SATURDAY
Aidan O'Brien-trained juvenile September won the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs, giving the great Japanese sire Deep Impact (by Sunday Silence) his latest blacktype winner in Europe. The filly was bred by Orpendale and Chelston, and she is out of classic heroine Peeping Fawn (by Danehill), who is a half-sister to Group 1 scorer Thewayyouare (by Kingmambo). This is the famous Group 1 family descending from Best In Show (by Traffic Judge).
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Five-year-old gelding Snoano won the Listed Wolferton Handicap over 10 furlongs. The Tim Easterby-trained bay was bred by Minster Stud, he is a son of Nunnery Stud stallion Nayef (by Gulch), and he is out of White Dress (by Pivotal), a half-sister to the Group 1-placed French pattern-winning filly Sparkling Beam (by Nayef).
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Highland Reel (see below) notched up his sixth Group 1 success when taking the Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday and today his younger full-brother Idaho (by Galileo) landed the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes. The dual classic-placed bay is also trained by Aidan O'Brien. Idaho is a 750,000gns graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
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James Fanshawe-trained five-year-old The Tin Man won the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs, his second top-level win over the course and distance. He was bred by Elizabeth Grundy, he is by Group 1 sprint star and Newsells Park Stud stallion Equiano (by Acclamation), and is out of Persario (by Bishop Of Cashel), which makes him a half-brother to the Group 2-winning sprinter Deacon Blues (by Compton Place).
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FRIDAY
Juvenile star and Haras de Grandcamp stallion Dabirsim (by Hat Trick) became the first freshman of 2017 to get a pattern winner when Different League won the Group 3 Albany Stakes over six furlongs. The Matthieu Palussiere-trained filly was bred in France by Lotfi Kohil, she is out of Danseuse Corse (by Danehill Dancer), and she is unbeaten in three starts. Her grandam, Corse (by Indian Ridge), is a half-sister to Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes winner Carrowkeel (by Waajib).
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The Mark Johnston-trained Permian is now a dual Group 2 winner following a game success in the King Edward VII Stakes over 12 furlongs. The Darley-bred son of Kildangan Stud stallion Teofilo (by Galileo) is out of Tessa Reef (by Mark Of Esteem), a mare whose dam, Massaraat (by Nureyev), is a full-sister to the brilliant miler and influential broodmare Miesque.
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Aidan O'Brien-trained Caravaggio (by Scat Daddy) extended his unbeaten record to six with victory in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs. The three-year-old was bred by the partnership of Windmill Manor Farms Inc and Petaluma Bloodstock, he is out of juvenile sprint listed winner Mekko Hokte (by Holy Bull), and comes from a branch of the family of middle-distance Grade 1 star Bien Bien (by Manila).
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Dual classic heroine Winter (by Galileo) added the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, beating her stable companions Roly Poly and Hydrangea. The Aidan O'Brien-trained grey was bred by the Laddies Poker Two Syndicate. Her dam, Laddies Poker Two (by Choisir), won the Wokingham and comes from the family of noted sprinters Ancient Regime (by Olden Times), Cricket Ball (by Olden Times), and Caterina (by Princely Gift).
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The Group 2 Queen's Vase, over a mile and six, went to the John Gosden-trained Stradivarius (by Sea The Stars). Bjorn Neilsen's homebred chesnut is out of Private Life (by Bering), which makes him a half-brother to dual 10-furlong Group 3 scorer Persian Storm (by Monsun). His third dam is classic star Pawneese (by Carvin).
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THURSDAY
Scat Daddy's (by Johannesburg) third winner of the week came when the Aidan O'Brien-trained Sioux Nation sprang a 14/1 surprise in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes over five furlongs. He was bred by Fethard Bloodstock and is out of Dream The Blues (by Oasis Dream), a winning daughter of Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes winner Catch The Blues (by Bluebird).
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Derby fifth Benbatl (by Dubawi) won the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes over 10 furlongs. Godolphin's homebred is trained by Saeed bin Suroor, and he is the first foal out of the dual Group/Grade 1 heroine Nahrain (by Selkirk). His grandam, Bahr (by Generous), won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 Oaks.
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Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium) completed a quick double as Coronet won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes over 12 furlongs. Denford Stud's homebred grey is trained by John Gosden, she is a half-sister to classic-placed Group 2 scorer Midas Touch (by Galileo), and her dam, Approach (by Darshaan), is a pattern-placed and stakes-winning half-sister to mile classic star Aussie Rules (by Danehill).
This is the famous family of Group 1 stars such as Albanova (by Alzao), Alborada (by Alzao), Allegretto (by Galileo), Diamondsandrubies (by Fastnet Rock), Quarter Moon (by Sadler's Wells), and Yesterday (by Sadler's Wells).
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Bill Gredley's popular homebred gelding Big Orange held on to pip Order Of St George in the Group 1 Gold Cup over two and a half miles. The Michael Bell-trained six-year-old is out of Miss Brown To You (by Fasliyev), who is a half-sister to Group 1 star Military Attack (by Oratorio) and to smart sprinter Almaty (by Dancing Dissident). His third dam is Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Al Bahathri (by Blushing Groom).
Big Orange is a son of former Coolmore sire Duke Of Marmalade (by Danehill), who stands at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa.
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WEDNESDAY
The Andre Fabre-trained Le Brivido won the Group 3 Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs. His only defeat in four starts is when short-headed by Brametot in last month's Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains. The son of Haras de Bonneval stallion Siyouni (by Pivotal) was bred by J Bugada and Mme B Bugada, and his dam, La Bugatty (by Dr Fong), is a half-sister to the Group 2-placed prolific listed scorer Dansant (by Dansili).
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Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Heartache was bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud, she is trained by Clive Cox, and she is a daughter of Cheveley Park Stud stallion Kyllachy (by Pivotal). She is the first foal out of the pattern-placed, stakes-winning sprinter Place In My Heart (by Compton Place), who is a half-sister to Group 3 Tetrarch Stakes winner and Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas fourth (no blacktype) Leitrim House (by Cadeaux Genereux).
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Last year's Group 1 Coronation Stakes heroine Qemah added Wednesday's Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Al Shaqab Racing's daughter of Danehill Dancer (by Danehill) is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, she was bred by Ecurie Cadran Bissons Sas Lei, and she is out of Group 3-placed Kartica (by Rainbow Quest). Her stakes-winning grandam, Cayman Sunset (by Night Shift), is a half-sister to the smart dual-purpose gelding I'm Supposin (by Posen).
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Highland Reel led home a one-two-three for Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, a sixth win at the highest level for the Aidan O'Brien-trained five-year-old. He was bred by the Hveger Syndicate. His Group 1-placed dam, Hveger (by Danehill), is a sibling to Group 1 stars Elvstroem (by Danehill) and Haradasun (by Fusaichi Pegasus), and she is out of Group 1 AJC Oaks heroine Circles Of Gold (by Marscay).
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Late Ashford Stud classic sire Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg) notched up his second winner of the week when Con Te Partiro won the Listed Sandringham Handicap over a mile. The Wesley Ward-trained three-year-old was bred by K C Garrett Farm Llc, she is a $130,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate, and she is out of Grade 1 Humana Distaff Stakes runner-up Temple Street (by Street Cry), which makes her a half-sister to the Grade 2-placed stakes winner Donworth (by Tiznow).
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TUESDAY
Royal Ascot 2017 got off to a flying start with Ribchester breaking the track record when beating Mutakayyef and Deauville in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile.
The Richard Fahey-trained four-year-old is a son of Darley stallion Iffraaj (by Zafonic), who is in his third season at Dalham Hall Stud having previously spent eight years at Kildangan Stud. He was bred by Andrew Thompson and Mike O'Brien, he is a €105,000 Goffs Orby Sale graduate, and he carries the colours of Godolphin.
Ribchester is the first foal out of Mujarah (by Marju), his third dam is the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Mehthaaf (by Nureyev), and this is a branch of the famous Fall Aspen (by Pretense) family whose Group/Grade 1 stars include Adelaide (by Galileo), Dubai Millennium (by Seeking The Gold), Elnadim (by Danzig), Fort Wood (by Sadler's Wells), Intello (by Galileo), Mondialiste (by Galileo), and Occupandiste (by Kaldoun).
I reviewed Ribchester's pedigree in detail, highlighting his Group 1 potential, in the 25th September 2015 edition of The Irish Field.
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The two-year-old course record fell in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes when the Richard Spencer-trained Rajasinghe (by Choisir) came out on top in a blanket finish. The colt was bred by James and Geoff Mulcahy, he made €65,000 in Goffs as a foal, £85,000 in Doncaster as a yearling, and he won a Newcastle maiden on his only previous start.
He is a half-brother to several winners including stakes-placed Kurland (by Kheleyf), who was fourth (no blacktype) behind Acapulco in the 2015 Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. He is out of the stakes-placed five-furlong winner Bunditten (by Soviet Star) who is, in turn, out of the pattern-placed stakes winning sprinter Felicita (by Catrail).
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The Wesley Ward-trained three-year-old Lady Aurelia added an impressive Group 1 King's Stand Stakes victory to her runaway Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes of 2016, narrowly missing out on the track record. She was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC and she is a daughter of the late Ashford Stud classic sire Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg).
Her US Grade 2-winning dam D'Wildcat Speed (by Forest Wildcat) was a champion in Puerto Rico, as was her grandam Velvet Panther (by Pentaquod). That pair won 47 races between them and both stayed beyond a mile. Lady Aurelia is inbred 4x3 to Storm Cat (by Storm Bird).
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Coolmore Stud's outstanding miler Excelebration (by Exceed And Excel) got a first Group 1 winner from his first crop when classic-placed Barney Roy took the St James's Palace Stakes. The Richard Hannon-trained colt was bred by Eliza Park International Pty Ltd, he made £70,000 in Doncaster as a yearling, and he is out of Alina (by Galileo).
Cheyenne Star (by Mujahid), the grandam of Barney Roy, was a Group 3 winner at Leopardstown and the Curragh, and his third dam is the Naas listed scorer Charita (by Lycius). This is also the family of Group 1 star Gordon Lord Byron (by Byron).
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Godolphin struck again when Sound And Silence (by Exceed And Excel) won the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes over five furlongs. Their homebred colt is trained by Charlie Appleby, he is out of Veil Of Silence (by Elusive Quality), and this was his second win from three starts. His grandam, Gossamer (by Sadler's Wells), is the classic-winning full-sister to classic star and notable sire Barathea.