ROSE Of Kildare’s victory was not the only fairy-tale story of the past weekend. What about the Group 1 success for Aspetar, landing the Preis von Europa at Cologne to add to previous successes in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood? The four-year-old is the first Group 1 winner for his sub-fertile sire Al Kazeem (Dubawi).

Aspetar is from the first crop of Al Kazeem, one that numbered just 22 foals. Almost half of them have won a race of some sort, and the small group also includes the twice listed runner-up Golden Spell. Aspetar is owned and was bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani and the gelding has a sire’s pedigree, a role that is now denied him.