Coronation Stakes romp takes Winter to the top
A year after Ballydoyle’s Minding was voted Cartier Horse of the Year, another of Aidan O’brien’s threeyear-old fillies, Winter, leads the 2017 standings, after becoming the first horse in Europe to land three Group Ones this season.
Although the grey daughter of Galileo, out of the speedy Laddies Poker Two, might not have made the headlines that some did at Royal Ascot last week, she nevertheless completed a rare Guineas and Coronation Stakes treble on Friday, thanks to a comfortable 2½-length victory over stablemates Roly Poly and Hydrangea.
Trained at two by David Wachman and not running again after winning her maiden on the allweather at Dundalk in August, she came into this season under the radar.
However, she instantly demonstrated her potential when runnerup to Hydrangea in the 1,000 Guineas trial at Leopardstown in April. Although that was not enough to persuade Ryan Moore to ride her in the Guineas – now you would be pushed to get him off.
O’brien suggested that he might strike while the iron was hot and go for the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeting (July 14).
Richard Fahey’s Ribchester swept to the top of the Cartier Older Horse standings with his Queen Anne Stakes win – his second at Group One level this season, having already won the Lockinge.
He is beginning to look a very solid contender to be regarded as Europe’s top older miler, and is likely to face his next test in the valuable Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, when the top three-year-olds are likely to be among his rivals.
Hot on his heels are the everreliable Highland Reel, who added the Prince of Wales’s Stakes to his Coronation Cup, and Decorated Knight, the horse Highland Reel beat by 1¾ lengths last week.
O’brien also has the leading sprinter Caravaggio, although that is a pretty tight group, with Harry Angel, Lady Aurelia, Tasleet and The Tin Man all well in contention.
Because there are so few Group One staying races, the winner of the Gold Cup often goes on to win the Cartier Stayer award, and Big Orange is in pole position after grittily making nearly all and then holding on from last year’s winner, Order Of St George, last Thursday.
O’brien’s Churchill, winner of the Newmarket and Irish Guineas, shares the lead for the Cartier Three-year-old Colt with Richard Hannon’s Barney Roy, after the Godolphin-owned colt reversed the Guineas form. They look like facing stiff competition through the season from Brametot, the French Guineas and Derby winner.