One of last year’s top two-year-olds – when her victories included the Queen Mary Stakes (gr. II) at the Royal meeting, and the Shadwell Fillies Mile (gr. I) – Rizeena failed to fire in the 1,000 Guineas (gr. I), but bounced back for a ¾ lengths victory in the one mile Coronation Stakes (gr. I).

Rizeena is by Iffraaj, a Zafonic son, who won the Lennox Stakes (gr. II) and two runnings of the Park Stakes (gr. II). He made a sensational start his crop, setting a new mark for two-year-olds winners. He has five stakes winners in his first crop, four group, including group one winner Wootton Bassett. Rizeena is from his fourth crop, which has so far produced five takes winners, four group, also including the ill-fated Chriselliam, who defeated Rizeena in the Fillies’ Mile (gr. I) and then took the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. I).

Rizeena is out of the Statue of Liberty (by Storm Cat) mare, Serena’s Storm, a half-sister to the Australian multiple graded stakes winner Puissance de Lune (by Storm Cat grandson, Shamardal). The second dam, Princess Serena, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song, is half-sister to the high-class U.S. turf horse, Doubles Partner. Princess Serena is out of Serena’s Sister, who, as her name suggests is a sibling to the great mare, Serena’s Song, herself dam of five stakes winners, including Sophisticat (another by Storm Cat), who took also took the Coronation Stakes (gr. I) at the Royal meet, and grade two winner Harlington, who was by Unbridled, so closely related to Rizeena’s second dam. Both Iffraaj and his sire are bred on versions of the Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, and Rizeena’s dam is the reverse of that cross. Two of the Northern Dancer crosses are through the similarly-bred The Minstrel and Storm Bird.

Telescope was always highly-rated by his connections, but was sidelined after winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes (gr. II) last term. On his first two starts this year, he was beaten by Frankel’s much-improved brother, Noble Mission, in the Gordon Richards Stakes (gr. III) and Huxley Stakes (gr. III), demonstrating that ten furlongs was too sharp for him to be seen to his best advantage. Back at 1½ miles for the Hardwicke Stakes (gr. II), he looked a different horse, quickening clear to score by 7 lengths.

A son of Galileo, Telescope, is out of the Darshaan mare, Velouette, a half-sister to the Dubai World Cup (gr. I) hero Moon Ballad (by Singspiel, whose sire, In the Wings, is a Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Heights cross, as is Telescope). The second dam, Velvet Moon, by Danzig’s disappointing stallion son, Shaadi, was second in the Queen Mary Stakes (gr. II) at Royal Ascot, but did win the Lowther Stakes (gr. II). Velvet Moon is half-sister two other notable In the Wings products in Central Park, whose successes included the Italian Derby (gr. I), and the Lancashire Oaks (gr. III) winner Mellow Park. The family goes back to the good broodmares Fighting and Pelting, Fighting having a very similar background to Forli, the sire of the second dam of Sadler’s Wells (Fighting’s third dam is a half-sister to Forli’s broodmare sire, Advocate). We’ve mentioned that Telescope is bred on a version of the Sadler’s Wells/Shirley Heights cross, and is the sixteenth stakes winner from 93 starters for Galileo out of a Darshaan mare.

Run over the same 1½ miles, but for three-year-olds is the “Ascot Derby,” the King Edward VII Stakes (gr. II). The impressive winner, scoring by 3½ lengths, while making only his third start, was Eagle Top. A son of Pivotal, Eagle Top is a brother to The Lark, winner of the Park Hill Stakes (gr. II), and third in the Oaks (gr. I). The dam, Gull Wing, is a black-type winning half-sister to Pivotal’s English and Irish Oaks (gr. I) winner, Sariska. Since Pivotal is by Polar Falcon, a son of Nureyev, and Gull Wing is by In the Wings, a son of Sadler’s Wells, Eagle Top has the three-quarters relatives Nureyev/Sadler’s Wells 3 x 3

At the other end of the distance scale, the six furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes (gr. I) went to the progressive five-year-old Slade Power, who had 1½ lengths to spare over War Front’s three-year-old son, Due Diligence. Slade Power is the first group one winner by the young Medicean (by Machiavellian)stallion, Dutch Art. A sharp two-year-old, Dutch Art gained Royal Ascot win in the Norfolk Stakes (gr. II), and also took the Prix Morny (gr. I) and Middle Park Stakes (gr. I). He trained on to take second in the July Stakes (gr. I) and Prix Maurice de Gheest (gr. I) and third in the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) at three. He’s made a bright start to his stud career, with 13 stakes winners in his first three crops, six of them group or graded.

Slade Power is out Girl Power, who is by Key of Luck, a three-quarters brother to Anabaa. The second dam, Rumuz (by Marju), a daughter of the speedy Advocator (by Round Table) daughter, Balqis. Slade Power is one of three Dutch Art group winners out of Danzig line mares, following a trend set by his sire Medicean, who has ten stakes winners on the cross, six group, and two group one.

Among the two-year-olds, Cursory Glance took her record to two-for-two with a two lengths win over Exchange Rate’s daughter, Sunset Glow, in the final juvenile group event, the six furlongAlbany Stakes (gr. III). Cursory Glance, who should have no trouble getting at least a mile, is one of three stakes winners from ten starters by Distorted Humor out of mares by Sadler’s Wells, the others being Irish Champion Two-Year-Old Pathfork and French group one scorer Aesop’s Fables. For good measure there are also three stakes winners from nine starters by Distorted Humor out of mares by sons of Sadler’s Wells, the best of which is grade one winner, Bit of Whimsey.

Cursory Glance is quite stoutly-bred on the distaff side, as her dam, Time Control – a sister to group two scorer Time On – is out of the Darshaan mare, Time Away, winner of the Musidora Stakes (gr. III) and third in the Nassau Stakes (gr. I) and French Oaks (gr. I). The fourth dam is the great mare, Time Charter, who numbers the Epsom Oaks (gr. I), King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (gr. I), Champion Stakes (gr. I) and Coronation Cup (gr. I) among her triumps. In view of the pedigree of Time Control, it’s interesting to note that Time Charter produced group two winners by both Sadler’s Wells and Shirley Heights, and she is also granddam of a 12 furlong group two winner by Polish Precedent (sire of Cursory Glance’s third dam) out of a Shirley Heights mare.

The Chesham Stakes, restricted to juveniles by stallions that won at ten furlongs or more went to Richard Pankhurst, who is from the third crop of Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) scorer, Raven’s Pass (by Elusive Quality). The dam, Mainstay (by Elmaamul, a son of Diesis), is a sister to the French group three winner Lateen Sails. The third dam is a half-sister to Champion and classic winner Al Bahathir, making this also the family of such as Haafhd, Hasbah (by Diesis’ brother, Kris), Almaty, Red Cadeaux, Heatseeker, Hearts of Fire, Lord Shanakill (from the same Gone West line as Raven’s Pass), Gladiatorus and Jiboom.