Snow Lantern Showcases Classic Credentials at Newbury

The superbly bred Snow Lantern, a daughter of Frankel  and the brilliant Sky Lantern , moved a step closer to emulating her illustrious dam when claiming the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden Stakes at Newbury April 18.

Bred and owned by Simon and Ben Keswick of Rockcliffe Stud, Snow Lantern is the third foal out of the owners' four-time group 1 winner, whose record includes victories in the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1), Coronation Stakes (G1), and Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) during a sensational 3-year-old campaign.

Evidently not as precocious as her dam, who was initially trained by Richard Hannon Sr. and won the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) as a juvenile, Snow Lantern ran just once at 2 but showed she has improved plenty as she saw off Derab, a Sea The Stars  half brother to none other than Enable , to score by a length and three-quarters.

That smooth success under Sean Levey earned Snow Lantern quotes of around 8-1 to follow in Sky Lantern's footsteps and claim the One Thousand Guineas in two weeks' time.

Snow Lantern is the third winner from as many runners bred by Sky Lantern, who is also responsible for Gentile Bellini, a son of Dubawi  who cost the Coolmore partners a cool 2 million guineas (US$2,780,190) at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017, while his year-younger brother Noonday Gun scored in the Rockcliffe silks having been retained at 625,000 guineas ($859,229).

Sky Lantern also has a 2-year-old colt by Galileo  named First Emperor and a yearling son of Kingman , who she was covered by again in 2020.

The 11-year-old Sky Lantern, a Red Clubs  half sister to Go and Go Round Tower Stakes (G3) scorer Arctic  and Queen's Vase (G3) winner Shanty Star, was bred by Tally-Ho Stud and purchased for her owners by bloodstock agent Ed Sackville at the 2011 Goffs Orby Sale, where she fetched €75,000.

Snow Lantern is one of two fillies by Frankel entered in the One Thousand Guineas, along with Showcasing 's half sister Vesela.

There were further classic clues elsewhere on the Newbury card, with the Richard Hannon-trained Chindit  justifying favoritism in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (G3).

The colt, owned by Michael Pescod and sourced by Peter and Ross Doyle at a cost of 65,000 guineas ($86,214), was already among Wootton Bassett 's 31 stakes performers having won the Bet365 Champagne Stakes (G2) during a fruitful 2-year-old season, and boasts a pedigree featuring classic success.

Chindit was bred by Michael Fitzpatrick and Rory Mahon and is the first foal out of Always A Dream, a winning daughter of Oasis Dream  who was secured as a broodmare prospect by Alex Elliott at just 16,000 guineas ($20,549).

In turn, Always A Dream is out of a closely related sibling of Motivator , joint-champion 3-year-old in 2005 after landing the Vodafone Epsom Derby (G1).

Wootton Bassett's Coolmore studmate No Nay Never  was responsible for the winner of the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (G3) as Alcohol Free , who was last seen claiming the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1), prevailed by a short head from Statement , a Ballylinch Stud homebred by Lawman.

Bred by Churchtown House Stud and bought by Jeff Smith's Littleton Stud as a foal for €60,000 ($45,820), Alcohol Free is one of 47 stakes performers by No Nay Never, who is standing the current breeding season at a fee of €125,000.