3 minute read
Colt motors home in Windsor Castle Stakes
Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (High Chaparral) added another string to his burgeoning bow as his son Tactical (2 c ex Make Fast by Makfi) landed the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Royal Ascot on Wednesday and in the process became the stallion’s sixth stakes winner.
Trained by Andrew Balding and bred and raced by The Queen, the two-year-old colt came into the race off the back of a third place finish behind leading Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) contender Eye Of Heaven (Exceed And Excel) at Newmarket on June 4 and he looked to have taken improvement from that run.
On the rail closest to the empty stands, he moved with ease throughout the five furlong trip and was able to hold off the fast-finishing Yazaman (Kodiac), beating him by a length and a quarter victory, while Muker (Mehmas) finished another short-head further back in third.
Balding has started the season of well, headlined by the Kameko’s (Kitten’s Joy) victory in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) earlier in the month and he said this colt had improved since his debut run at Newmarket.
“Tactical was showing a fair bit at home before we ran him first time out,” Andrew Balding said.
“He ran a nice race and learnt plenty, and James gave him a lovely ride today, but we were quite hopeful, especially when it looked like the draw was more of a help than a hindrance.
"He was showing plenty early. He would have been, for me, ready to run in April, which is very early for one of mine. He has got a great attitude and is very professional. It is obviously a huge thrill for all of us to have a Royal winner at the Royal meeting. I feel very lucky.
"Dad [Ian Balding] was lucky enough to have a Royal winner here, and my uncle William [Lord Huntingdon] had a couple, so it is nice to keep up with them.
"We thought Tactical had learnt a lot [on his debut at Newmarket on June 4] and would be a bit sharper, and that very much proved to be the case. But he still had to get the job done and did it nicely at the end. I think he will be better over six furlongs, and we stuck at five because we thought the Coventry Stakes would be a much stronger race, but he will certainly be going six furlongs and looks up to Group class, anyway."
Balding was asked how communication with The Queen regarding her horses works. He replied: "With the routine stuff it is obviously John Warren [The Queen's racing adviser] we deal with, but on a raceday we tend to give her a ring in the morning and tell her our thoughts, which I did this morning, so she was well-informed. She will be thrilled, I am sure!"
Tactical is out of a Listed-placed daughter of former Westbury Stud shuttler Makfi (Dubawi), who is herself out of Group 3 winner Raymi Coya (Van Nistelrooy).
Further back, the colt’s fourth dam is Grade 1 winner Try Something New (Hail the Pirates), who in turn produced German Group 2 winner Somethingdifferent (Forest Green).
Toronado will stand the 2020 season at Swettenham Stud in Victoria for a fee of $25,000 (plus GST) and his winners in Australia are headed by dual Listed winner Still A Star.
A Royal winner at #RoyalAscot! Tactical wins the Windsor Castle Stakes... @Ascot pic.twitter.com/sogd3D6uxQ
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2020
