The John Gosden-trained Kingman proved himself one of the best milers of the current era when ending his career in 2014 the winner of seven of his eight starts, the last four all being at Group 1 level. The one blemish on the c.v. of the son of Invincible Spirit being his surprise defeat at the hands of Night Of Thunder in that season’s Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Now one of the current brigade of new stallions Kingman’s connection will hope that his son Calyx will succeed in going one better than his father in the first Classic of 2019 following the colt’s impressive victory in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
A hugely promising winner of a Newmarket maiden on his debut just ten days prior to the start of the royal meeting, the regard in which the mount of Frankie Dettori is held was evident in the colt’s starting price for the Group 2 contest and supporters of the 2-1 favourite never had an anxious moment as the clear leader of the stand-side group only had to be pushed out with hands and heels to record a comprehensive victory over Advertise and chief market rival Sergei Prokofiev. While next year’s 2000 Guineas is still some ten months away the 7-1 available about Calyx with 188Bet could prove a massive price come the day of the race.
The combination of Gosden and Dettori were also successful on the opening day of Flat racing’s great showpiece courtesy of the Frankel colt Without Parole in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes. Despite having only won a Sandown Listed race on his most recent start the colt made the transition to the highest level with little fuss in comfortably holding the Aidan O’Brien-trained Gustav Klimt by half a length and Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes look’s the next logical step for Without Parole who can be backed at 2-1 with William Hill for that race on Wednesday 1st August.
