Exciting Group 2 Winner For Freshman Sire Gleneagles

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Royal Lytham (2c Gleneagles - Gotlandia, by Anabaa) continued his sire’s excellent start at stud when taking the Group 2 July Stakes on the opening day of Newmarket’s July meeting.

A debut winner in early June, he was next seen in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was beaten less than four lengths. Wayne Lordan took the ride on Thursday, holding the bay up at the back of the field, biding his time to challenge and switched left approaching the final furlong. Bearing down on the leader, he tapped into hidden reserves to narrowly deny Platinum Star, who finished second to Southern Hills (Gleneagles) in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

Speaking after the race, Coolmore’s UK representative Kevin Buckley said, “Royal Lytham was a little unlucky in the Coventry and we're delighted with him today. This is Gleneagles's first crop of two-year-olds so it's fantastic for us at Coolmore that he has made a very promising start with Southern Hills winning the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot too. Royal Lytham has an exciting future and a step up in trip may well suit in time. The National Stakes and Phoenix Stakes are likely to come under consideration for his next start but we'll see how he comes out of this.”

Royal Lytham was bred by Haras du Logis Saint Germain, who sold him as a yearling for €180,000 to MV Magnier. He is one of three winners out of Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr winner Gotlandia, from the family of Fillies Mile heroine Glorosia.