Snow Lantern and Mother Earth meet again in Sun Chariot

Snow Lantern heads a field of 13 for the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Richard Hannon’s grey already has a Group One win at Newmarket to her name, albeit her Falmouth success came on the July Course and she will tackle the Rowley Mile this time.

Since then she has finished third in the Sussex Stakes and fourth in the Prix du Moulin. Sean Levey will once again take the ride.

Snow Lantern will be bidding to emulate her dam Sky Lantern, who recorded a length success over Integral in the 2013 renewal of the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes.

Sophie Woolf, manager of Rockcliffe Stud, the owner-breeder of Snow Lantern, said: “It’s just amazing – breeding a Group One winner from a Group One winner who brought us so much joy, gave us so many memories and so many amazing days. To be able to carry on the family and be part of it is priceless.

“Sky Lantern was a brilliant racemare. She was very tough and won some fantastic races. She won a Group One at two with the Moyglare and as a three year old she obviously won the 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes. She was also second in the Falmouth Stakes, slightly controversially, but we have set the record straight with Snow Lantern.

“As a broodmare, Sky Lantern is relatively straightforward. She has her moments but I think she was a bit like that in training. She is good to handle and is a very good mother who deals with her foals very nicely. She is very easy to foal and is a really nice individual to have around.”

Looking back to the birth of Snow Lantern on March 1, 2018 Woolf commented: “It was minus 10 in the barn the night that she foaled. When we woke up the next day everything was white with about two inches of snow courtesy of ‘The Beast From The East’ and that is how her name came about.

“Snow Lantern is her (Sky Lantern’s) first filly and obviously is in a different league to her two colts. She just had something about her and took life on from day one. She was always ready for what you asked her to do next and was always athletic. I can’t tell you how much like her mother she is – her mannerisms are so alike.”

Reflecting on Snow’s Lantern’s Falmouth Stakes victory, Woolf said: “I was in tears for most of it, having seen her struggle to her feet 15 or 20 minutes after she was born. It is why we do what we do and doesn’t come along very often. She has brought a lot of people a lot of happiness.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing her next season and then having her back here with us. To be there, when hopefully her babies are born, will be the icing on the cake.”

Mother Earth will represent Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. She was supposed to be heading to Australia for a valuable event but the sad loss of Santa Barbara saw her plans change.

The 1000 Guineas winner has been ultra-consistent, adding the Prix Rothschild to her record while she suffered a troubled passage when third in the Matron Stakes last time out.

The winner of that race was Jessica Harrington’s No Speak Alexander on a golden afternoon for the stable and she will get the chance to confirm form with Mother Earth.

Winner of last year’s Matron was Johnny Murtagh’s Champers Elysees and she will make the journey in a bid to give her handler another big British prize.

The Willie McCreery-trained Epona Plays and Donnacha O’Brien’s Shale complete the Irish challenge.

Just Beautiful was a popular winner at the St Leger meeting for Ivan Furtado and the filly returns to Group One company with not too much to find with the likes of Snow Lantern and Mother Earth based on her sixth place in the Falmouth.

Amanda Perrett’s Lavender’s Blue, who beat Benbatl in the Celebration Mile, is another with leading claims.

Andrew Balding’s Alcohol Free was not declared but the trainer had stated the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was her preferred option.

Alcohol Free’s absence has enabled Ed Walker to secure the services of champion jockey Oisin Murphy for Primo Bacio, who was a strong-finishing fifth in the Falmouth Stakes.

Walker, who also saddles Matron Stakes tenth Dreamloper, is delighted and said: “Getting Oisin on a day like this is a fantastic result for us. I gave him the choice between the two fillies and he chose Primo Bacio, despite having won the Valiant at Ascot on Dreamloper.”

He added: “Primo obviously has some rock solid form until a slightly unexplained run at York last time. She’s been very unlucky not to be placed in the Falmouth or the Rothschild, and hopefully they won’t get too much rain and she can at least do that on Saturday before we put her away for next year.

“She ran great in the Falmouth, but the winner slightly hampered her at a crucial stage. At Deauville the ground could have been quicker and she just never got a fair crack at it.

“Dreamloper wasn’t disgraced behind No Speak Alexander in the Matron Stakes Ireland last time in a race not run to suit her, and it’s great news that she will probably be staying in training too.”

Saffron Beach, Fev Rover and Tahlie complete the field for a race that forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Tahlie's win in the Prix Sandringham at Chantilly was her fourth in a row. Her new trainer Roger Varian is looking forward to seeing her in action and said: "It looks a strong Sun Chariot Stakes but she brings good form from France, where she was a Group 2 winner. We'll learn a bit more on Saturday, but we've been happy with her since she joined us following the Prix Rothschild. She didn't have much luck there, and she won't be out of place."