Laurens leads 11 contenders for Sun Chariot honours

Laurens wins last year’s Sun Chariot at Newmarket

Racing365
September 30, 2019 12:56 pm

Last year’s winner Laurens is one of 11 fillies in contention for the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Karl Burke’s stable star claimed the fifth of her six Group One victories to date in this event 12 months ago when getting the better of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Happily by a head.

She added to her top-level tally in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville during the summer, since when she has been narrowly beaten in the City of York Stakes before finishing fourth when defending her crown in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

Laurens could renew rivalries with the first and second from the Matron in Joseph O’Brien’s Iridessa and Aidan O’Brien’s dual 1000 Guineas heroine Hermosa.

O’Brien senior has also left in the Matron fifth and sixth – I Can Fly and Happen.

Lavender’s Blue is an interesting contender for Amanda Perrett following an impressive Group Three success on her latest appearance in the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown in late August.

There are two possible challengers from France after Alex Pantall supplemented Madeleine Must to join stablemate Crown Walk.

The potential field is completed by Sir Michael Stoute’s Falmouth Stakes winner Veracious, Richard Hannon’s Guineas heroine of 2018 – Billesdon Brook – and Twist ‘N’ Shake from John Gosden’s yard.