Chesham Stakes is Cunco's Next Start
Description:
Cunco, the first foal and first winner for celebrity freshman sire Frankel, is headed to Royal Ascot.
The Don Alberto homebred came out of his six-furlong debut at Newbury May 13 in good shape and will be aimed next for the listed Chesham Stakes June 18, according to Fernando Diaz-Valdes, racing manager and adviser for Don Alberto.
The Chesham is the only Royal Ascot stakes for 2-year-olds run at seven furlongs. Trainer John Gosden told Racing Post he considered the Chesham "the obvious race" for Cunco's next start.
Mitchell: Frankel's First Winner
The Chesham has been the springboard for several group winners in recent years.
Multiple group-winning filly Maybe (by Galileo) captured her first stakes in the 2011 Chesham then won three consecutive group stakes at 2—the Silver Flash Stakes (Ire-III) at Leopardstown, and the Keeneland Debutante Stakes (Ire-II) and Moyglare Stud Stakes (gr. I) both at The Curragh. She was raced by Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor.
In 2012 Godolphin's Tha'ir (by New Approach) followed his Chesham win by placing in two group races at 2, the One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes (Eng-II) at Doncaster and the Candy Kittens Solario Stakes (Eng-III) at Sandown Park.
Sultan Ahmad Shah's Berkshire (by Mount Nelson) won the Chesham in 2013 and went on to win the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Eng-II) in September of his juvenile year and won the Darley Stakes (Eng-III) at 3.