben did a wonderful job of picking the filly out for Barbara. We can't thank Kieren Fallon enough. He was on this filly every day leading into the race and she couldn't have been in better hands. Frankie talked him into coming to work for us, so we appreciate that as well.”
“It's sad not to be there to celebrate and enjoy this with my family,” he concluded. “They love to come over each and every year, but it's another Royal Ascot winner and they are all so special. There is nothing like Royal Ascot. We didn't have a winner last year and we had a streak going. Words just can't describe it right now. We are starting to already plan for what we're going to buy in a couple of months' time to try and get the cream of the crop to bring our strongest team to come next year. Golden Pal will go for the [G1] Nunthorpe, he is more of a five-furlong horse. Campanelle is more a stride horse who is suited to six furlongs and will go for the Morny.”
Campanelle is the last known foal out of the Listed Marygate S. winner Janina (GB) (Namid {GB}) who was sixth in the G3 Albany S. at this meeting in 2007. She is a daughter of the G3 Dubai International Airport World Trophy winner Lady Dominatrix (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who descends from the Molecomb S. winner Lowna (GB) (Princely Gift {GB}) responsible for the G3 Blue Riband Trial S. scorer Gospel Hill (GB) (Crepello {GB}). She is also the ancestress of the G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Demure (Ire) (Shy Groom), yet another fast and precocious juvenile in this dynasty.
Saturday, Royal Ascot, Britain
QUEEN MARY S.-G2, £50,000, Royal Ascot, 6-20, 2yo, f, 5fT, 1:00.18, gd.
1–CAMPANELLE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Janina (GB) (SW-Eng), by Namid (GB)
2nd Dam: Lady Dominatrix (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Spout House (Ire), by Flash of Steel (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (190,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Wesley Ward; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £29,600. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $60,557. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sacred (GB), 126, f, 2, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Sacre Caroline, by Blame. O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas. £11,195.
3–Caroline Dale (GB), 126, f, 2, Lethal Force (Ire)–Stepping Out (Ire), by Tagula (Ire). O-Janet Lowe 1; B-The Lowe Family (GB); T-David Loughnane. £5,595.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.50, 5.00, 100.00.
Also Ran: Sardinia Sunset (Ire), Happy Romance (Ire), Scarlet Bear (Ire), Grammata (Ire), Mamba Wamba (Ire), More Beautiful, Dickiedooda (Ire), Star of Emaraaty (Ire), Pelekai (GB), Sands of Time (GB), Wings of a Dove (Ire), Risque (Ire), The Good Ting (GB), Royal Approval, Sparkling Perry (GB). Scratched: Dandalla (Ire), Nurse Florence (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
