Monday's racing round-up includes the news of a multiple Group 1 winner's retirement from racing, alongside entries for Saturday's feature action at Sandown…
Cheveley Park Stud confirmed this morning that they have purchased a share in Vandeek, who will now go on to stand with them in 2025 in partnership with current owners KHK Racing. Simon and Ed Crisford's colt, who was unbeaten at two in a season which saw him win both the Group 1 Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, has been retired from racing. A statement from Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, read: "Patricia Thompson is delighted to have been able to secure Vandeek, in partnership with Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to stand at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, making this very exciting son of Havana Grey available to British and international breeders and thus further enhancing the long-established history of Cheveley Park Stud standing world-class stallions."
Australian sprinter Asfoora will head home from her UK voyage after connections decided to pull the plug on furthering her European campaign. Henry Dwyer's Aussie ace claimed the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot and was oh-so-close to following up when narrowly denied by Big Evs at Glorious Goodwood. The daughter of Flying Artie lost little in defeat when fourth behind Bradsell in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York last Friday, but with connections feeling she has had a busy summer, Dwyer revealed his stable star will soon embark on her journey back down under.
Field Of Gold is one of fifteen exciting entries in the Group 3 Sky Bet Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday. The John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Kingman, who also won the Sandown Group 3, finished third behind Stonehenge Stakes winner New Century on debut at Doncaster, before running out an emphatic winner under Kieran Shoemark on the July Course. The Juddmonte-owned contender could be joined by the likes of Ralph Beckett's eye-catching debut winner Matauri Bay, George Boughey's easy Newmarket scorer Asuka, and Aidan O'Brien's dual Tipperary winner and Group 3 Tyros Stakes third Surpass.
Harry Davies successfully steered Soldier's Heart to a second-course success from as many starts to claim the British Stallion Studs EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy Stakes at Ripon. The son of Havana Grey travelled strongly on the front end under Davies, before kicking clear inside the two-furlong marker. Benevento did his best to make a race of things inside the final furlong, but in all truth, he never looked like closing the gap as Soldier's Heart went on to a comfortable two-length triumph.
