Tag Archive for: Angel Bleu

Kinross all set to bid for Champions Day repeat win

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Connections are predicting emotional scenes at Ascot on Saturday if Kinross and Frankie Dettori are able to retain the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

The Italian has struck up a fine relationship with Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old and their triumph 12 months ago was part of a Champions Day double for Dettori as well as bringing up a fabulous four-timer for the prolific son of Kingman.

Kinross has gone on to run as consistent as ever this term tasting notable success at both Goodwood and York during the summer before just falling short in defence of his Prix de la Foret title at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

Now the Marc Chan-owned gelding will bid to regain the winning thread and provide his loyal pilot with one-last big-race success together on British soil before he makes the switch to ride in America.

Kinross before the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes last year
Kinross before the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes last year (John Walton/PA)

“He’s in flying form, great form,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Chan.

“We’re very excited about Saturday’s race. It’s probably as good a chance as Frankie has on Saturday and without being big-headed maybe his best shot. That in itself gives you butterflies in the stomach.

“Marc and his wife Lily are going to be over here and it’s very exciting all round.

“We could definitely be looking for the Kleenex on Saturday, it could be an emotional week for sure.”

Team Kinross celebrate their Champions Day success last year
Team Kinross celebrate their Champions Day success last year (John Walton/PA)

Also headed for Ascot on Saturday is Kinross’ stablemate Angel Bleu who has been supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a cost of £70,000.

A winner of Goodwood’s Celebration Mile when last seen, it will be the four-year-old’s final outing before commencing stallion duties in France.

He will stand at Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe operation and the Kazakhstan-born businessman joins Chan as joint-owner for Angel Bleu’s racecourse farewell.

“It will be Angel Bleu’s last race before he takes up stud duties at Sumbe in France,” continued McCalmont.

“The ground is coming up well and he’s in good shape, so he has nothing to lose really.

“This is his last race and then he will go off and have a luxurious lifestyle hopefully. I think by going to stand in France gives him a great opportunity.

“French breeding is in a purple patch now on the back of Wootton Bassett and Siyouni and with his two Group One wins being in France, being bred in France and sold as a yearling in France, we’re very excited he has this opportunity to stand there.”



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Angel Bleu sparks dream day for Beckett

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Angel Bleu bounced back to his best to lift the William Hill Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

A dual Group One-winning two-year-old in France a couple of seasons ago, Ralph Beckett’s grey has largely struggled since, although he did land a Listed prize at Haydock in May.

He was unable to make an impact in either the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in June or the Summer Mile at the Berkshire track last month, but showed his true colours back in more demanding conditions on the Sussex Downs.

With heavy rain during the morning turning the ground soft, Hector Crouch tracked the favourite Epictetus into the straight aboard 9-2 shot Angel Bleu, but had to move around the market leader soon after as he faltered disappointingly.

Angel Bleu looked booked for minor honours at best after Charyn came from the rear to grab the lead, but the Beckett runner finished off strongly to get up and beat the rallying Knight by half a length, with Charyn beaten into third.

The trainer was also on the mark at York with Kinross and Newmarket with Lezoo.

“It’s always the old boys that get you out of trouble, I’m thrilled to bits because it didn’t really happen for him at three,” Beckett told ITV Racing.

“That rain was very helpful for him this morning.

“I think I’m right in saying that’s Hector’s biggest win (Group Two) so I’m pleased for him, too.”

The Karl Burke-trained Darnation displayed a willing attitude to secure top honours in the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes.

Third on her Haydock debut in early July, the daughter of Too Darn Hot opened her account with a 10-length success at Thirsk three weeks later to earn herself a step up to Pattern class.

Carla’s Way attempted to make all the running, but while she found plenty for pressure she was unable to resist the challenge of 5-2 favourite Darnation, who finished strongly to prevail by two lengths in the hands of Sam James.



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Angel delight at Haydock for Beckett and Crouch

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Angel Bleu returned to the winner’s enclosure with victory in the Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes at Haydock.

Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old was a top-class juvenile but was winless last term in three starts.

He made his all-weather debut earlier in the year, finishing second to Berkshire Shadow in the Lady Wulfruna, and then headed to the Prix Edmond Blanc at Saint-Cloud where he came home sixth over a mile.

At Listed level over seven furlongs at Haydock he was sent off at 3-1 under Hector Crouch and took up the lead in the final furlong.

He traded blows with Andrew Balding’s Holguin but rallied to succeed by a neck, with the stewards leaving the placings unaltered after an inquiry into possible interreference.

Crouch said: “He was very tough, that was probably a furlong short of his best here today.

“He’s won Group Ones at a mile, I was really pleased to get him back on track.

“He’s had a tough couple of years since his very busy and successful juvenile career, it’s a step back to where we know he can be.

“He’s a funny horse, he can take a bit of winding up sometimes. He needed that today, it was just nice to get him back in front.”

Of the inquiry involving the runner-up, Crouch added: “He had every chance for a solid furlong and just wasn’t good enough on the day.”

Angel Bleu after Vintage Stakes success at Goodwood in 2021
Angel Bleu after Vintage Stakes success at Goodwood in 2021 (John Walton/PA)

Creative Force made light work of the Pertemps Network Conditions Stakes for Charlie Appleby and James Doyle.

The chestnut was third on seasonal debut in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket and has a smart back catalogue of form with Group One successes to his name.

He has a particular liking for Ascot having won the Jersey Stakes and the Champions Sprint there, and is likely to be heading back to the Royal meeting come June.

At Haydock he was the 4-6 favourite and produced a pleasing run to cross the line three lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

Doyle said: “I’m really pleased with him. He’s a bonny horse and he’s been a real flag-bearer for us over the years. He usually comes to the fore when you need him and hopefully this is just a little stepping stone to better things.

“Obviously he does enjoy getting his toe in but he’s still effective on quicker ground and he should be in for a good campaign, he certainly hasn’t lost his enthusiasm over the years anyway.

“I was kind of looking at it and I thought it would be a bit tactical. There were no certain leaders in the race and he’s a pretty chilled out character. I didn’t think we’d be going that quick so I said to Charlie perhaps to let him pop out and prick his ears in front and I can go whenever.

“With the ground drying all the time and it being over six furlongs it’s probably his minimum trip nowadays.

“I thought he just got done for a bit of speed at Newmarket, they went really slow and dashed into the dip and kind of got in a bit of a tangle out the other side so I was keen to just let him balance up and go for home.

“He’s done plenty of winning at Ascot and did me a big favour in the Jersey Stakes a couple of years ago. When the rain comes for him it’s a big plus, so we’ll just have to see, but even on quick ground he runs his race.”



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Angel Bleu hunting further French glory

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Angel Bleu returns to Saint-Cloud attempting to maintain his unbeaten record on the continent in the Prix Edmond Blanc on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s son of Dark Angel struck twice on French soil as a two-year-old, firstly landing the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere before doubling his Group One haul in the Criterium International 20 days later.

Despite failing to find the scoresheet during his three-year-old season, he continued to hold his own in esteemed company, finishing third in the Greenham and also not disgraced behind Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Following an encouraging return at Wolverhampton, Angel Bleu will now be partnered by Ryan Moore as he returns to the French capital for Group Three duty – tasked with taking on Francis-Henri Graffard’s dual race winner and six-time course scorer, The Revenant.

“We were very pleased with his run at Wolverhampton,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Angel Bleu’s owner Marc Chan.

“The draw wasn’t the best, but everyone was delighted with his performance and we’re just building up from there. The horse seems to thrive on racing and likes the course, so we may as well run and keep going.

“When you look back at his run in the Sussex Stakes, on ground he didn’t like, and where he came out of the race with an injury – Baaeed was probably at his peak at that point and it wasn’t really a bad effort. Other than the two times at Royal Ascot, the horse has never run a bad race.

“The Revenant has won this race twice and on that ground, at that distance, it will be no egg and spoon race.

“It’s not an easy race, but it’s kind of an obvious spot and Ryan Moore right now is kind of walking on water – he’s in a zone he has never been in before.”

Moore is also in action on the card in the Group Three Prix Penelope where he has the chance to continue his global purple patch aboard Aidan O’Brien’s Camelot filly, Be Happy.

Jockey Ryan Moore has two rides in Group Three contests at Saint-Cloud on Saturday
Jockey Ryan Moore has two rides in Group Three contests at Saint-Cloud on Saturday (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Be Happy will enjoy the expected soft ground and she is a filly we like,” the jockey told Betfair.

“She won well on her debut in testing ground at Cork and she probably didn’t get the run of the race when stepped up in class at the Curragh next time. This longer trip will suit the Camelot filly.

“We also have Fillies’ Mile fifth Library in here and she certainly has her chance – it’s a very good race for the grade, with Pensee Du Jour an obvious threat to all after her runaway win here last time.”



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Angel Bleu out to stamp his class in Lady Wulfruna

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Angel Bleu sets the standard in the Spreadex Sports Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old has won twice at Group One level as a juvenile and has won five of his 11 career appearances to date, finishing placed on another three occasions and only out of the money three times.

Two of those performances have come at Royal Ascot while the only other small blot on an otherwise decorated copybook was when fifth to Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood ran on conditions unfavourable to the son of Dark Angel.

That was the last time Angel Bleu has been sighted on a racecourse and although initially underwhelmed by the performance, Jamie McCalmont – racing manager to owner Marc Chan – believes in hindsight, finishing within five lengths of Baaeed was perfectly respectable.

He said: “His last start was on ground that he doesn’t really like and to be beaten only four and a half lengths by Baaeed when he was definitely at the top of his game – we didn’t think much of it on the day, but when you look at it now, you think, ‘that’s not embarrassing’.

“He came out of that race with an injury and the only two bad races he has run have been at Royal Ascot – every other time he has fired.

“He just needs some match practice and hopefully he gets back on track on Saturday. It’s a long time since he has run and you just don’t know, but you go there with the horse in good shape and we’re looking forward to a good run and a big season with him.”

Angel Bleu’s biggest danger could be Andrew Balding’s Berkshire Shadow, who shaped nicely in both the 2000 Guineas and at Royal Ascot last year before his form tailed off in the heart of summer.

Royal Ascot 2021 – Day One
Berkshire Shadow ridden by jockey Oisin Murphy wins the Coventry Stakes during day one of Royal Ascot in 2021

The 2021 Coventry Stakes winner played second fiddle to Angel Bleu in their only ever meeting at this distance, the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood later that year, but his Kingsclere handler is hoping for a different outcome if his charge handles Dunstall Park.

“He ran really well in the Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes last season but lost his way a bit after that,” said Balding.

“He’s been gelded over the winter and we’ve been very happy with his work and hopefully he should have a good season.

“If he takes to Wolverhampton then he will be a player. He won a Coventry over six furlongs so I don’t think the trip should be a problem, but whether that is a problem on a sharp track we will find out.”

Dhabab was a handy performer for John and Thady Gosden at two and was sent off 4-1 favourite for the Coventry Berkshire Shadow won before running with credit in both the Superlative Stakes and Mill Reef later that year.

A setback meant he missed the majority of the 2022 campaign before returning to win at Lingfield in October and although well held up at a mile in Listed company last time out, he may put his speed to good use now returned to seven furlongs.

“He had a setback last year but has seemed in good form since,” said Thady Gosden.

“He obviously ran well at Lingfield when winning on his first run back last year and then stepped up to Listed level afterwards.

“He has been training pleasingly at home and this looks the right race for him. He’s by No Nay Never and has always showed plenty of speed. Hopefully seven furlongs is an ideal trip for him.”

Irish handler Adrian McGuinness is no stranger to successful raids on the all-weather and he is double-handed with synthetics specialist Harry’s Bar and improving mare Hodd’s Girl.

He said: “There are not a lot of opportunities for Harry’s Bar in Ireland at this time of the year and he is a real all-weather specialist, so we have to travel.

“In fairness, Wolverhampton is not that far from me. It is three and a bit hours of driving plus a boat trip, so it is not too bad.

Ado McGuinness saddles two in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton on Saturday
Ado McGuinness saddles two in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton on Saturday (PA)

“The horse is in great order and I think the seven furlongs around Wolverhampton will suit. I would not be sure on a straight seven but going seven around a bend should play to his strengths.

“We are trying to sneak a bit of black type with Hodd’s Girl. She has not stopped improving since she came to us and her work is very good. I would not be surprised if she was able to make the frame.”

Roger Varian’s defending champion Tinker Toy, Lingfield runner-up Vadream (Charlie Fellowes) and Jump The Gun (Iain Jardine) complete the line up.



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