Well-Bred Battleground Pure Class in Chesham Stakes

Aidan O'Brien may have found his next classic star in Battleground, who opened his account with a 2 1/2-length success in the June 18 Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, taking the Ballydoyle handler to a record five wins in the listed contest.

Ryan Moore's mount, sent off as the 11-4 favorite, showed significant improvement from last week's Naas debut to hold off game runner-up March Law, who outran his odds of 18-1 for Mark Johnston and Silvestre de Sousa.

The winner is a royally bred son of War Front  out of the remarkable 2016 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) and Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) victor Found, and Paddy Power were impressed enough to make him 10-1 for next year's QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1).

"He's an unbelievable specimen really," said O'Brien after adding to his Chesham victories with Bach (1999), Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), and September (2017). "He finished a good fifth at Naas and Wayne Lordan loved him. He had a good clear run, there was no hard luck story but he learned a lot from it."

"We were worried about the ground," O'Brien added. "He's by War Front but Found handled soft ground when she won the Breeders' Cup Turf."

The manner of Battleground's success was uncomplicated without being outrageously impressive.

He always appeared to be getting the upper hand once sent on inside the final two furlongs, gradually unwinding to a dominant score.

Seattle Rock ran a massive race at 80-1 to claim third despite hanging to the right late on, while the well-backed First Prophet failed to fire and finished last of the eight runners.

Weighing up the winner's future targets, O'Brien suggested stepping up another furlong in distance could be right up Battleground's street.

"He's an exciting horse, he could be anything," he said. "He could be one for the July meeting or the National Stakes (G1). I would imagine he'd stay well and probably a mile will be his trip. Found got a mile and a half, but War Front is a big influence for speed. We're hoping he could progress into a very good miler. Found was an unbelievable, magic mare. She was one of the very special ones and everyone remembers her."

The success brought Moore level with Frankie Dettori on a record four wins in the race, following his previous successes for Ballydoyle on Maybe, Churchill, and September.

Battleground Gives Found Her First Winner in Chesham

Battleground, Found's first foal, put in a demolition job in Thursday's listed Chesham Stakes.

The daughter of Galileo won six times during her 21-race career, including three top-flight successes. She enjoyed her finest hour when she led home a one-two-three for Ballydoyle and her sire in the 2016 Arc.

She also memorably lowered the colors of Golden Horn in the previous year's Breeders' Cup Turf and was a group 1-winning 2-year-old having claimed the Total Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches. A remarkably tough and consistent performer, she reached the podium at group 1 level a further 12 times.

She remained in the US after her Breeders' Cup Turf swansong and visited Claiborne Farm's War Front for the covering that produced Battleground. Found was reportedly covered by Justify  in 2019 and returned to Ireland later last year. 

Should Battleground go on to strike at the highest level, he would become the third generation of his family to do so, as Found is the fourth foal of Red Evie, who landed the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes (G1) and Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes (G1) for Michael Bell.

Battleground, who was bred by the Coolmore-affiliated Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt, is the latest example of the Irish powerhouse pairing their blue-chip daughters of Galileo with Claiborne Farm's War Front.

Other notable names bred on this cross include group 1-winning full-siblings US Navy Flag and Roly Poly, who are out of Misty For Me, and Fort Myers, a son of Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Marvellous.

War Front, who stood the 2020 breeding season at a fee of $250,000, has now sired 146 stakes performers, among which are 48 group/graded winners and 43 listed scorers. His 21 group/grade 1 winners include celebrities such as Air Force Blue , Declaration of War, Lancaster Bomber, and War Command.

Jim Crowley Makes it Five as Molatham Prevails in Jersey Stakes

Roger Varian turned up to Ascot unsure about soft conditions for Molatham but left dreaming of bigger things to come after a battling win in the Jersey Stakes under man of the week Jim Crowley.

The 11-2 shot carted Crowley into the race and although the Jersey looked wide open two furlongs out, he was travelling noticeably best and kicked on.

However, he also had to display resolve in addition to class, battling back past the patiently ridden Monarch of Egypt, who had challenged in the center of the track and briefly headed Molatham in the final furlong.

"He had the one run on soft ground last year and didn't fire, but his form before that was very strong - he beat Wichita and we were thinking of the Guineas for him," Crowley said. "He stuck it out well, he got headed but in fairness to him he came back. I probably got there too soon but he arrived and was going so well. On this ground it's hard to sit and expect to quicken."

While the Jersey has a rich history of producing good horses, with several recent winners subsequently running over a mile in the Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood, the seven furlongs of the Prix Jean Prat (G1) appears a viable alternative, for all that Varian would not be drawn into immediate speculation about future targets.

One thing was for sure though, he knows he has a good one at Carlburg Stables.