3 minute read

Regally-bred colt becomes stakes winner number 91 for War Front

Battleground (3 c ex Found by Galileo), one of the best bred colts of the whole week lived up to his high-class breeding, as he took out the Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Royal Ascot and in the process handed War Front (Danzig) his 91st stakes winner. 

The mount of Ryan Moore showed significant improvement from his fifth place finish at Naas on debut last week to hold off the challenge of game runner-up March Law (Lawman), beating him by two and half lengths with another length and three-quarters back to Seattle Rock (Fastnet Rock) in third. 

"Battleground ran at Naas, finished a good fifth and Wayne Lordan loved him. We are delighted to win today [Thursday],” said Aidan O’Brien. 

"He had a good clear run at Naas, there was no hard luck story but he learnt a lot from it. He is out of Found so you would have hoped he would stay further really.

"We were worried about the ground. Battleground is by War Front, but Found handled soft ground when she won the Breeders' Cup Turf [2015].

"Battleground is an exciting horse - he could be anything. He could be one for the July Meeting or the National Stakes. I would imagine he would stay well and probably a mile will be his trip. Found got a mile and a half, but he is by War Front and that is a big influence for speed.

 "We are hoping that he could progress into a very good miler. Found was an unbelievable, magic mare. She was one of the very special ones and everyone remembers her. Obviously, this is her first foal and everyone wants to do well. Battleground is an unbelievable specimen really. 

"It was a big ask for our two-year-olds as most of them only run last week. We needed to get a run into him otherwise it was going to be difficult to get into the race as they would have been fourth or fifth preference. We were lucky in this race that it was not a full field and he finished fifth on his debut. 

"Obviously, some two-year-olds have disappointed this week, but they are entitled to."

The colt is the first foal out of multiple Group 1 winner Found (Galileo) who was one of the very best mares in the past years whose three Group 1 wins included the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) and the Breeders' Cup Turf (Gr 1, 12f) in which she dealt Golden Horn (Cape Cross) one of his only two career defeats. 

Found is from an impeccably well-bred family, being out of dual Group 1 winner Red Evie (Intikhab) - who like her daughter improved with age and over extended distances. Found herself is a sister to Group 3 winners Best In The World and Magical Dream. 

War Front has also proved a good match for Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mares, with seven stakes winners, three elite level winners, produced from his 91 stakes winners.

Found’s son Battleground wins the Chesham for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore in fine style!#RoyalAscot @Ascot pic.twitter.com/ATCfvWTPbD

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2020