A new star for Frankel? Desert Castle enters 2,000 Guineas picture with dominant Champagne Stakes win

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Desert Castle entered the Classic picture when producing a dominant display to win the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.

The son of Frankel’s decisive three-length victory over Sergei Diaghilev propelled him into favouritism for next year’s 2,000 Guineas, with stablemate Musical Times heading the betting for the fillies’ equivalent following her May Hill Stakes success earlier at the meeting.

Desert Castle is bred to thrive at Doncaster, being out of Sand Vixen, a daughter of Dubawi who landed the Flying Childers at the same meeting in 2009, while his sire Frankel won the Flying Scotsman Stakes the following year.

A 30,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 yearling who turned into a 130,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up graduate, Sand Vixen also landed Newbury’s St Hugh’s Stakes in a six-start career for Saeed bin Suroor.

Adayar is bred on the same Frankel/Dubawi crossCredit: Edward Whitaker

She has proved a brilliant partner for Juddmonte’s marquee stallion Frankel, having produced Group 1 Jebel Hatta Stakes winner Dream Castle and dual Group 2 scorer With The Moonlight from her two other matings with the son of Galileo.

Daughters of Dubawi have clicked well with Frankel. Desert Castle is the 12th Group winner bred on the cross, which is headed by Group 1 winners Mostahdaf, Adayar, Homeless Songs and Desert Castle’s brother, Dream Castle.

In winning the Group 2, Desert Castle became the 193rd stakes winner for Frankel, with his 192nd having been delivered only moments before when Juddmonte homebred Maire Rua scored in the Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown.

The last Champagne Stakes winner to follow up in the 2,000 Guineas was Chaldean in 2023, having also landed the Dewhurst Stakes the previous autumn.

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