Alpine Star aiming to maintain family tradition

Likely to aim to emulate her half-sister.

Connections of Alpine Star are in no rush to firm up future plans following her sparkling display at Royal Ascot.

Off the track since landing the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh last summer, the daughter of Sea The Moon emulated her half-sister Alpha Centauri in running out a brilliant winner of the Coronation Stakes under Frankie Dettori.

Like Alpine Star, Alpha Centauri is owned by the Niarchos family and was trained by Jessica Harrington. They grey went on to enjoy further Group One success with wins in the Falmouth and the Prix Jacques le Marois – and Alpine Star will be considered for the same races.

Alpine Star was dazzling winner under Frankie Dettori
Alpine Star was dazzling winner under Frankie Dettori (Edward Whitaker)

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the owners, said: “I thought it was a tremendous training performance from Jessie, considering the filly hadn’t been seen in public since August.

“She’s clearly a very good filly, Frankie gave her an excellent ride and it’s obviously great for the family – I believe there haven’t been two winners of the Coronation Stakes out of the same mare since the 1950s, which is quite something.

“We haven’t made any firm plans just yet. We’ll wait a day or two, take our time and see what Jessie thinks – the Pattern book is there, so we just need to decide which race we go for.”

Another three-year-old filly for whom Harrington and the Niarchos family have high hopes this season is Albigna, who could only finish sixth when hot favourite for the Irish 1,000 Guineas earlier in the month.

Albigna is still expected to make her mark this season
Albigna is still expected to make her mark this season (Brian Lawless/PA)

Cooper added: “There is Albigna to consider as well, of course. She’s absolutely fine now after being a bit sore after the Irish Guineas because of the fast ground.

“We’ll be looking at similar races for the pair of them and we’ll want to split them up. We’ll just have to assess the races and the ground and everything else.

“Frankie said on Saturday that he thinks Alpine Star would stay a mile and a quarter, but nothing is set in stone.”

Alpine Star was one of two Group One winners in the Niarchos colours at this year’s Royal meeting, with the famous silks also carried to a pulsating victory in Queen Anne by Circus Maximus, who is owned in partnership with the Coolmore team.

Circus Maximus (right) dug deep to land the Queen Anne Stakes
Circus Maximus (right) dug deep to land the Queen Anne Stakes (Edward Whitaker)

Aidan O’Brien’s charge is now likely to return to Goodwood for the Sussex Stakes, in which he was narrowly beaten by the now-retired Too Darn Hot last season.

“To see Circus Maximus win was also a tremendous thrill, but in a different way – it was a great spectacle between Terebellum and himself and two great jockeys in Frankie and Ryan (Moore, on Circus Maximus),” said Cooper.

“I think that (Sussex Stakes) is the first thing to look at, but we’ll see what Aidan decides in due course.”

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Jessica Harrington Niarchos Family Royal Ascot Festival

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