Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Flying Honours bids to follow in Frankel’s footsteps

Royal Lodge Stakes favourite Flying Honours has looked a star in the making in two wide-margin wins by an aggregate 15 lengths, latterly this runaway Listed win at Salisbury under James Doyle. Photo: Francesca Altoft / focusonracing.com

Newmarket’s Royal Lodge Stakes is the latest European leg of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge for 2022, offering a guaranteed ‘Win and You’re In’ fees-paid berth to the Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on Friday November 4

Small but perfectly formed? The jury is out on that one – but either way there is a potential star on show in the four-runner field for Saturday’s Royal Lodge Stakes in Flying Honours.

Godolphin’s homebred son of Sea The Stars already takes high rank in early betting for next year’s Epsom Derby after a pair of wide-margin successes and is sure to start odds-on against his three rivals in Saturday’s G2 contest.

He is seeking to follow in some famous footsteps because the one-mile Royal Lodge has a history of producing top-class winners – admittedly, mind you, more in its former guise when it was run at Ascot.

With the great Frankel topping the list with a ten-length romp in 2010, a series of top two-year-olds have scored here, among them Classic winners like Mister Baileys (1993) and Benny The Dip (1996), three-time Canadian International scorer Joshua Tree (2009) and subsequent Horse of the Year Roaring Lion (2018).

Part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, the Royal Lodge opens proceedings on a glittering card at Newmarket featuring the Cambridgeshire, the venerable handicap in which 29 horses will thunder down the Rowley Mile.

Those focussing on the class angle, however, will be more interested in the trio of Juddmonte-sponsored juvenile contests, where the G1 pairing of the Cheveley Park for fillies and Middle Park for colts follow the Royal Lodge, a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier offering a berth at the $1m Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Aidan O’Brien has won the Royal Lodge seven times in the past. From four possibles, he relies on Roscommon maiden winner Greenland.

• This year’s European Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifiers will continue next weekend with five races at the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, October 2.

Key contenders

Flying Honours (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) – regally bred homebred son of the outstanding Sea The Stars fluffed lines when green on debut but hasn’t looked back since; fits in the ‘could be anything’ category after pair of wide-margin successes in lesser company, latterly an emphatic 5½-length Listed win over this 1m trip at Salisbury (from a subsequent winner); spoken of as likely Epsom Derby contender.

Greenland (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) – son of Saxon Warrior broke maiden at fourth attempt last month when making all at Roscommon (odds-on); hampered when beaten in Listed race previously but this looks significantly tougher.

The Foxes (Andrew Balding/David Probert) – 440,000gns yearling; well beaten at Royal Ascot before breaking maiden last time at Goodwood (took keen hold but kept on well); extra furlong looks a plus but faces a potential star here.

Dubai Mile (Charlie & Mark Johnston/Daniel Muscutt) – progressive form, winning most recent two starts since being stepped up to this one-mile trip, making all on each occasion; going the right way but this is different kettle of fish.

Shall we talk about it?

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Flying Honours: “Brings a nice progressive profile into this and won over a mile at Listed level on his latest start. He looks to have strengthened again since that run and I think he will be hard to beat.” Godolphin.com