Saturday Review

Andrew Balding and everyone associated with Kingsclere had a memorable afternoon on Saturday with three winners from their nine runners. Kalpana provided the highlight when beating a top-class field - the nine runners had won 17 Group 1 races between them beforehand - in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot. The Study of Man mare was gaining her third win at the highest level as he stayed on strongly to defend off the challenges of Calandagan and Benvenuto Cellini by a length and a half. The Balding trained runner has a formidable record at the Berkshire track with her form figures reading 312121. Narrowly beaten in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over C&D at the Royal meeting last year, she arguably hit the front too soon on that occasion. However, Colin Keane timed his run to perfect here and comfortably saw off Francis Graffard's French raider. Ballydoyle ran four and there were no excuses with their Irish Derby finishing third and Minnie Hauk fading tamely in the homestraight. One wonders how much longer they will perserve with the triple Group 1 and dual Classic winner because she has looked a shadow of her former self in 2026. Seventh in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe last Autumn, one assumes Kalpana will bid to improve on that effort in early October but attempting to win the Group 1 Fillies & Mares Stakes for a third time on champions day at Ascot (17th October). It is interesting to note that neither of the stable's two fillies Group 1 winning fillies from this season, namely Blue Bolt and Kalpana, raced as juveniles before making their debuts on the all-weather at the start of their three year old careers.

Earlier in the day, stable companion Item got his career firmly back on track when winning the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes. Successful over the same C&D in the Group 2 Dante Stakes in May, the Frankel colt failed to stay in the Epsom Derby trailing in a distant ninth. Given a break since, the Juddmonte owned colt looked in trouble early in the homestraight before responding generously under Rob Hornby. Having worn down the long time leader Pride of Arras, he stretched away to win by nearly three lengths. A return to York next month appears likely with the Group 1 Juddmonte International (19th August) the target for obvious reasons. Unbeaten over ten furlongs, he has done little wrong in his short career but more will be needed to trouble either Constitution River or Ombudsman. 

Another Balding trained runner to keep an eye on is Izuba who made a most promising start to his career in the six furlongs maiden stakes which opened Ascot's card. Mums Tipple (2019) and Indian Run (2023) won the same event before following up at York's Ebor meeting. This Siyouni colt, who cost 135,000gns as a yearling, came home well behind the more experienced market leader Never Enough getting within a length and a half of Ed Walker's winner, who holds an entry in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes next month. Out of a ten furlongs winner mare and a half-brother to another ten furlongs winner, he will be suited by further and looks tailormade for the £100,000 Convivial Maiden Stakes at York (21st August) - the stable won the seven furlongs event with their subsequent Epsom Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal in 2021 and Glenfinnan was runner-up in 2022.

Glory Road, who features in the Maidens In Waiting section in AOTF, got off the mark at the fourth time of asking on his handicap debut at Newcastle on Saturday. A stoutly bred son of Too Darn Hot, Ralph Beckett's charge had run well in defeat at Newbury and Carlisle over shorter trips earlier in the season. Appreciating the step up to a mile and a half at Gosforth Park and racing off a mark of 82, Billy Loughnane's mount was forced to dig deep to get the better of the Andrew Balding trained Ruby Wedding by three parts of a length. He left the impression the further he went, the better he will be. The Melrose Handicap at York (22nd August) looks a possible target and longer-term, don't be surprised if he creates plenty of interest at the Newmarket Horses in Training Sale in late October - he would be a valuable commodity for either the overseas market or the National Hunt brigade. He handles cut in the ground and wouldn't look out of place in the Triumph Hurdle field.