Kings of the turf set for royal engagement with the Queen's mares

Some of the world's leading turf sires – including Deep Impact in Japan – feature among the mating plans for the Queen's broodmare band this year.

Estimate, who memorably carried the royal silks to victory in the Gold Cup in 2013, will visit Dubawi for the third year running.

The daughter of Monsun, also successful in the Queen's Vase, Sagaro Stakes and Doncaster Cup, has a yearling colt by the Dalham Hall Stud stalwart and delivered a filly foal by him this month.

“Her Majesty was able to see Estimate's new foal before leaving Sandringham and is thrilled that the mare looks to be making an excellent start to her breeding career, having now produced two high-quality foals,” said the Queen's bloodstock and racing adviser John Warren.

Sweet Idea, an Australian Group 1 winner by Snitzel who joined the royal broodmare band in 2016, will return to Galileo having missed to him last year.

Galileo's dual world champion son Frankel has been chosen as the first cover for Light Music, a daughter of Elusive Quality who won the Listed Radley Stakes and finished second in the Group 3 Chartwell Fillies' Stakes.

Warren said: “Learning how to mate mares to young stallions is always a very intriguing part of the mating process and Her Majesty will be keen to follow what could work with Frankel, being a son of Galileo out of a Danehill mare.”

The Queen bred Light Music out of the Listed-winning Danehill Dancer mare Medley, who produced a striking filly by Highclere Stud resident Cable Bay on Sunday.

“The photograph of the foal has astonished people – she is only eight hours old in the picture but looks more like a week old,” reported Warren.

Medley returns to Cable Bay this year.

Diploma, a Dubawi filly who won the Listed Lyric Fillies' Stakes at York last year, will visit Deep Impact at Shadai Farm in Japan for her first mating.

As Warren pointed out, Deep Impact may be king of the Japanese breeding scene but his roots return to the Royal Studs.

“The Queen was keen to use Deep Impact as he hails from Her Majesty's Highclere family and this mating looks very interesting,” he said. “Diploma was unlucky not to prove she was Group class as she became sick while travelling to Canada for the EP Taylor Stakes and was retired accordingly.”

Deep Impact - the sire of 28 top-level winners worldwide – is out of a granddaughter of the Queen's 1,000 Guineas and Prix de Diane heroine Highclere.

Among the other notable matings planned for mares in the Royal Studs this year, Albany Stakes and Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Memory will visit Galileo after delivering a foal by Dubawi. Galileo is the sire of her Group 3-winning son Recorder.

Oh So Sharp Stakes scorer Raymi Coya is in foal to Toronado and will return to the same sire, while dual Listed winner Set To Music is due to Lope De Vega and is in line for a repeat of that mating.

Golden Stream, a stakes-winning daughter of Sadler's Wells, has had a colt foal by Dubawi and visits Sea The Stars, while Listed winner Momentary is due to Australia and joins Estimate in being covered by Dubawi.

“The Queen's broodmare band has quietly been developing into a collection of beautiful quality mares,” Warren said.