Brilliant Tally-Ho bred Campanelle set herself up for another crack at Royal Ascot on Saturday with an impressive winning return in the Listed Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.
Settled in fifth by Irad Ortiz, Campanelle moved into third at the top of the stretch where she picked up and surged past Star Devine to win to win by two-and-a-half lengths.
Trainer Wesley Ward indicated that Barbara Banke's daughter of Kodiac could seek lucrative prizes in Australia later in the year. Before then, however, she will tackle the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she will bid to win for the third time in a row; the tough filly previously won the Group 2 Queen Anne Stakes in 2020 and last year's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup. She also won the 2020 Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville.
“She’s just gotten big and powerful," said Ward. "She’s just really grown into herself. So I was really impressed with that; I told Barbara (Banke of Stonestreet Stables) that. It was a big, big performance today. It was huge. It was really impressive.
“We’re going to the Diamond Jubilee, 6 furlongs in June at Royal Ascot in England. She has a big, long stride like you saw today and I’m really excited about it.”
Ortiz added: “I just followed the instructions. Wesley told me to try to be close to the speed horses, and that’s what I did. She flew home when I asked her to run.”
Campanelle was purchased out of our draft at Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale for 190,000gns by Ben McElroy on behalf of Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables.
She is a daughter of Listed winner Janina, a very fast daughter of Namid and the high-class sprinter Lady Dominatrix.
She capped a wonderful Saturday for Tally-Ho that also included the victory of Perfect Power over fellow Tally-Ho bred Lusail in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
Kodiac was also represented on Sunday by impressive Newbury debut winner Razeyna, trained by William Haggas on behalf of Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum and bred by Godolphin out of Deleyla.
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