ROHAAN continued his remarkable rise to stardom when winning the highly competitive Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot in an amazing last to first blitz. Officially rated just 55 after his first three runs, he has now won 7 races including a Group 2 & Group 3 and is rated 116 – a rise of 66lbs higher in just over 6 months.
As a gelding he was ineligible to run in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup but surely would have gone very close in that event if he’d been eligible to run, having beaten the first past the post in his last start. He was the only 3 year old in the field yet he was still only carrying 2lbs less that the top weight in the 30 runner field. It was a fabulous weight carrying performance delivered with some style. The race was run in a quicker time than the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee for older sprinters run earlier in the day over the same course and trip.
A £36,000 yearling purchase at Goffs UK Premier Sale, he was sold on after two disappointing first runs. A big regret but I am still delighted to have purchased him as a yearling.
Mehmas colt LINE OF DEPARTURE started his three-year-old campaign in tremendous form when winning the Listed EBF Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury. Taking on older sprinters including Group 1 placed Khaadem, he came through to claim victory by over 2 lengths on his favoured firm ground. He has risen 11lbs for the victory to a career high of 110.
A lazy worker on the home gallops, he should improve for the run and deserves his chance in better company, a shot at the Group 1 July Cup at the Newmarket July meeting will be considered.
Royal Ascot has been an unlucky venue for WALIYAKH who was second last year in the Sandringham Stakes with the full width of the track splitting her and the winner. This year in the Kensington Palace Stakes she was very slow out of the stalls on this her seasonal debut, meaning she had no choice but to sit in last of the 18 runners for much of the race. This beautiful looking four-year-old Le Havre filly finished like a train, meeting some trouble in running, and would surely have gone exceedingly close if she had broken from the stalls in a more timely manner.