Two-year-old Celandine a new stakes winner for Kingman

Ed Walker-trained two-year-old Celandine (Kingman) made virtually all of the running to win the Listed Empress Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday (29th July).

Taken from the European Bloodstock News, 30th July 2024:

Owned and bred by Rockcliffe Stud, she had only got off the mark at the second attempt at Windsor earlier this month. She is clearly progressing at a rapid rate and refused to relinquish the lead in the closing stages, holding off Tales Of The Heart with a degree of comfort, with Arabian Dusk a neck back in third. Speaking afterwards to Racing TV, Walker said: “Celandine is very quick and I would be more inclined to bring her back in distance rather than step her up. She’s a real two-year-old, who is not the biggest and loves fast ground. It is great to get a Stakes winner for Rockliffe Stud.”

She is the third foal and second winner out of the Sir Prancealot mare Pepita, who won the Listed Maggie Dickson Stakes and finished third in the Gr.3 Summer Stakes. Pepita, who has a Kingman yearling colt and a filly foal by Starspangledbanner, is a half-sister to seven winners, including both the Gr.1-placed Redolent and the dam of the Gr.1 winner and sire Son Of Rest.