Palace Pier becomes second elite winner for in-demand sire Kingman

Palace Pier followed in the footsteps of his sire Kingman with victory in a thrilling renewal of the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday, becoming the Banstead Manor Stud resident's second Group 1 winner in the process.

The three-year-old, trained like his father by John Gosden, became embroiled in a battle with last year's champion two-year-old Pinatubo and 2,000 Guineas runner-up Wichita in the home straight but showed plenty of class and resolve to repel those opponents, with a length in hand of second-best Pinatubo on the line.

Palace Pier is now unbeaten in four starts for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, having impressed in novice and maiden races at Sandown at two and scoring easily in a Newcastle handicap earlier this month.

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“He swept round the outside and I think he demonstrated superior stamina, which he also showed at Newcastle, when he was really strong in the last furlong,” said Gosden after the St James's Palace Stakes.

"It's no fluke. He's a really talented horse and he'll go for the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, which his father Kingman won.”

Kingman, a son of Invincible Spirit and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda, a half-sister to champion and top sire Oasis Dream, won four Group 1 contests in a glittering career – also taking the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes.

Since retiring to his owner and breeder Khalid Abdullah's Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket he has taken the bloodstock industry by storm.

With his oldest crop aged four, he is now the source of ten Pattern winners and 11 Listed scorers, as well as a further 13 black type-placed runners.

The nine-year-old stallion has covered outstanding books of mares in recent seasons, and Attraction, Taghrooda and Treve were among the multiple Group 1 winners set to be covered by him at a fee of £150,000 this year.

Palace Pier pays handsome tribute to Attraction's late owner the Duke of Roxburghe, who bred the colt in partnership with Highclere Stud.

He is the second winner out of the unraced Nayef mare Beach Frolic, a half-sister to Dante Stakes winner Bonfire and Windsor Forest Stakes scorer Joviality.

Beach Frolic is in turn out of Night Frolic, a winning daughter of Night Shift and French Listed winner Miss D'Ouilly, a daughter of Bikala.

Miss D'Ouilly was bought by Highclere Stud's John Warren from her previous owner Jean-Luc Lagardere for 50,000gns in 2000, with the Duke of Roxburghe, who passed away last year, taking a share.

Beach Frolic has a two-year-old by Camelot bought by Sackville Donald for 300,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year. He is in training with Sir Michael Stoute.

The mare also has a yearling colt by Highland Reel heading to Book 1 this autumn and a chestnut colt by Almanzor born in April. She is in foal to Blue Point.

Palace Pier was signed for by Gosden for 600,000gns at Book 1.

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