Dewhurst victory for Chaldean

Frankel two-year-old Chaldean continued his string of blacktype successes with a win in the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday (8th October).

Taken from the Thoroughbred daily News, 9th October 2022, by Sean Cronin:

The form of last month's Gr.2 Champagne Stakes received a timely boost when Silver Knott snagged the Gr.3 Autumn Stakes earlier on the card and that former contest's winner, Chaldean, continued his impressive winning spree by making virtually all in Saturday's Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, providing trainer Andrew Balding with a first triumph in the seven-furlong Autumn highlight.

The May-foaled chestnut, whose sire won the 2010 renewal of this contest, had earlier followed up a debut fifth at Newbury (30th June) with a maiden win back there (15th July) and registered a first blacktype victory in August's Gr.3 Acomb Stakes at York in his penultimate outing.

He recovered from a scrappy departure in the Dewhurst to lead after the initial strides. Holding sway thereafter, the 5-2 joint-favourite came under pressure when threatened by 'TDN Rising Star' Nostrum (Kingman) approaching the quarter-mile marker and, having subdued that rival on the climb, held enough in reserve to withstand the late rattle of Gr.2 victor Royal Scotsman by a head. Nostrum was not unduly punished in the closing stages and finished two and a quarter lengths back in third.

"It is the first season I've had runners for Juddmonte and he was the first one in," Andrew Balding explained.

"It is a huge privilege to train for them particularly when you get sent horses like him. With the stallions they have access to it is a dream really. We thought he was very good early spring and into the summer, but he got beaten first time out. Since then he has gone on and on. He has actually got less smart at home and has got smarter on the racecourse and that is how you want it really. He is just a dream horse and an absolute star."

Reflecting on the winner's performance, Balding added: "I was fairly confident, but less confident with a furlong to go. He had been out in front a long time and Frankie felt he kicked a little earlier than ideal, but it was probably a race-winning move."

"He will be fine and the bigger the field the better off he will be [in the Gr.1 2000 Guineas]. He is all speed on his dam side, being out of a Dutch Art mare, and I'd be surprised if he got further than a mile. I don't know if we run him in a trial first, we will see how he is training in the spring and make a decision from there. I would be comfortable going straight there, but I can't be making that decision at the moment."

Frankie Dettori, claiming his third Dewhurst after partnering Too Darn Hot in 2018 and St Mark's Basilica in 2020, added: "He fluffed the start, but I was able to get him up there. I thought we had it in the bag when he shot clear, but I think he kind of lost concentration a bit as he was all on his own. Jim [Crowley aboard Royal Scotsman] came late and fast and that caught him by surprise. Luckily for us, the line was there."

He continued: "I was nothing but impressed when I rode him at Doncaster and the first thing I said to Andrew after was to go for the Dewhurst and he obliged. He's a proper Guineas horse for next year and we can dream now."