Group 1 double for Sundstrom graduates makes it all worthwhile

While the plaudits flowed for two of her sales graduates who struck at the highest level on Irish Champions Weekend, Anna Sundstrom of the Coulonces Consignment had to watch on from France as she was busy preparing for upcoming sales.

Sundstrom said: "We were working at home because we have all the yearlings to prep for the sales, so it's never a possibility to leave at this time of year."

Laurens got the ball rolling as she lowered the colours of the odds-on favourite Alpha Centauri in the mile Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, while Havana Gold became the first Group 1 winner for Havana Gold when winning the newly upgraded Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

As well as hailing from the same nursery, the pair also share the same trainer in Karl Burke.

"It's pretty cool," said Sundstrom. "It's just amazing to have two completely different horses with the same trainer and for both to be Group 1 winners on such an important weekend.

"I said to Charlotte who works with me results like that make it worth getting up out of bed and working seven days a week."

Laurens was sold by Coulonces for £220,000 as a yearling at the Goffs UK Premier Sale in August 2016. Havana Grey, meanwhile, was a €70,000 yearling purchase for BBA Ireland from the Coulonces draft at Arqana nine days earlier.

The modest Sundstrom is quick to heap praise on Burke, who has now crafted Laurens into a four-time Group 1 winner and recorded a deserved top-flight win with last year's Prix Morny runner-up Havana Grey.

"It's very clear why Karl is such a good trainer," said Sundstrom. "They're a wonderful team and a family who train - Karl and his wife Elaine, and Lucy and Kelly, and the team they have around them. I went to see them a couple of weeks ago and I was just amazed. There was no stone left unturned, the attention to detail.

"I have a two-year-old Rajsaman filly in training with him named Angel Lane, who's about to run soon, and I couldn't be happier with the way she looked."

No pressure then!

Laurens as game as you like in winning the mile Matron Stakes at LeopardstownCredit: Alan Crowhurst

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