This year's 2,000 Guineas winner to join roster
Dual Group 1 winner Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) will be retired to stand at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire at the end of 2020.
Connections of the son of Kitten’s Joy (El Prado) opted to swerve Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) on British Champions day at Ascot in favour of a trip to America for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1,8f) at Keeneland on November 7, after which the Andrew Balding-trained colt will take up stud duties.
"My brothers and I are delighted to own another superstar in Kameko, whose record-breaking two and three-year-old campaigns will live long in our memory,” said Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani, chairman of owners Qatar Racing. “We cannot wait to unveil him to breeders."
A winner of the Futurity Trophy (Gr 1, 1m) as a two-year-old, Kameko took out the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) on his first start as a three-year-old, before running fourth in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), Sussex Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) and the International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f), while the three-year-old was last seen getting his head back in front when taking out the Joel Stakes (Gr 2, 1m) at Newmarket on September 25.
Purchased by Qatar Racing for US$90,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Kameko is out of the Grade 3 winner Sweeter Still (Rock Of Gibraltar), who was subsequently sold for a mere US$1,500 Keeneland November Breeding Sale in 2018.
Sweeter Still herself is a half-sister to Kingsbarns (Galileo) - who like Kameko won the Futurity Trophy, when it was known as the Racing Post Trophy, while she is also the half-sister to Group 3 winner Belle Artiste (Namid).
“Kameko is without doubt the best horse I’ve trained,” said Balding. “He has all the attributes of a top-class miler and is a striking horse to look at. I feel very honoured to have had the opportunity to train a horse of such class.”
A fee for the stallion will be announced at a later date.
