Harry Angel off the mark at Group 1 level as son Tom Kitten strikes at Randwick

Tom Kitten provided Darley sire Harry Angel with his first Group 1 winner on Saturday, when landing the Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.

The three-year-old colt ran out an impressive three-and-a-quarter-length winner over Cap Ferrat, with Adam Hyeronimus in the saddle on the Godolphin homebred, trained by James Cummings.

Tom Kitten had previously won at Listed and Group 3 level but was contesting just his second race in the highest grade, having finished fourth in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick as a juvenile.

Along with Group 1 Blue Diamond-placed Arkansaw Kid and Group 2 Danehill Stakes winner Stretan Angel, Tom Kitten has been a good Australian flagbearer for Harry Angel, the former world champion sprinter who is based at Dalham Hall in Newmarket.

While Tom Kitten has got his sire off the mark at the highest level over a mile and a quarter, Harry Angel himself excelled at sprint trips, the son of Dark Angel winning the July Cup and Haydock Sprint Cup in 2017.

His best runners outside of Australia have been Marshman, winner of the Group 3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly, and Al Dasim, winner of the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Stakes at Meydan.

Tom Kitten’s dam, Transfers, is a daughter of Street Cry who had produced mainly sprinters prior to the emergence of Tom Kitten.

Transfers is a granddaughter of Twyla, a three-parts sister to Redoute’s Choice, who is a brother to a previous winner of the Spring Champion Stakes in the 2002 victor Platinum Scissors.

Darley has yet to release its 2024 fees but Harry Angel stood this year for £10,000, his lowest price since his first season at stud in 2019, when he was introduced to breeders at £20,000.

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