Wise Approach breaking maiden on debut. (Dan Abraham)
Winner of Top-Level Royal Ascot 2-Year-Old Contest Will Secure Spot at Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Breeders’ Cup Release
ASCOT, Berkshire, England – Charles Darwin (IRE) is the star name in Thursday’s £150,000 Norfolk Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds, with the winner of the 5-furlong affair guaranteed a starting position in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1).
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Three other Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races highlight the Royal Ascot meeting. The action kicked off Tuesday, with the £750,000 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at a mile for 4-year-olds and up offering an automatic starting position in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and the £650,000 King Charles III Stakes (G1) at 5 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up awarding an automatic starting position in $1 million Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). On Wednesday, the 1 1/4-mile Prince of Wales’s Stakes for 4-year-olds and up serves as an automatic qualifier for the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
Aidan O’Brien is hoping to add Charles Darwin, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Dereck Smith and Westerberg to his list of Norfolk winners that includes 2001 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Johannesburg and 2017 victor Sioux Nation.
By No Nay Never, Charles Darwin built on a debut defeat to run a dominant winner of the April 26 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan over 6 furlongs. He delivered the goods again over a furlong less in the May 18 Antarctic Race under Ryan Moore at Naas. His favoritism in the race is now uncontested since Amo Racing’s Outfielder, trained by Wesley Ward, was declared a non-runner due to an unsatisfactory gallop last week.
The betting currently points to a two-horse race between Ballydoyle’s favorite and new Wathnan Racing purchase Naval Light (GB). The Qatari-backed operation won the race last year with Shareholder, and have invested heavily in their Royal Ascot team in recent weeks. The Karl Burke-trained juvenile finished second in his first time out on May 24 in the 2-Year-Old Trophy EBF Conditions Stakes at Beverley, but Burke reckons there is plenty of improvement to be made.
“He’s a lovely colt, we’re really happy with him,” Burke said. “He’s improved physically and fitness-wise for his run at Beverley, which was a great run. He was pretty green, otherwise I think he would have won that race. I expect him to run a big race in the Norfolk. He will stay 6 furlongs and probably even 7 later on so the trip is on the short side, but it’s a stiff 5 furlongs so hopefully he can manage. If he’s in touch with the leaders two out, then he should come home very strongly.”
Wathnan Racing’s American raider Sandal’s Song is an interesting runner. Another recent addition to the team, the Mendelssohn colt won his lone start in the May 10 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park, an automatic qualifier for Royal Ascot. Trainer George Weaver had his first Royal Ascot success in 2023 when Crimson Advocate won the Queen Mary Stakes (G2). The filly is now owned by Wathnan Racing and trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden. Assistant trainer Blair Golen said of Sandal’s Song: “He’s really settled well into the National Stud, where he is staying, and we’re looking forward to it. He was training well into his first race – he had so much class for his age, and it translated into his race. Since then, he’s been breezing well. We went to Saratoga so we could breeze on the turf there and it went well.”
Godolphin holds an interesting contender in the form of Wise Approach (IRE). The colt has course and distance form when winning the Royal Ascot 2-Year-Old Trial Conditions Stakes in April. He was fourth next time out May 15 when going a furlong further at York, but will be back down to 5 furlongs for the royal meeting.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Norfolk Stakes to start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. 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. 20 in order to receive the rewards.
