'She's such a precious filly' - Donworth pride as Alpinista's half-sister Alpenblume heads upwards

The name of Alwilda has been kept in the limelight over recent years thanks to the exploits of her outstanding daughter Alpinista, and Lanwades Stud's broodmare could be heading down a similar road with her progressive younger offspring Alpenblume. 

Trained by Tim Donworth in Chantilly, the Kirsten Rausing homebred has provided further fillip to both owner and trainer, winning her first three starts last year before picking up her first piece of black type when second in the Grosser Preis von Volkswagen Automobile Hannover & Region in Germany in August. 

The daughter of Kendargent is now a black-type winner as she roared to an easy success in the Listed Sparkasse Holstein Cup at Hamburg late last month, pulling a length and a quarter clear of her rivals. 

Her value as a stakes-winning half-sister to last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Yorkshire Oaks and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine does not need explaining. 

Her trainer says: "She won very well and I guess the next step would be to try to get some more black type in a Group race. They're [Lanwades] obviously delighted to get the big black type as she's such a precious and important filly for everyone.

Kirsten Rausing with Alpinista after her career-defining victory in the 2022 ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I'm just happy I could help make it happen for them."

The son of Bobby and Honora Donworth of Roundhill Stud in County Limerick, he started training in September 2021, having worked for William Haggas and been assistant trainer to Nicolas Clement and Jean-Claude Rouget in France. He already has numerous stakes winners and Group-placed performers on his burgeoning CV, including two for Rausing and her Lanwades operation. 

"Lanwades have have been absolutely fantastic, [Rausing] is just an amazing woman and it's an amazing operation to train for," says Donworth. "I'm very lucky to have trained a stakes winner for the team last year as well with Allada; she's been a very successful owner for me."

On Alpenblume, the second foal out of Alwilda, a Listed scorer herself at Cologne and a daughter of Hernando, the Darley Flying Start graduate says: "She's very tough and gives it her all; she's a pleasure to be around. 

"She's a bit highly strung sometimes, but not in a bad way as she loves her job."

Tim Donworth with his first Listed winner, Ocean VisionCredit: Scott Burton

As befits her background, coming from one of the leading studs in Europe, Alpenblume hails from an illustrious family. 

Her dam is a half-sister to four black-type winners or performers, including triple Listed scorer All At Sea, the dam of last year's St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov, and Newbury Group 3 winner Algometer. They are, in turn, out of the triple German Group 1 winner Albanova, a sister to dual Champion Stakes winner Alborada. 

Donworth has a few other fillies from Rausing's nursery to look forward to and is getting to know the bloodlines well. Last year's Lyon Parilly Listed winner Allada, daughter of Lanwades' in-form stallion Sea The Moon, will be back on the scene when the rain starts falling in greater quantities with Group races the ultimate target in the autumn. 

The trainer says: "I've got four fillies for Miss Rausing, including Allada. She's a four-year-old and was one of the first horses I got when I started training, and she won her maiden first time out in Deauville. 

"She's a filly who needs soft ground, so I won't be doing much with her during the summer but she'll have a big autumn campaign. She's another to try to get into a Group race at the end of the year between a mile and a half and a mile-six.

"I've also got a three-year-old filly by Oasis Dream called La Belle Boheme, who was second last time out, and a two-year-old by Time Test called A L'Heure, who is a half-sister to Allada and is a very nice filly. I'd say she'll debut towards the end of the summer or early autumn."

Despite having been operating for less than two years, there is plenty to show for Donworth and his team's efforts. The likeable and durable three-year-old colt Ocean Vision provided the yard with their first Listed success at Deauville last August, and won again at that level at Longchamp in May. 

He was knocked down to US-based Ramiro Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock for £250,000 at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot and will attempt to make an impact stateside for Donworth later this summer. 

The trainer says: "All in all it's gone very well, we're in our second full year with about 45 horses in, and it's grown very quickly. In the past ten months we've had four Listed winners and a couple of horses placed in Group races. 

"Ocean Vision won a Listed race at Longchamp this year and will run for me in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in August."

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