Tag Archive for: Kalpana

Monday Musings: Raising the Stakes in September

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Placed as it is in the calendar just as the seasons seem to have turned abruptly from debilitating summer heat to breezy early autumn, Kempton’s September Stakes retains its status as a Group 3 race despite being run on Polytrack, writes Tony Stafford.

Its recent distinguished roll of honour is overshadowed by the two pre-Longchamp wins of the peerless Enable and it was no doubt with that John Gosden trainee’s exploits in mind that Andrew Balding plotted a repeat success for his Kalpana on Saturday.

Following that one’s three Group 1 places this year behind Los Angeles, Whirl and, finally, Calandagan in the King George at Ascot, but no wins, the Juddmonte filly had been promoted to favouritism for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in a month’s time.

It seemed odd that she should have been at such a short price, but no doubt last year’s late season exploits, following the September Stakes with victory in the Fillies and Mares Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot, gave the suggestion she would again be at her best in the autumn this time around.

The reruns of Saturday’s contest and that of a year ago when, under P J McDonald, she challenged on the outside two furlongs from home and drew clear for a four-plus lengths win over Lion’s Pride, had little in common as this time she couldn’t get past Marco Botti’s six-year-old Giavellotto in the closing stages.

Colin Keane challenged at almost precisely the same moment as McDonald had, on the outside, but whereas previously she accelerated then stayed on stoutly, she found very little this time. Commentator Mark Johnson called her “breezing up”, but it wasn’t long before he inserted a note of well-founded caution.

 

 

Now she has been pushed out abruptly in the Arc market, one that was further amended after events at Longchamp yesterday, to which I will return later. The consensus is that she might miss the big race in Paris – there’s always Ascot as a backup against the girls.

Giavellotto has been a terrific servant to his trainer, the six-year-old now a winner of eight races topped off by last December’s Longines Hong Kong Vase where he had the globe-trotting Dubai Honour as his nearest pursuer. Oisin Murphy took over the riding of Giavellotto when Andrea Atzeni decamped to Hong Kong at the end of the 2023 season, a move replicated this week by the ultra-professional David Probert, who looks sure to make the best of his opportunity.

The seven-year-old Dubai Honour had been off since May but made a splash with his comeback run yesterday in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden; he’s no doubt building up for another tilt at the massive prizes on offer at the end of the year around the world. His career earnings, mainly from overseas, are just north of the £5 million mark. That exceeds by £2 million the money earned by Haggas’s 118 wins and 119 places from the 142 individual runners he has sent out in the UK in 2025.

The trainer’s latest win came in yesterday’s Garrowby Stakes at York where Elmonjed, the stable second string, prevailed in a tight finish. The race though was marred by the fall a couple of furlongs from home after severe crowding of the Haggas and Shadwell number one Almeraq. His rider, Jim Crowley, and Trevor Whelan, also involved in the melee and a faller from Tiger Bay, both reportedly suffered broken legs.

Haggas remains a long way behind the big three in the trainers’ title race. I suggested the other week that Andrew Balding was coming up on the rails and now he has crept above the Gosdens into second place, by dint of nine wins from 53 runners over the past fortnight. Even Aidan O’Brien might not be in reach unless Ballydoyle wins the St Leger and has a beanfeast at Ascot’s Champions Day next month.

Aidan has secured the services of Christophe Soumillon to replace the injured Ryan Moore, and no doubt the Belgian will be at the Irish Champions fixture next weekend. Presumably then, a domestic jockey will be needed for the St Leger with Wayne Lordan also ruled out, in his case by suspension.

Haggas reckons it’s been a moderate season for him as he hasn’t been a factor in many of the top races, but his skill in handicaps has never been in doubt. He added four more on Saturday, with three of his charges starting favourite. In the case of Crown Of Oaks, overwhelmingly so as he siphoned up a contest at Ascot for horses that had not won more than one race, in laughably easy fashion.

Kneejerk reaction from the bookmakers was to promote the three-year-old to 4/1 favouritism for this month’s Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, neglecting to factor in his extreme unlikeliness to make the cut.

From his mark of 85, he gets the 4lb penalty which brings him equally with nine others at a highest possible position of 79, therefore worst case of 88. Thirty-five can run, so it will be a gamble if Haggas waits to find out if the six and half-length cantering winner gets in. He faces at least a 10lb rise, but cynical fellow trainers waiting for tomorrow morning’s new ratings might be thinking the son of Wootton Bassett could get away with a single figure uplift.

Haggas wasn’t the only four-time scorer on the day. It was Oisin Murphy’s 30th birthday on Saturday and he celebrated it by adding three further wins to Giavellotto’s. For the second time last week I marvelled at his instinctive understanding of what would suit his mount as he waited until two furlongs from home even to put Hughie Morrison’s handicapper Caprelo into contention in his two-mile handicap.

Always going comfortably, Caprelo could be seen enjoying every moment and, making use of the cutaway in the straight, he brought the improving four-year-old with a smooth run. The winning margin of three lengths could have been extended. Now Hughie will be wondering whether Caprelo’s uplift matches or even exceeds that of Crown Of Oaks!

Earlier in the week, I was at Windsor where Oisin gave hitherto disappointing Glitter Code an instinctively perfect ride which, though no fault of the rider’s, ended in third rather than first place. Oisin said that William Knight’s gelding pulled himself up when hitting the front, otherwise it might have been success at the 16th attempt.

Oisin’s skill confirmed his owner’s view that he would stay 1m4f and especially as he did so on heavy going. The snag is that Oisin will be elsewhere when Glitter Code reappears at Epsom on Thursday. He’ll be a hard act to follow.

It didn’t take the runaway championship leader long to continue the run of success over at Longchamp yesterday. Teaming up with the Japanese Byzantine Dream, he found a strong finish to edge out the Andre Fabre-trained Sosie by half a length in the Prix Foy, the trial race restricted to four-year-olds and upwards.

 

 

Murphy, who has been a regular ally of Japanese runners in Europe and the United States, reckons that, having not raced since May, Byzantine Dream would improve a little for the run and be at his peak back at the track next month.

If Soumillon had expected an instant dividend on his recently announced stand-in job for O’Brien, he would have been disappointed. First, on the strongly supported Henri Matisse in the one-mile Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, he could finish only a fading fifth to Sahlan who had just enough in hand to resist the last-gasp finish of the frustratingly unlucky Rosallion.

One bright spot here was the back-to-form close third for Ballydoyle of The Lion In Winter, belatedly finding some 2025 promise and only a neck adrift of Rosallion. The Breeders’ Cup might now be on his agenda.

Then Whirl, taken wide early in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares, faded into last place having led in the straight. This race featured the most likely Arc winning performance, as Aventure drew nicely clear of her field.

 

 

Last year’s second, both in this race and then the Arc behind Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking, she had the traditional French preparation with no run in July or August and will be at her peak as she tries to fend off Whirl’s stablemate Minnie Hawk and the rest next month. I reckon she is the one to fear.

- TS

Kalpana not a certain Arc contender after Kempton defeat

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Kalpana is not certain to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of Giavellotto in the Unibet September Stakes at Kempton.

Andrew Balding’s charge had been vying for favouritism in next month’s ParisLongchamp feature after a campaign that had seen her place in three Group One contests, including when beaten just a length by Calandagan in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on her latest start.

Kalpana was dropped to Group Three company on the Kempton all-weather in search of a confidence-boosting victory and while the 1-2 favourite appeared to be travelling well coming into the final couple of furlongs, Giavellotto ultimately found plenty for pressure and came home a length-and-a-half winner.

Paddy Power pushed Kalpana out to 12-1 from 6-1 favourite for the Arc and while Balding expects the Juddmonte-owned filly to improve for the outing, a return to Ascot for Champions Day has now entered the equation.

Balding said: “It is disappointing not to win, but I think the horse that beat us is very good. As you can, hear she is having a proper blow and hopefully that will put her spot on for whatever we are doing.

“She had a couple of weeks easy, and she will come on for that. I felt like we had done enough work, but the trouble is we are not using grass gallops at the moment. The all-weather is much easier and it is harder to get work into horses like her.

“We didn’t want it to be a falsely-run race, and it wasn’t. They went a nice even pace, and she had every chance, but a good horse has beaten her, and she will come on for the run.

“She is in the Arc and the Fillies & Mares at Ascot, but it is really where the powers that be want to go.

“This was a prep, and that (Arc) was always the plan, but we will have to see how the field develops.”

Giavellotto (9-4) was having his first start since finishing third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June and just his second run of the year having contest the Sheema Classic at Meydan back in April.

His trainer Marco Botti said: “We didn’t run in the Princess of Wales’s at Newmarket as sadly his scope wasn’t right a few days beforehand. With these kind of horses, you don’t want to risk anything.

“He is still lightly-raced for an older horse and there is definitely still more mileage on the clock.

“Watching it I thought it was a bit different to how it was going to happen. I thought Kalpana would have raced in front of us.

“The plan was to follow her and see if we were good enough to beat her. Oisin thought the pace was even and not very strong, so he sat second.

“He idled a little bit in front. He just does enough. He is not a horse that would just quicken away.

“Oisin said when they turned into the straight and he was winding him up and going through the gears that he responded really well.

“He said every time the filly got to him, he found an extra gear. It was a great performance. We always knew he was a good horse. He just needs things to go right for him. I’m delighted with that.”

Giavellotto was a surprise victor over Kalpana at Kempton
Giavellotto was a surprise victor over Kalpana at Kempton (Mike Egerton/PA)

Giavellotto was cut to 33-1 from 66s for the Arc by Paddy Power but Botti fears the French ground will not suit and has a defence of his Hong Kong Vase title at Sha Tin in December as his top priority.

He added: “Sadly in Europe there wouldn’t be many options for him now. We have said soft ground is not for him.

“I don’t see much for him in those couple of months before Hong Kong and we don’t really want to jeopardise our chances for that. Wasting a run on soft ground wouldn’t be ideal.

“He has an entry in the Arc. I’m sure the owners will say we have beaten the favourite so why don’t we take our chance, but personally I think the ground will be too soft for him.

“I would only run him in it on good ground, but that is very unlikely to happen as Longchamp has often been soft ground in October. At that level he needs good ground.

“We will leave it closer to the time and see what the weather does.”

Giavellotto surprises hot favourite Kalpana in September Stakes

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Kalpana’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hopes sustained a blow as Giavellotto inflicted a surprise defeat on the odds-on favourite in the Unibet September Stakes at Kempton.

Marco Botti’s globetrotting chestnut has not been seen since finishing third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, and looked to have stiff task on his hands when facing Andrew Balding’s ante-post favourite for the Arc.

Kalpana landed the Group Three by nearly five lengths last term and was the 1-2 market leader to retain her title, but Giavellotto was always travelling strongly under Oisin Murphy as the 9-4 second favourite.

At the business end of the contest Kalpana did threaten to challenge for a stride or two, but Giavellotto found plenty under pressure and she could not prevent him from crossing the line a length and a half ahead.

“Credit to Oisin, he went from plan A to B as we thought we were going to sit behind Kalpana,” Botti told Racing TV.

“I thought that was what was going to happen, they had a pacemaker and we were going to follow her through and see if we were good enough to challenge her in the last furlong.

“Oisin had to go to plan B, he sat second and the pace wasn’t very strong. He picked up well in the straight and every time Kalpana got to his girths, he just found a little bit more.

“I think it’s a good performance and I’m really pleased to see him back at this level.

“He is a fighter. He’s a horse that’s probably never really got the credit for what he’s done.”

Giavellotto was cut to 33-1 from 66s for the Arc by Paddy Power, who also pushed out Kalpana to 12-1 from 6-1 favourite for next month’s ParisLongchamp highlight.

Botti added: “We just have to consider now where we go next, we’ve always said Hong Kong is the main target because the ground is going to be against us for the next couple of months.

“I wouldn’t be worried if I had to just keep him well and fresh for Hong Kong.

“He is entered in the Arc but I must admit I have never thought the race would suit him because most of the time it is run on easy ground.

“I think that will be the case and therefore it is too risky, we know he doesn’t want anything softer than good.

“Champions Day is definitely a no, I wouldn’t compromise our chances on Hong Kong for a race on soft ground.”

Kalpana takes September Stakes step to ultimate Arc aim

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Connections of Kalpana admit their Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite faces a far from straightforward task in her bid for back-to-back victories Saturday’s Unibet September Stakes at Kempton.

Andrew Balding’s filly landed this Group Three prize en-route to success on Qipco Champions Day last season and while she has failed to get her head in front since, she has performed admirably to secure podium finishes in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the Pretty Polly Stakes and the King George this term.

With the four-year-old being targeted at Europe’s premier middle-distance contest at ParisLongchamp in just over four weeks’ time, owners Juddmonte have warned she is not at concert pitch for Saturday’s assignment in Sunbury and in Hong Kong Vase winner Giavellotto she faces a serious rival.

“Hopefully she’s in good form and Andrew is happy with her, but it is a prep for the Arc and I think Andrew stated the other day that while she’s fit and well, she’s not been trained for this race,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“It’s a stepping-stone towards the Arc and she had a hard race in the King George. She’s in good form and we’re hopeful that she’ll run a good race, but we have an eye on October and that’s the big day.

“In some years you can turn up for this race and it could be a 115-rated horse against plenty of 90-rated horses, but this year it’s definitely not that. Giavellotto is a top-class horse, he’s showed that season in, season out for the last few and he’ll be a tough nut (to crack).

“As long as our filly can run a good race and she shows she’s in good form, we’ll be happy and we’ll kick on to Longchamp.”

Trainer Andrew Balding is hoping to saddle Kalpana in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Trainer Andrew Balding is hoping to saddle Kalpana in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Mike Egerton/PA)

Balding is keeping his fingers crossed Kalpana can secure a confidence-boosting victory.

“They have been three really good runs this year, but she is yet to win a race and it would be nice to get the ball rolling and get back on track with a win to tee us nicely up for Paris in October,” said the Kingsclere handler.

“The Arc is one of the most important races in the calendar. Juddmonte were lucky enough to win it last year (with Bluestocking), and they have won it twice with Enable, along with plenty of other good horses, so they are no stranger to success in it, but I’ve never had a runner in the race.

“It is a privilege to train for them, and you have always got a chance of getting a good one as they breed such good horses.

“However, we still have plenty of water to go under the bridge between now and then, but the first step is Kempton Park at the weekend.”

Giavellotto has not been seen in competitive action since finishing third behind Jan Brueghel and Calandagan in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June.

His trainer Marco Botti said: “He’s been in good order and when we looked at the time of year and the ground is probably going to be on the easy side, which is not what he wants, we thought we’d take our chance in the September Stakes.

“He actually ran once at Kempton and won as a two-year-old and he’s also won at Newcastle, so he’s two from two on the all-weather.

“We obviously missed the Princess of Wales’s Stakes (at Newmarket in July) because he had a bad scope, so we just gave him a little bit more time as our main target is still Hong Kong and it’s a long season.

“I would say he should be pretty for fit for the race on Saturday and he’s shown his best form when he runs fresh anyway, so that’s definitely not a concern.”

Giavellotto has been an excellent servant to Marco Botti
Giavellotto has been an excellent servant to Marco Botti (Joe Giddens/PA)

On the prospect of facing Kalpana, the Newmarket-based Italian added: “She’s a very good filly and in the past this has been a good prep race for the Arc, so I can see why they’re taking that route.

“But we’re looking forward to seeing our horse back in action and we can make a plan then where we run next. He might or might not run again before Hong Kong. We have entered him in the Arc, but I never really felt he would get his ground in France at that time of the year.

“We’ll take it a step at a time, but it wouldn’t be worry me if after this race we keep him fresh and well for Hong Kong. All those things will be considered after the race.”

The Unibet Sirenia Stakes is the other Group Three on the card with a 10-strong field headed by the Charlie Appleby-trained Beckford’s Folly, who has won two of his three starts so far.

Kalpana out for repeat success in September Stakes

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Kalpana will bid to strengthen her position as ante-post favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a first victory of the season in the Unibet September Stakes at Kempton on Saturday.

Although winless in three starts this season for trainer Andrew Balding, the Juddmonte-owned filly has performed admirably in defeat, finishing third on her Tattersalls Gold Cup reappearance before filling the runner-up spot in both the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland the King George at Ascot.

Connections considered a pre-Arc trip to Paris for this weekend’s Prix Vermeille, but ultimately decided to stay at home for a Group Three contest Kalpana won 12 months ago en-route to a first Group One success on Champions Day at Ascot.

Balding said: “Kalpana is very much on course for the September Stakes. She won the race last year, so we know that the track and trip suits her well.

“She put in a stellar performance during her last run and hopefully this will be a stepping-stone towards ParisLongchamp in October.

“We just thought she hasn’t won a race this year, and as we have taken her to Ireland twice this year, we thought finding something closer to home would be a better prep rather than running in another Group One before the Arc.

“We felt at the time that the King George took a bit more out of her than her other races and that is why we took away any temptation to run at York straight away and decided to wait for this.

“She has had a nice break since Ascot and this is very much a prep race so she will come on for the run, but she seems in great form.”

Kalpana is one of 13 entries for the September Stakes and may not have things entirely her own way, with several talent horses among the potential opposition.

Marco Botti could saddle his Hong Kong Vase-winning stable star Giavellotto, who was last seen finishing third in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June, while Charlie Appleby’s Arabian Crown got his career back on track with a Listed win at Windsor recently and could step back up in class.

Other potential runners include John and Thady Gosden’s pair of Military Academy and Palladium and the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde.

Kalpana team favouring September Stakes date ahead of Arc bid

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Kalpana is set to tune up for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a run in the September Stakes at Kempton.

Enable used the Group Three as a stepping stone when successful in Paris in 2018 and she also won the Kempton contest on her penultimate outing for the same owners, Juddmonte.

Trainer Andrew Balding and racing manager Barry Mahon were choosing between Kempton and France for the Prix Vermeille after her meritorious King George run and have decided to stay closer to home.

Mahon said: “We’ve decided she’s going to go to Kempton for the September Stakes I think.

“The timing suits, she hasn’t won a race this year so I think Andrew is keen to get her head in front.

“She’s already travelled to Ireland twice and she’ll have to travel to France in October, so the attraction of staying at home is more alluring.

“The Yorkshire Oaks was never in the mix, we said after the King George that she’d had a couple of tough races and she’d freshen up.

“It was between the September Stakes or the Vermeille and we’re leaning towards the September at this stage.”

Reflecting on Minnie Hauk’s victory in the Yorkshire Oaks, he said: “The winner is class, she’s a class filly and even though there were only four runners it was a very good race.

“Wherever the winner goes in the autumn, she’s going to be difficult to beat.

“The Arc is an open race and we’re in there with a chance as one of the favourites, it’s nice to have a contender.”

Kalpana team closing in on Arc route decision

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The next destination for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite Kalpana is expected to be decided by the end of this week.

Connections are weighing up whether to go down the ‘Enable route’ and head to Kempton for the September Stakes or the more traditional path to the Arc by running a top-class filly in the Prix Vermeille.

Andrew Balding’s four-year-old is without a win in three races this season but has performed with credit in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the Pretty Polly and the King George at Ascot leading to her heading the lists for the ParisLongchamp showpiece.

Owners Juddmonte won the Arc last year with Bluestocking who, like Kalpana, finished second in the King George and also ran in the Juddmonte International before winning the Prix Vermeille.

“Kalpana remains in good form,” said Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s racing manager.

“She’s had a little freshen up but we’ve yet to fully commit to where she’s going to go next.

“The options are the September Stakes on the all-weather at Kempton or the Prix Vermeille.

“Hopefully we’ll have a decision by the end of this week.”

Kalpana taking things easy before big autumn targets

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Kalpana will take a well-trodden path to Paris after she ignited dreams of back-to-back wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for owners Juddmonte when second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Andrew Balding’s star filly found just French raider Calandagan too good in Ascot’s mid-summer showpiece, replicating the effort of Juddmonte’s Bluestocking 12 months ago, who would go on to score in both the Prix Vermeille and Europe’s richest middle-distance prize in the autumn.

Kalpana is set for a short break to recover from her Ascot exertions, but as a general 7-1 favourite for the Arc could follow the ‘Bluestocking route’ to the French capital with the Vermeille a possibility for her return.

Kempton’s Unibet September Stakes on September 6, a race the daughter of Study Of Man won last season before landing Group One success on British Champions Day – and used by the great Enable to tee-up Arc glory in 2018, is another option at her disposal.

“She ran huge and the handicapper put her official rating up again which shows she ran a career best,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon, reflecting on her Ascot second.

“She’s so genuine and just always tries her heart out and Andrew is going to give her a little break now just to freshen her up with the autumn in mind.

“What that will look like we’re not quite sure yet, but we’ve got the Prix Vermeille and September Stakes as the two races we will look at and hopefully, ultimately it is the Arc in October.

“Both races have lead us to Arc glory in the past so the owners will sit down with Andrew in a few weeks time and see which way they want to go.”

Prior to her second to Calandagan, Kalpana has also performed with credit in two appearances at the Curragh when third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup after an interrupted passage, then runner-up to Whirl in a thrilling renewal of the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Buoyed by those fine efforts in defeat on quicker going over the summer months, the Kalpana team are now excited about what could come when encountering envisaged easier conditions in the second half of the season when combined with her preferred mile and a half distance.

Mahon added: “She’ll be ready to go in the autumn and hopefully there will be a little bit more juice in the ground which we know she likes and will suit her. She’s shown such a high level of form on good and good to firm that we feel there is a bit more to come on softer ground.

“She’s favourite for the Arc and I don’t know if that indicates much or not but it is one of Europe’s premier middle-distance races and definitely the type of races Juddmonte want to be competing in.”

Monday Musings: Wokism

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There was a race at Thirsk on Friday which has given me at least a double pause for thought, although the first of them was barely a pause, just a momentary operational stalls malfunction which brought a ridiculous decision from the course stewards, writes Tony Stafford. Indeed the worst in the history of racing in this and probably any other country.

The 4.35 race was a handicap over 1m4f. Post-race, the stewards stuck their heads together and were satisfied that the berth occupied by the grey, Red Force One, had opened after the others, and declared the horse a non-runner. Presumably they came to that conclusion at least in part as he would not have qualified for any prize money, which he didn’t, finishing tailed off.

I had reason to look at the race a couple of times, still having no clue that anything had been amiss. As the stalls opened, you could see the grey horse was a stride or so behind the others at the outset, ambled along for the first 20 strides easily into the leading group and after a furlong was right in the hunt.

Flat racers probably go around 30 strides to a furlong, so somewhere near 360 strides in a mile and a half race. Thus, if he was inconvenienced at all by the blink of an eye slower exit, it represented one of the 360 strides of the race – 0.28% of the full distance. No wonder he was a non-runner!

Would the stewards still have declared him thus if he had won the £5k plus first prize or even been placed? Wokism, or rather Jokism. Racing is going to the dogs if we have people like these administering the Rules in this way.

The race itself threw up a winner for my great friend Wilf Storey, 85 I believe and still going strong, or rather, strongish, given that the stable strength at Grange Farm stables, Muggleswick is down to a handful. But the team with granddaughter Siobhan Doolan also to the fore, had five wins last year and now two this season, both with the ex-Charlie Fellowes filly Idyllic, from just 13 runs.

I went to see the then three-year-old after Siobhan had successfully bid 9,000gns for her at Newmarket’s HIT sale last backend. Once a winner for Fellowes from ten runs after her 62k yearling purchase, she is by Bated Breath, who stands at £8,000 at Juddmonte, so was hardly excessively priced when Siobhan pounced.

But here comes my bone of contention. She was ridden with rare judgment, strength and skill by the 3lb claiming Paula Muir, who after Friday has ten more wins to go before she loses her claim. If you seem to think Scots lass Paula has been around for a while still to be claiming, you would be right.

In the two years 2018 and 2019 she rode first 22 winners from 216 rides and then 15 from 257. So far this year, she has had the grand total of 13 rides. That’s right, 13, coincidentally the same number as Wilf has sent out with the same horse providing both successes. And ten of those have been for Wilf, who also contributed five of last year’s seven victories, although she did have a more credible 82 rides in 2024.

Chatting to Wilf after the win, he said, “I can’t understand it. Here’s a girl who had had more than 1,000 career rides and now 85 wins. She does a light weight, and she’s really strong and can claim 3lb, yet she can’t get a ride.”

Wilf told me she rides out for Kevin Ryan. “I understand it’s usually on the difficult ones, or those two-year-olds coming up for a first run. She gets a fair bit of knocking about and told me she might pack it all in at the end of the season.”

Investigating this apparent statistical oddity I found that, apart from the ten rides for Storey, she has had one each for another Durham handler in David Thompson - a horse that won its previous race but was 4th of eight when she rode it and did not keep the mount next time, Barry Murtagh and Ryan. Murtagh put her on a 150/1 chance which ran entirely to expectations finishing last of 15 while Kevin Ryan entrusted her with a 50/1 debutant that again didn’t confound the betting market in last of eight.

Before Saturday, Ryan had sent out 40 winners this year from 308 runners, with 33 individual winners from the 94 horses he had raced. You might have thought he could have found her a ride or two more with chances of doing something. A win for his powerful stable would undoubtedly give Paula’s career that little bit of help she needs to help push her back into the limelight.

Every horse she rides gets a proper go as you will see if you watch the video of Friday’s win. Having got Idyllic back on terms with the favourite Ancient Myth, ridden by Mark Winn (ten wins from 138 rides this year) for David O’Meara, that had swept past her at the furlong pole, she pushed her mount back on terms and, confidently with hands and heels, took control for a comfortable neck win.

As I said, watch the race and tell me why she shouldn’t be riding every day of the week rather than the twice a month of 2025. It was planned for her to renew her acquaintance with last year’s dual winner Edgewater Drive at Ayr today, but the ground has dried up too much for him.

Back to Idyllic. Having raced at 1m3f in her previous three races, Idyllic was now up another furlong at Thirsk. Somehow the Wilf Storey horses, especially the females, over the many years of his career and our friendship, always seemed to become more stamina oriented as they developed. It will not shock me to see Idyllic winning over even two miles later in the year.

**

Admittedly, the five-runner field that divvied up the best part of £1.5 million for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, did comprise a field of Group 1 horses. But it left a sour taste that 2023 St Leger winner Continuous – tailed off after playing a significant role in the majority of the race - could cop forty grand for last place as the Aidan O’Brien second-string. It was £110k for a below-par Jan Brueghel, Coolmore’s number one, in fourth. It would be understandable if most racegoers found that to be money hardly well spent.

Ascot’s Nick Smith did his best to justify this 20% rise from last year’s figure which meant that Francis-Henri Graffard, who won both races, last year with 25/1 shot Goliath and now with 11/10 favourite Calandagan, is well over £1.5 million in stable earnings from the two victories.

The obvious rejoinder to Smith’s case was the standing still in money of many other races around Ascot from top to bottom level. This race is the jewel in the course’s crown, but it is no coincidence, that neither winner will ever be on show in their own country’s biggest event, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, from which geldings are excluded.

One who will presumably have booked her place having finished runner-up only a length behind the winner is the Andrew Balding-trained filly, four-year-old Kalpana, who looked sure to win when Oisin Murphy sent her past the one-paced Jan Brueghel. He, with Continuous, did not help Rebels Romance’s cause as the second string raced on leader Jan Brueghel’s girth until the action heated up in the straight.

Ascot is legion for trouble in running up its short straight even in small fields. That seems absurd given the wide expanse of the track – two handicaps on Saturday were scheduled to field 22-runner races and there were little noticeable hard-luck stories in them. At the Royal meeting, some handicaps accommodate 32 runners. The Godolphin horse was the one that was hamstrung as Kalpana sneaked through between horses and Calandagan came widest of all after lobbing along in last place for the first ten furlongs of the race.

Calandagan clearly found Ascot an easier track to handle than Epsom where Jan Brueghel beat him narrowly in the Coronation Cup. If he didn’t already have it with a series of previous near-misses at the top level, it was cemented that day at Epsom in which he earned the reputation among many (including me) of being a little wimpish.

There was no sign of a wimp from him now though, as he followed up an easy Group 1 score in France last time by reeling in Kalpana, unlike those Thirsk stewards the day before. The BHA should announce an investigation and with seemingly no possible argument to the contrary, turf out the culprits!

- TS

Calandagan rules supreme for France in King George

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French raider Calandagan powered to a brilliant victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s gelding was bidding to keep the trophy in the Chantilly yard after Goliath prevailed 12 months ago, with his key rival seemingly Aidan O’Brien’s Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel, who had edged the Aga Khan Studs-owned four-year-old at Epsom.

Calandagan was the well-backed 11-10 favourite to turn the tables and after an incredibly patient ride from Mickael Barzalona he swept through to pick off all of his rivals and pass the gallant Kalpana ahead of the line for a one-length triumph.

It is the fifth time the race has been won by a horse carrying the green and red silks, with Shergar the most famous of the those winners after prevailing for the fourth Aga Khan, who died in February this year at the age of 88.

“I am so pleased for the horse, it was a competitive race,” said Graffard.

“The tactics during the race were not what I was expecting, when I saw Continuous going very steadily it was all different.

“When the filly (Kalpana) kicked on for home my horse was still travelling well, I was hoping he was going to catch her at the end. He lengthened so strongly, he’s a very good horse.

“I wanted to see my horse getting into his rhythm and lengthening his stride, when I really saw him coming I started to shout.

“He won nicely again today, he’s a good horse, that’s two in row now in Group Ones.

“Mickael knows him very well and he has a lot confidence in the horse. You saw the ride he gave him, he had a lot of confidence and he won – we are so happy.”

Winning connections following the King George
Winning connections following the King George (John Walton/PA)

Future plans could include another trip to York for the Juddmonte International, in which he was second to City Of Troy last year.

Graffard said: “We’ll see how he comes out of the race, but he’s in the Juddmonte International and why not, I wouldn’t mind going back there. I would have no problem bringing him back to 10 furlongs, but I will discuss it with the owner.

“A mile and a half is also the perfect distance for him, but he ran really strongly in the race at York last year and if he comes back really well, why avoid the race?

“We could maybe go for the Japan Cup at the end of the season, but he will have a big target somewhere.”

Mickael Barzalona celebrates
Mickael Barzalona celebrates (John Walton/PA)

Jubilant rider Barzalona added: “This means a lot and it has come at the right time for me.

“It’s took a bit of time to win his Group One, but now he has won two in a row and to win a King George means a lot.

“He’s a lovely horse to ride and he has an engine and a beautiful action. Once he finds his rhythm he is never going to let you down and as a jockey you just need to put him in the right spot and let him do the rest.

“I was very confident I would get to Kalpana and this is a great result.”

Kalpana seeking to join Juddmonte luminaries on King George roll of honour

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Kalpana returns to the scene of her finest hour for a mouthwatering renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Andrew Balding’s charge rounded off her three-year-old campaign with Group One success over the course and distance on Champions Day and has not done much wrong in two starts since, finishing third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then second in the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland.

Back on home soil, Kalpana is the only filly in a field of five, with Oisin Murphy deputising in the saddle for the suspended Colin Keane.

Kalpana (right) chases home Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh
Kalpana (right) chases home Whirl in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “We’re all set for Saturday, I think we were hoping for a bit more rain than has actually fallen, but it is what it is and I’m sure it’ll be nice ground on the day.

“It’s a top-class renewal, as you would expect for such a good race, but we’re looking forward to partaking in it.”

Juddmonte’s Bluestocking found only Goliath too strong in last year’s King George before going on to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the colours of the late Khalid Abdullah, who also claimed Ascot’s midsummer highlight with Dancing Brave and superstar mare Enable, the latter on three occasions.

Both of those equine greats also landed Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, Enable doing so in successive years in 2017 and 2018, and a potential trip to Paris in early October has already been pencilled in for Kalpana ahead of what connections admit is a stern test this weekend.

“Rebel’s Romance is such a legend of a horse and Calandagan and Jan Brueghel are obviously very, very talented,” Mahon added.

“We think going back up to a mile and a half will suit our filly and Andrew said she worked well on Wednesday morning and he’s very happy with her, so we’re hopeful that her first two runs have set her up nicely for this.”

The top two in the market are Jan Brueghel and Calandagan, who renew rivalry after finishing first and second in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June.

While Calandagan has since broken his top-level duck in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Jan Brueghel has been kept fresh by Aidan O’Brien and is interestingly fitted with cheekpieces for the first time as he bids to provide his trainer with a fifth King George success.

Jan Brueghel (right) denies Calandagan in the Coronation Cup at Epsom
Jan Brueghel (right) denies Calandagan in the Coronation Cup at Epsom (Adam Davy/PA)

O’Brien, who also saddles the rank outsider and probable pacemaker Continuous, said: “Jan Brueghel is good, everything has gone well since the last day.

“It will be an interesting race and the ground looks like it’s going to be nice.

“Continuous rolls along usually and he’ll go forward, but if someone else wants to go on (and make the running), he’ll be happy too.”

Francis Henri-Graffard’s Calandagan has already shown his liking for Ascot, dominating his rivals in the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting last summer before finishing a close second to Anmaat in October’s Champion Stakes.

Buoyed by his long-awaited first Group One success on home soil four weeks ago, connections are excited to be heading back to Berkshire.

Nemone Routh, racing manager for owners the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “The horse is in very good form, he took his win at Saint-Cloud very well. I spoke with Mickael Barzalona who rode him in his last piece of work and he’s very happy with him.

“It’s a small field, but he has to take on Jan Brueghel again and obviously Rebel’s Romance was impressive last time out.

“He doesn’t have much ground to make up on Jan Brueghel and although they were calling the ground good to soft at Epsom, we felt it was riding softer that day. He handles softer ground so we can’t use that as an excuse, but I just think maybe his acceleration is a a bit more decisive on firmer ground.

“When it becomes a heavy-duty slugging match I’m not sure that’s really his game, but when he can use his acceleration on good, fast ground I think that’s when he’s at his best.”

William Buick celebrates winning the Hardwicke Stakes aboard Rebel’s Romance
William Buick celebrates winning the Hardwicke Stakes aboard Rebel’s Romance (David Davies/PA)

The small but select field is completed by Rebel’s Romance, who has won seven Group Ones on foreign soil and bids to break his top-level duck at home following his course-and-distance success in last month’s Hardwicke Stakes.

Speaking on the Godolphin website, trainer Charlie Appleby said: “Rebel’s Romance goes into this in great order. There was plenty of strength in depth in this contest 12 months ago, when he ran a good race (finished third), and it looks a similarly strong renewal this time around.

“He is taking on younger opposition again but, wherever he finishes, the others will know that they have had a race.”

Kalpana out to return to winning ways in Pretty Polly

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Kalpana will bid follow in some illustrious hoofprints by providing owner-breeders Juddmonte with back-to-back victories in the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The powerhouse operation landed the Group One feature with subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking 12 months ago – and following an excellent start to her campaign when third behind Los Angeles and Anmaat in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Andrew Balding’s filly looks to add her name to the roll of honour.

“It looks a great renewal, but Kalpana is in good nick, we’re happy with her and she obviously ran well over the course and distance last time,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager, Barry Mahon.

Having rounded off last season with Group One success on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot, Kalpana was expected to pursue the “Bluestocking route” this term, with Europe’s premier middle-distance contest in Paris on the first Sunday in October a long-term goal.

A planned comeback in York’s Middleton Stakes had to be aborted due to a dirty scope, but she showed her worth behind two top-class colts in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and having since sidestepped the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, she makes a second successive trip across the Irish Sea to take on Aidan O’Brien’s Whirl, who was second to stablemate Minnie Hauk in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom three weeks ago.

Mahon added: “I think the ground was probably a little on the quick side in Ascot. We’ve had a bit of rain here and I’m sure the ground will be good, whereas it was 30 or 32 degrees every day in Ascot and it was just starting to get a bit quick for her.

“We decided to wait and take on our own sex in a Group One instead of going in a Group Two against colts. It’s probably going to be tough to give 12lb to a filly of Whirl’s calibre, but she’s in good form and she’s ready to run a good race.”

Whirl winning the Musidora Stakes at York
Whirl winning the Musidora Stakes at York (Danny Lawson/PA)

Whirl dominated from the front in the Musidora Stakes at York before being beaten a neck by her stable companion at Epsom.

O’Brien said: “She’s a three-year-old, but we always thought this was a race that would suit her and she seems to have come out of Epsom well.

“She won the Musidora over a mile and a quarter and was very impressive that day. It was a big run out of her in Epsom as well and that was a step up to a mile and a half, but looking at her in York you’d say she’ll have no problem going back to a Group One over a mile and a quarter.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Oaks fourth Wemightakedlongway also features, as does French raider Survie, who was last seen finishing second to Arc runner-up Aventure in a Group Two at Saint-Cloud.