Auguste Rodin victorious in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Winner Gains Automatic Berth into 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf
Breeders’ Cup Press Release
ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND— Auguste Rodin (IRE) and Rebel’s Romance (IRE) ─ the two most recent winners of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) ─ headline a top-class field for Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse.
The race winner will gain a guaranteed start in the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Six-time Group 1 winner Auguste Rodin showed a tremendous attitude to land the June 19 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) over 1 1/4-miles at Royal Ascot last time for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Westerberg. That was his first trip back to Ascot since the son of Deep Impact (JPN) finished last in this race last year. It was also his first triumph since his stirring three-quarter length victory over Up to the Mark in last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park. After trailing a 12-horse field to open the season in the March 30 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1), Auguste Rodin finished second in the May 26 Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at The Curragh.
He will be one of three intended King George runners for Aidan O’Brien, who provided a reasonable explanation as to why things went wrong last year. O’Brien said: “It was soft ground, and we probably held him up too much. When Ryan felt he wasn’t going to win he just eased him back out of it. We’re very happy with him and the plan was always to come here after Royal Ascot.”
It has been eight years since Aidan O’Brien last won this iconic middle-distance flat race worth £1.25 million, and he has assembled a strong team for it this year. Joining Auguste Rodin will be four-time Group 1 winner Luxembourg (IRE), and Hans Andersen (GB). O’Brien added: “Luxembourg, we’re very happy with him. He won the Holland Cooper Coronation Cup (G1) over 1 1/2 miles (May 31 at Epsom) and we thought it would suit him well. He’s in very good form.”
The Godolphin-owned 6-year-old Rebel’s Romance, a 13-time winner, captured the 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. He lost three consecutive races after, but has rebounded with four straight wins, including back-to-back Group 1 scores in the March 30 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan and the May 26 Standard Chartered Champions Chater Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. However, he has yet to win at the highest level in Britain. Appleby and William Buick teamed up to win this race in 2021 with Adayar (IRE).
Juddmonte’s 4-year-old filly Bluestocking (GB) is unbeaten in two starts in 2024 and produced a career-best effort to earn a first Group 1 success last time when staying on strongly over 1 1/4 miles to win the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) at The Curragh. She steps up to 1 1/2 miles, and her trainer Ralph Beckett has revealed the reason behind her change in fortunes this season.
Beckett said: “I think it’s just as simple, as she’s a year older. She’s just a bigger, stronger filly this year. She enjoys and finds her work easier, and she enjoys life more. I think she had a very tough spring as a 3-year-old and I think that sort of everything was affected by that.”
The sole sophomore colt in the field, Guy Pariente Holding & Qatar Racing Ltd.’s Sunway (FR), comes in after his best effort this year when a three-quarter length runner-up to Los Angeles (IRE) in the June 30 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) at The Curragh. He will be joined by the Qatar Racing-owned Middle Earth (GB) who was third in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot over this distance last month, but has never won above Group 3 level.
Rain is forecast on Friday at Ascot.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21 to receive the rewards.
