Old Unions Reunited as Raffle Prize Takes Queen Mary

It was just like the good old days.

True, on this occasion there was no warm hug between Frankie Dettori and Sheikh Mohammed, the world's most famous jockey saving his extravagant embrace for former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Darcey Bussell on the winner's podium. For Dubai's ruler he restricted himself to a respectful handshake, yet the significance of the moment was still obvious. If only briefly, the old firm had been reunited.

They became a union once more thanks to trainer Mark Johnston and his Godlophin-bred, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum-raced filly Raffle Prize, who showed tenacity to match her ability when overhauling Wesley Ward's American raider Kimari at the end of the June 19 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, in which the 25 runners were confronted by driving rain in the five-furlong test. In doing so, the filly provided the first black-type winner for her sire, Slade Power.

Ickworth did not want to confront the rain and, following the lead of Accidental Agent June 18, chose instead to stay in the stalls when they opened. That was a blow to Godolphin, but for the superpower's founder this was still a race to celebrate, as Raffle Prize races in the colors of his son, Sheikh Hamdan.

That meant Sheikh Mohammed and Dettori were brought together in victory at Ascot, where the longtime Godolphin No. 1 had previously captured no fewer than 32 races at the royal meeting in the colors of either Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed, or Raffle Prize's young owner. Now, seven years after parting company with the team, they met in glory once again.

"He was very pleased," Dettori said of Sheikh Mohammed after the contest. During the contest Dettori had become increasingly bullish.

"I looked at the form this morning and saw she had won over six furlongs, so I knew if I could keep tabs on Wesley's horses—and I did—that my filly would stay really well," he explained. "Wesley came back after the race and he wanted to kill me."

Such is their friendship, he probably did not, although Ward was plainly disappointed.

"It's tough getting beat in a big one like that," Ward said. "You want to get in there and be celebrating. I'm proud of her but Frankie is tough out there. It's his track and that's probably why we got beat."

Praise for Dettori came not only from Ward but also from Johnston, who used his post-race ITV interview with Oli Bell to hail Dettori the best of all time.

Johnston told Bell: "I was with you at the Highclere Ascot preview the other day and you introduced Frankie Dettori as the greatest jockey with the exception of Lester Piggott. With no disrespect to Lester, is Frankie not just the greatest jockey? I could see our filly tracking Wesley Ward's horse and Frankie looking reasonably relaxed. We couldn't have been in a better position."

Nor could his filly have been ridden by a better jockey. On a rainy day at Ascot, that jockey and Sheikh Mohammed had an extremely happy reunion.

Raffle Prize a Welcome Winner for Slade Power

The Queen Mary result is a welcome shot in the arm for the stallion career of Slade Power, who began life at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €20,000 in 2015. However, having failed to supply an all-important headline talent such as Raffle Prize in his first crop, Slade Power stood the latest breeding season at just €7,500.

Raffle Prize is one of 30 winners sired by Slade Power, whose other stakes performers are the group 3-placed Bruce Wayne and the listed-placed pair Strings Of Life and Jack's Point.

Royal Ascot success runs deep through Raffle Prize's male line, as Slade Power beat Due Diligence to land the 2014 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1), he is by Dutch Art, who won the 2006 Norfolk Stakes (G2), and in turn is a son of Medicean, who landed the 2001 Queen Anne Stakes (G2).

Raffle Prize is the sixth foal out of Summer Fete, another Darley homebred whose own racing career was capped by winning the Oak Tree Stakes (G3). Raffle Prize is the best of four winners produced by Summer Fete, who also has a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel in the pipeline.

If a change of fortunes will do Slade Power's cause no harm, the same cannot be said of Pivotal's broodmare sire career, as Raffle Prize is just the latest example of the talents his daughters possess as producers.

The Cheveley Park Stud stalwart was crowned champion broodmare sire for the first time in 2017 and again in 2018, and has been in red-hot form again in that department this season, having been represented by the likes of Investec Coronation Cup (G1) scorer Defoe, dual One Thousand Guineas (G1) heroine Hermosa, and Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) victress Magical, who also finished runner-up in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1).

Raffle Prize is bred on an extension of the Dutch Art—Pivotal cross that has already produced horses such as Baccarat, Mabs Cross, and Zonderland. A variation of that nick is also responsible for another Cheveley Park Stud resident in Garswood, who is by Dutch Art and out of a mare by Kyllachy, a stallion son of Pivotal.