Rising TV star to make Royal Ascot debut leading up father's horse in big race
One of the rising stars of US racing broadcasting is to make her Royal Ascot debut - as a groom.
Andie Biancone, 28, has soared to fame covering US racing's biggest events including the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup as a roving reporter and analyst for FanDuelTV. And while the network will have a team on site at next week's royal meeting, Biancone will instead be helping supervise her dual Arc-winning father Patrick's first Royal Ascot runner since he left Europe 35 years ago.
While based in France, Patrick Biancone trained one of the most powerful strings in world racing as head trainer to Daniel Wildenstein.
He won back-to-back editions of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Sagace and All Along in 1983 and 1984. He also trained the great Triptych to win the Irish Champion Stakes in 1987 and Coronation Cup in 1988 but has yet to saddle a Royal Ascot winner.
At the height of his fame he moved to Hong Kong in 1990, where he met Andie's mother Elaine Sung Wing-yan, a former Miss Hong Kong, and the 73-year-old now operates a boutique stable in Florida which will be represented by Lennilu in the Queen Mary Stakes.
'I have never been to Ascot,' said Andie. 'I will be riding her work and leading her up and I cannot wait. I definitely would have expected to have gone there as a TV reporter before we had a runner. I am so excited. Even just to go is an immense blessing.'
Lennilu is unbeaten in two starts, winning on debut at Keeneland before earning her trip with an impressive success in a Royal Ascot-qualifier at Gulfstream Park.
'She is lovely,' said Andie. 'I travelled with her when she went to Keeneland for her debut and she was an absolute pro. She was very professional on the track, very professional in the paddock. We have carried the baton forward and she has been outstanding in every sense.
'From the field she ran against at Keeneland, the Todd Pletcher filly came back and won, the third place runner came back and won, the fourth placed runner came back and won, so it was a very key race. She beat a good group, she did it well.
'Her jockey Luis Saez has always had utmost confidence in her as well. He did her first gate breeze. I was on her company and she dusted me so bad. After that work, Luis said. 'She'll win for sure at Keeneland'. We knew she would be better on the grass as well.'
She added: 'I really think she has a shot at winning. She's been so impressive, it takes a very special horse to be able to travel and do what she has done so far by passing every test. I was very impressed by her last work as well.'
Patrick Biancone saddled Triptych to finish third in the 1986 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He rarely travels away from home but is making an exception for Royal Ascot.
'He doesn't do any spectating,' said Andie. 'It's his barn, his horses, his life. We had to beg him not to take the horse plane with her. He's 73 and we made sure he flew business class.'
She continued: 'It would be incredibly special to win, especially as my whole family will be there. My sister works for Tattersalls and her husband for Godolphin and they will be taking time off work to be there. My brother who lives in New York is coming over for the race.
'Typically in the US Dad will send me. He doesn't usually come to the races so it will be fun to have everybody there. I just hope he gets a hair cut because he is definitely rocking the Florida hair right now. He has some interesting style.'
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