By Tom Frary
Saturday's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes looked there for the taking beforehand, with no standout performer in the line-up and in the end it came down to who was the most progressive. Step forward Juddmonte's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}–Zero Gravity {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), who had made a significant advance last time in the G3 September Stakes and who successfully carried that momentum into this mile-and-a-half test, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf next month.
Tracking the early pace under William Buick, the Andrew Balding-trained 100-30 favourite moved to Ballydoyle's Wingspan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) passing two out and soon had her measure en route to a two-length success, with three lengths back to Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) in third.
Balding said, “I have never known a horse improve as much as Kalpana,” Balding said. “She is just an absolute diamond, as you can see afterwards. She has a very special temperament and is by an exciting young stallion. She's from the first crop of Study Of Man, so it's pretty exciting for them as well.”
Debuting only in January at Wolverhampton, Kalpana ran into Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) at Newcastle in March before winning a Newmarket handicap by 10 lengths and running second to Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in that track's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes in May. Third in Royal Ascot's G2 Ribblesdale Stakes before winning the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton in July, the homebred had clearly benefitted from a subsequent break when storming back in the September to book her ticket here.
This was as straightforward as it gets at this level, a simple stalk and pounce to outclass her peers. “I think I even mentioned to Barry [Mahon] that we might put her in a sale this time last year! Just every time we started doing more with her, she's just improved and improved, from Wolverhampton to here in 10 months,” her trainer added. “I very much hope she'll stay in training, that was the plan anyway unless something has changed tonight.”
Buick added, “Kalpana has an incredible mind and is a jockey's dream. I parked her up three wide with no cover but she was always comfortable, never wasted any energy and saved the whole way in that ground. It is a very special moment, because it is my first group 1 winner for Andrew. I started with Andrew and Andrew and his whole family have played a huge part in my career so thank you to him and, obviously, Kalpana; what she did there was very good and she's only going to improve.”
Aidan O'Brien said of Wingspan, “She looks to have got the trip well and I'm delighted with the run. It isn't decided yet whether she will stay in training, but it's definitely possible.”
Tiffany's trainer Sir Mark Prescott said of the third, “She ran very well. She was in a lovely position all the way. She may go to Germany–I think it is November 10 [in Munich]. We won the race with Alpinista. So if she is alright after this, we will go there.”
Pedigree Notes
Kalpana, who becomes the first group 1 winner for her second-crop sire, is out of the Listed Prix Petite Etoile winner Zero Gravity who is a full-sister to the operation's G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Zambezi Sun (GB) and also the listed-placed Shared Account (GB) who produced three black-type performers headed by the GII Athenia Stakes and G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Pocket Square (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). From the family of the G1 July Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp hero Continent (GB) (Lake Coniston {Ire}), Zero Gravity who was a 35,000gns cast-off at 2021 Tattersalls December, has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Kalpana named Net Zero (GB). Her yearling filly by Too Darn Hot (GB) was a 425,000gns purchase by Shadwell at last week's Tattersalls October Book 2.
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES-G1, £500,000, Ascot, 10-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 11f 133yT, 2:29.57, sf.
1–KALPANA (GB), 127, f, 3, by Study Of Man (Ire)
1st Dam: Zero Gravity (GB) (SW-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Imbabala (GB), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Interval (Ire), by Habitat
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd
(GB); T-Andrew Balding; J-William Buick. £283,550. Lifetime
Record: 8-5-2-1, $542,628. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wingspan (Ire), 127, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Hydrangea (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Westerberg,Mrs J
Magnier,M Tabor,D Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien.
£107,500.
3–Tiffany (Ire), 133, f, 4, Farhh (GB)–Affinity (GB), by Sadler's
Wells. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Elite Racing Club (IRE);
T-Sir Mark Prescott. £53,800.
Margins: 2, 3, 4. Odds: 3.30, 12.00, 6.50.
Also Ran: Village Voice (GB), Thunder Roll (Ire), Time Lock (GB), Sea Theme (Ire), Quantanamera (Ger), Sumiha (Ire), Queen Of The Pride (GB), Content (Ire), Doha (GB), War Chimes (Fr), Grateful (Ire).
Proper filly! Kalpana takes the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at @Ascot for @WilliamBuickX, @AndrewBalding2 and @JuddmonteFarms… pic.twitter.com/j6ZJwQQ5St
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 19, 2024
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