Thinking caps on but keep it clean - competition to name trio of Qatar Racing two-year-olds by Kameko

The first crop by Qatar Racing’s record-breaking Classic winner Kameko will be seen on the racecourse this year and Qatar Racing’s social media followers have the opportunity to name two fillies and a colt who will run in the operation’s claret and gold silks.

The fillies in question are out of Con Te Partiro, this one trained by John and Thady Gosden, and Ripples Maid (James Ferguson), while the colt is out of Quads (Archie Watson).

Kameko was bought as a yearling for $90,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and subsequently trained by Andrew Balding at Kingsclere.

The son of multiple US champion turf sire Kitten’s Joy became a Group 1-winning two-year-old when landing the 2019 Futurity Trophy at Newcastle. 

Kameko’s three-year-old career continued along the same lines as he became a Classic winner when breaking the record as the fastest 2,000 Guineas winner in history. He also won the Group 2 Joel Stakes before retiring to stand at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire.

His first crop of yearlings lit up sales rings, selling for up to €310,000 and averaging more than four times his fee. 

Aside from Balding, Watson, Ferguson and the Gosdens, trainers of Kameko’s first two-year-olds include Ed Bethell, Ed Dunlop, Ed Walker, Eve Johnson Houghton, Hugo Palmer, Kevin Ryan, Rae Guest, Richard Hannon, Roger Varian, Simon and Ed Crisford, and William Haggas. 

Ferguson said: “The Kameko - Ripples Maid filly has impressed me since the day she stepped into the yard. 

James Ferguson: impressed by the filly out of Ripples MaidCredit: Laura Green

“She's an incredibly strong, robust filly who looks like she will certainly be enjoying a couple of races at two. Everything that we've asked her to do so far, she's done with tremendous ease, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting her out on the track. 

“We’re probably looking to start her over six furlongs unless in her fast work she tells us differently. We’ll start increasing her work over the next couple of weeks.” 

The competition winners will be selected by Sheikh Fahad, chairman of Qatar Racing, and David Redvers. The prize will include two tickets for the opening day of the Qipco Guineas meeting, which commences on Friday, May 3. 

Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing, said: “Kameko was an outstanding racehorse and has been very well received as a stallion. It’s very exciting for Sheikh Fahad, his brothers and the Qatar Racing operation. We’re all very much looking forward to seeing his first crop on the track this year. 

“The names should reflect Kameko’s class and the two-year-olds' high-quality pedigrees. We look forward to going through the entries. Fingers crossed, you could be naming future champions.”

To enter, follow Qatar Racing on social media (@Qatar_Racing on X or @qatarracingltd on Instagram) and reply to any of the posts with your name suggestion. Names must be clean and no longer than 18 characters.

Entries close at midnight this Sunday. Winners will be announced the week commencing Monday, April 1.

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