Hydrangea, a full-sister to Moutonshoek’s well performed Galileo sire The United States picked up the second G1 win of her career when victorious in the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday.
In the process, Hydrangea also provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with a record equalling 25th G1 success of 2017.
Beautifully ridden by Ryan Moore, Hydrangea (who was trying the 2400m trip for a first time) hit the front with two furlongs left to run in Saturday’s G1 feature and stayed on strongly to beat favourite and G1 Prix Vermeille winner Bateel by two lengths.
Hydrangea has now won four times and earned over £940 000 in prize money. Second in the G1 Prix de’L Opera on Arc day last time out, the three-year-old had previous accounted for four time G1 winning stable mate Winter when victorious in the G1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes, and had also beaten Winter (also by Galileo) when landing the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial earlier in the year.
After the race, O’Brien suggested Hydrangea might stay in training, saying, “She’s an amazing filly, she beat Winter in a Guineas trial over seven furlongs and to do that yesterday over a mile and a half was something else. We weren’t sure she’d stay, Wayne (Lordan) and Seamus (Heffernan) thought she would and it was Ryan’s idea to run as he thought she would. I think the lads will think about it (staying in training), I was speaking to Ryan about it and he said we should keep her in training because she could run in anything from a mile to a mile and a half, hopefully we’ll keep her.”
The United States and Hydrangea are both sired by the world’s premier sire Galileo, whose son Order Of St George captured Saturday’s G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Galileo’s greatest son, Frankel, also made news at Ascot this weekend, with his son Cracksman running out a facile, seven length winner of the G1 Qipco Champions Stakes.
Winner of the G1 Ranvet Stakes, and earner of more than $2 000 000 in prize money, The United States, who has proven very fertile, has made a cracking start to his stud career.
Among the mares booked to him this season are Persnikkity –a half-sister to SA Derby winner Royal Bencher, UAE Oaks winner Imperial Ice, Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner Kitti Cat (tested in foal), the blue blooded Unconditional (whose sire Danehill Dancer is broodmare sire of Galileo’s champion Minding), G3 winner Madrisa, Rock Of Gibraltar’s stakes winning daughter Alinga (dam of unbeaten 3yo sensation Broadway Trip), and Winter Oaks winner Secret Risk. The latter is another mare making her mark, as she is the dam of the hugely promising recent winner Undercover Agent.