Bangkok follows in half-brother's hooves to land Easter Classic crown

The high-class Australia entire Bangkok once again showed his liking for the all-weather when following in the footsteps of his ill-fated half-brother Matterhorn in the Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championship at Lingfield.

Owned by King Power Racing and a 500,000gns purchase from breeder Barronstown Stud at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017, the five-year-old returned to winning ways after finishing eighth in the Saudi Cup.

Previously a winner of Sandown's Classic Trial and second to Japan in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, Bangkok has twice won Listed races on Lingfield's all-weather surface and brought up a poignant family double in the process on Good Friday.

Out of Shadwell's stakes-placed Tanaghum, a Darshaan half-sister to Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Najah, Bangkok is related to four stakes performers including Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 scorer Matterhorn.

Matterhorn: Group 1 winner and All-Weather title holderCredit: Mark Cranham

The son of Raven's Pass was the most recent winner of the Easter Classic in 2019 - the Betway-backed Lingfield contest was a Covid-19 victim last year - and proved a consistent performer at Group level before his top-flight success.

He won the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor for Mark Johnston, in addition to placings in the Boomerang Stakes, Brigadier Gerard Stakes and Superior Mile Stakes.

Matterhorn transferred to Salem bin Ghadayer's Dubai stables in February of last year and won the Al Maktoum Challenge that March. He was sadly fatally injured after falling in the Firebreak Stakes at Meydan in February.

The Easter Classic-winning half-brothers' relations include Shadwell's Curragh Cup-winning Tactic, a son of Sadler's Wells, and Zahoo, a Listed-placed daughter of Cape Cross.

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