'It's the ultimate' - Charlie Mason hoping for more royal success with Coventry Stakes-bound Mr Chaplin

Charlie Mason will be seeking more Royal Ascot riches as a breeder when Mr Chaplin lines up in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday. 

The Ralph Beckett-trained runner was the first winner for Newsells Park Stud's Without Parole at Newbury last month, but he will certainly not be the first royal runner for Mason's Silfield Bloodstock, an operation based at Southburgh near Thetford that has been synonymous with some high-class performers over the years. 

Mason's most notable achievement at this meeting is being responsible for the electric future stallion Dutch Art, a winner of the Norfolk Stakes in 2006 before subsequent strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

"I bred Uhoomagoo, who won the Buckingham Palace Stakes, and North Song, who won the Britannia, while I suppose the best one who was born at home was Dutch Art," he says.

"I've been in the game for about 40 years. David Minton was the first man who got me into it and I worked for him for a long time. I then set up Silfield Bloodstock at home and we've been selling foals since. We've always sold foals and we take six or seven every year to the sales, while there's ten mares at home, including one called Hasten, and a Pivotal sister to Virtual called Upstanding."

Without Parole: a winner at the 2018 royal meeting when landing the St James's Palace StakesCredit: Mark Cranham

Silfield Bloodstock could actually be doubly represented as a breeder at Royal Ascot this year, through Mr Chaplin and Thursday's Hampton Court Stakes entrant Under The Sun, a Golden Horn son of the aforementioned Hasten who last ran in a competitive Sandown Classic Trial. His dam has bred the German Listed winner Cloud Surfing and is a Montjeu full-sister to Group 1 Criterium International winner and Irish Derby third Jan Vermeer and a half-sister to Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Together, by Galileo.

Mason's enthusiasm for Flat racing's showpiece meeting is unmistakeable, as is his delight for Mr Chaplin's past and current connections. 

The impressive Newbury maiden winner first changed hands when selling to IDK Bloodstock for 58,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and more than doubled that price when selling to Alex Elliott at Tattersalls Book 1 when offered by Ger and Yvonne Kennedy's Sherbourne Lodge the following autumn. Now carrying the red and white silks of Michael and Tanya Rembaum, he should not be out of place in a competitive field.

Mason says: "Royal Ascot is the Olympics really, it's the ultimate, and Mr Chaplin has done everyone well too. I got 58,000gns for him as a foal from a £10,000 nomination and the Kennedys got 120,000gns for him as a yearling, hopefully he can go on and do really well for the Rembaums as well."

Mr Chaplin is the result of Midnight Hush's mating with Without Parole, himself a winner of the St James's Palace Stakes in 2018. The unraced daughter of Anabaa was picked up by Mason for 70,000gns at the 2014 Tattersalls December Mare Sale and has done the team proud with her produce to date.

Her winning progeny includes Listed Maggie Dickson Fillies' Stakes winner Mubtasimah, by Dark Angel, while the mare is a sister to Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes scorer Miss Anabaa and out of Midnight Shift, a winning half-sister to Group 1 July Cup hero Owington.  

The pedigree also includes Rada, the dam of Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Nathra who was second to Minding in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile at two and to La Cressonniere in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches the following season. 

"Midnight Hush was recommended to me by Paul Thorman of Trickledown Stud," Mason says. "Unfortunately she wasn't raced but she's by Anabaa and it's a lovely old family which has been around for years. 

"She's produced very good looking foals and has done us proud, she's still in the field at home and is in foal to Shaquille. Hopefully we'll roll on again."

On why he sent the 14-year-old to Without Parole, he adds: "Without Parole is a Frankel horse to start with and first-season sires are the ones I tend to stick with. My daughter's now working at Newsells Park as well, although she wasn't there at the time, but it's all worked well."

With a number of foals by some exciting young sires set to head to the sales, Mason is set to be one of many Royal Ascot-bound breeders just waiting for the games to begin.

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