12 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Satono Reve brings Ka Ying Rising form to Royal Ascot as meeting wraps up on Saturday
Satono Reve (centre) finishes third behind Ka Ying Rising (left) and Helios Express (right) in December's Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) at Sha Tin. Photo: Kenneth Chan
The Japanese sprinter will clash with a swag of other international stars in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1,200m)
Satono Reve could give a hefty boost to the formlines of Ka Ying Rising when he lines up in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1,200m) at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
Trained by Noriyuki Hori in Japan, the Lord Kanaloa galloper has twice chased home Ka Ying Rising this season, first when third in December's Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) before his second-placed finish in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) in April.
In-between those runs was a fantastic win in the Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo in March and he is the joint-highest rated horse in the field.
He shares that honour with Lazzat, a French raider who chased home Voyage Bubble in the Group One Hong Kong Mile (1,600m) at Sha Tin in December and has since dropped in distance to devastating effect.
HE DOES IT AGAIN! 🚀
Ka Ying Rising makes it 12 straight wins, four Group 1s and a HK$5 million Speed Series bonus with victory in the 2025 Chairman's Sprint Prize... @zpurton #FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025
The four-year-old decimated his rivals by five lengths in the Listed Prix Servanne (1,200m) at Chantilly in May and is unbeaten in two starts at the 1,200m distance.
Storm Boy – placed at Group One level in Australia last year – was the talk of the town before his stable debut for Aidan O'Brien in the Group Two Greenlands Stakes (1,200m) at the Curragh, but he trailed in last as the short-priced favourite.
His trainer has subsequently suggested he 'had never been galloped or worked' before that start, so an improved effort can be expected on that evidence.
The chief British hope is the Kevin Ryan-trained Inisherin, who won the Group One Commonwealth Cup (1,200m) at last year's Royal meeting.
Inisherin is the real deal and lands the Commonwealth Cup at Royal @Ascot! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 21, 2024
He has struggled with injuries since that run but reappeared this year with a cosy win in the Group Two Clipper Stakes (1,200m) at York and is still lightly raced for his age.
The horse he beat at York, Flora Of Bermuda, has subsequently been bought by Wathnan Racing and the Dark Angel filly has a consistent record that makes her a place danger.
The supporting card is spearheaded by the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes (2,400m), where last year's Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) winner Rebel's Romance bids for a maiden Royal Ascot success to add to his remarkable CV.
Godolphin's globetrotter has struck at Group One level twice since his Sha Tin romp last May, most recently in the Group One Breeders' Cup Turf (2,400m) at Del Mar in November.
Rebel's Romance is just too good! The boys in blue land the @StanChart Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin... 🏆 #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 26, 2024
He made his British return with a comfortable win in the Group Two Yorkshire Cup (2,600m) at York last month and is 5lb clear of his rivals on British ratings.
Charlie Appleby's star will clash with Al Riffa, who wears blinkers for the first time.
The Wootton Bassett galloper landed the Group One Grosser Preis von Berlin (2,400m) at Hoppengarten last August and has been running well in defeat internationally this year, including when fourth in the Group One Prix Ganay (2,100m) at Longchamp in April.
He is set to relish the extra 300m at a stiff Ascot track and looks a big danger to the likely short-priced favourite.
Other dangers include Amo Racing's new purchase Ghostwriter, who is yet to strike at Group One level but posted a career-best effort when chasing home Soul Rush and Romantic Warrior in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan in April.
