- The Karl Burke-trained Leovanni wins exhilarating Queen Mary Stakes
- Another Auguste Rodin win yet again reflects ‘genius’ of trainer Aidan O’Brien
A burst of electricity, a shockwave through an industry. The Queen Mary doesn’t command star billing at Royal Ascot but the significance of this latest running cannot be understated.
Leovanni, with a push button change of speed, scampered away with the Group Two contest over five furlongs and, in doing so, gave owners Wathnan Racing its first victory of this year’s meeting. It is unlikely to be their last. If it is, there will be some long faces.
Wathnan Racing is the venture of The Emir Of Qatar and, in recent weeks, he sanctioned a spending spree of more than £25million to buy horses capable of winning here, such as Haatem, who runs in Saturday’s Jersey Stakes. Leovanni, at £190,000, was relatively cheap but crucial to this mission.
Trained by Karl Burke and ridden by James Doyle, who Wathnan lured away from superpowers Godolphin to be their retained jockey, Leovanni’s display was exhilarating and you knew, immediately, it means these peacock blue and old gold silks are here to shake-up the established order.
James Doyle-ridden Leovanni stormed to victory in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot
The Karl Burke-trained horse earned a significant victory for Qatari-owned Wathnan Racing
It is 12 months since they first dipped their toe, spectacularly, into racing when, on the eve of Royal Ascot, they bought Gregory and Courage Mon Ami, who won the Queen’s Vase and Gold Cup, respectively. What has happened since shows that was no flash in the pan.
Watching Gregory, trained by John and Thady Gosden, attempt to win them a second Gold Cup on Wed – he steps into the fray with Courage Mon Ami injured – will be fascinating but to do that, he must find a way past hot-favourite Kyprios.
‘But, yes, it’s a really important moment. For any new player to come in to our game is tremendous. The scale of the ambition they have shown, so far, is great. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future but it’s an extraordinary opportunity to build this team of horses.’
Watching Gregory, trained by John and Thady Gosden, attempt to win them a second Gold Cup this afternoon – he steps into the fray with Courage Mon Ami injured – will be fascinating but to do that, he must find a way past hot-favourite Kyprios.
That won’t be easy as Aidan O’Brien’s horses have burst into form spectacularly, the trainer doubling up thanks to Illinois, in the Queen’s Vase, and – crucially – the outstanding Auguste Rodin, who thundered home in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes to add another highlight to his astonishing CV.
Leovanni’s victory represents a ‘shake-up against the established order’
Incredibly, this was the 400th Group One triumph of the master trainer’s career, a number that is almost incomprehensible and also a number that shows just how far Wathan will have to go to scale the biggest heights. O’Brien, simply, is a genius.
‘This is a very special horse,’ said O’Brien of Auguste Rodin, who was justified 13/8 favouritism under Ryan Moore. ‘He has a personality and, to become good, horses need personality. He has everything. The action, the temperament and the pedigree. I’m so grateful for everyone making this happen.’
