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| Sumita Pawar |
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At the Royal Ascot meeting on Thursday, Courage Mon Ami, from Juddmonte - the Saudi-owned breeding operation, won three Group one victories, making it a hat-trick for the world-leading sire Frankel.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden and bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud, the four-year-old gelding Courage Mon Ami emerged victorious in a thrilling two-and-a-half mile contest at the Royal Ascot meeting on Thursday, holding off a persistent Coltrane after taking the lead one furlong from home.
Frankel's Hat-Trick At Ascot
With this win, Courage Mon Ami remains undefeated bringing up a hat-trick of Group One victories at the Royal Ascot meeting on Thursday for world-leading sire Frankel, out of the Saudi-owned breeding operation Juddmonte.
The 4YO gelding, who was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud and is trained by John and Thady Gosden, was ridden to the front one furlong from home and held on to see off a persistent Coltrane to deliver a thrilling battle at the end of the two-and-a-half mile contest.
Wathnan Racing, the Qatari owners of Courage Mon Ami, celebrated their second victory at the Royal Ascot meeting with the gelding's triumph on Thursday.
They had acquired the Gold Cup winner through bloodstock agent Richard Brown, along with the Gr.2 Queen's Vase winner, Gregory.
Mostahdaf, a five-year-old by Frankel, also won the Gr.1 Prince Of Wales' Stakes on Wednesday.
All six of Frankel's Group One runners at Royal Ascot this year have finished in the top three.
Juddmonte's Nominations Manager, Shane Horan, spoke with Great British Racing International after the Gold Cup on Thursday.
“The week has been phenomenal. The timing couldn’t be more important because it’s on the international stage, he said. “You’ve got very important owners and breeders from an industry point of view coming from America, Australia and Japan, the Northern Hemisphere season is over and we’re now very much focused on the Southern Hemisphere. There are a lot of Australians around, so this won’t go unnoticed,” he added.
On Frankel’s continued success as a sire at the very highest level, Horan continued, “What can you say? Frankel keeps surprising us with what he can do. We’re looking forward to seeing Covey (by Frankel) race in the Jersey on Saturday. It’s a big step up for him, but he’s a horse of immense talent. He’s a homebred.”