Waldkonig takes his sires stakes tally to 34 at Sandown on Friday
In winning Friday’s Gordon Richards Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Sandown on Friday, Waldkonig (4 c ex Waldlerche by Monsun) became the 34th stakes winner for the Juddmonte Farm-based sire Kingman (Invincible Spirit).
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the Gestut Ammerland and Newsells Park Stud homebred raced prominently and took the lead with two furlongs left to travel and held on in the closing stages to beat Desert Encounter (Halling) by a length and a quarter. There was another two and a half lengths back to Extra Elusive (Mastercraftsman) back in third.
Waldkonig is one of five winners, from as many foals to race, out of his Group 3 winning dam who has also produced multiple Group 1 winner Waldgeist (Galileo) and Group 2 winner Waldlied (New Approach). His second dam is Group 3 placed mare Waldmark (Mark Of Esteem) who is herself the dam of St Leger (Gr 1, 1m6f) winner Masked Marvel (Montjeu).
Waldkonig lands the @bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 23, 2021
The 600,000gns buy is a half-brother to Arc hero Waldgeist & captures Group-race honours for @FrankieDettori & John & Thady Gosden at @Sandownpark pic.twitter.com/bRKdypKWNR
Kingman’s stakes winners are headed by three Group 1 winners in Persian King, Domestic Spending and Palace Pier who made a winning seasonal debut in the following race on the card, the Sandown Mile (Gr 2, 1m).
Asked to challenge with two furlongs out by Frankie Dettori, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Palace Pier scored an impressive eight length victory. Bless Him (Sea The Stars) finished second with Happy Power (Dark Angel) another four and a half lengths back in third.
Palace Pier will head towards next month’s Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Newbury. "I was very clear that Palace Pier was at 80 per cent, but, luckily, no-one put it up to him today," said Thady Gosden.
"He enjoys this track and won as a two-year-old here. It was a good performance and Frankie was very happy with him. He's having a good blow, but this will save me going up the all-weather gallops 100 times with him. In terms of going to the Lockinge next, this was the right place to come."
Palace Pier is back
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 23, 2021
Seven races
Six wins
G1 St James's Palace Stakes
G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois
G2 @bet365 Mile
Palace Pier is all class on his return at @Sandownpark for @FrankieDettori & John & Thady Gosden pic.twitter.com/OMrrS9M5py
The third stakes race on Friday’s Sandown card was won by the William Haggas-trained and Tom Marquand-ridden Alenquer (3 c ex Wild Blossom by Areion) who became the 17th stakes winner for Adlerflug (In The Wings) when he won the Classic Trial (Gr 3, 1m2f).
"Realistically speaking he's still quite raw so he's done very well to win that today with some of the form lines the others brought in," Marquand, fresh from returning from Australia, told Racing TV.
"It’s great to be back on track in England and I was really looking forward to returning and building up some momentum. It’s building pretty quickly!"
Adlerflug’s stakes winners include five Group 1 winners; Iquitos, Ito, Alcazar, In Swoop and Torquator Tasso. He stands at Gestut Schlenderhan where his 2021 fee is €16,000.
