Study Of Man’s Almeric Makes Stakes Breakthrough in the Feilden

[Wandering Eyes]

Kirsten Rausing homebred Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) is bound for a Classic campaign after registering a career best on seasonal return in Tuesday's Listed bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket.

The G2 Dante Stakes and G1 Irish Derby entry, who bettered a debut fourth at Sandown in September with a breakthrough score at York the following month, employed hold-up tactics and raced seventh of the eight runners through the initial fractions of this black-type debut. Taking closer order once past halfway, the 11-4 favourite's momentum carried him to the front approaching the final furlong and he was driven out in the latter stages to defeat King Of Cities (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) by a length. The runner-up was 7 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Nightwalker (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Trainer Andrew Balding said after the race that the Prix du Jockey Club is an option for the colt after the Dante Stakes at York.

“He's a smart horse and we were pretty hopeful going into today,” he said. “He seems to be at home on slow ground and it's great for Miss Rausing as he's obviously a homebred and a lovely horse going forward.

“Oisin said he was just getting tired at the end as they went very hard and he was probably running on fumes a little bit, just because it was a searching gallop and it was his first run of the year.

“He's got a French Derby entry I think and certainly an Irish Derby entry and a German Derby entry. We're delighted to win today and we'll just have to see how things pan out.

“I think the likelihood is we'll look at York and France would be the preferred option, I think.”

Owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing told TDN that Almeric's dam Alvarita (GB) (Selkirk) foaled a full-sister to the Feilden winner last Monday.

She said, “The mare has a two-year-old colt, so he was her foal of 2023, and we thought she'd done enough so she went into retirement with her half-sister Alta Moda. They are by Selkirk and Sadler's Wells out of Alborada. 

“But in the spring of 2024 those two old girls looked wonderful and I said to Alastair [Watson, Lanwades manager], 'Let's just walk past with Study Of Man'. So anyway, he walked past them once each and they were both in foal. All winter long I was beset with a guilty conscience, but they both laid down to foal and within a week of each other they both had lovely fillies.

“They are now 21 and 23 – Alvarita is 23 and she has produced a tiptop full-sister to this horse. But I am keeping my promise this time: I am not going to ask them again, for sure.”

Pedigree Notes
Almeric is the 13th of 15 foals and third black-type scorer out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile victrix Alvarita (GB) (Selkirk), herself a daughter of dual G1 Champion Stakes heroine Alborada (GB) (Alzao). The April-foaled grey is full to a 2-year-old colt and a weanling filly. He is also a half-brother to G3 Kilternan Stakes winner Alla Speranza (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), Listed Noblesse Stakes victrix and G3 Give Thanks Stakes runner-up Altesse (GB) (Hernando {Fr}). Alla Speranza, in turn, is the dam of G2 City Of York Stakes victor Shone So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the Group 3-placed Alla Stella (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) and Listed Prix Petite Etoile third Amboseli (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Almeric's dam is also tyhe second dam of the dual Group 1-placed Listed Buckhounds Stakes victrix Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), G2 Park Hill Stakes winner Alyssa (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and G3 Prix Thomas Bryon victrix Alea Iacta (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

 

Almeric fends off King Of Cities in the £55,000 Listed @bet365 Feilden Stakes at HQ pic.twitter.com/Bp9AUngT1y

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 15, 2025

Tuesday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 FEILDEN STAKES-Listed, £55,000, Newmarket, 4-15, 3yo, 9fT, 1:53.23, g/s.
1–ALMERIC (GB), 128, c, 3, by Study Of Man (Ire)
1st Dam: Alvarita (GB) (SW-Fr), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Alborada (GB), by Alzao
3rd Dam: Alouette (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $61,754. *1/2 to Alla Speranza (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), GSW-Ire; and Altesse (GB) (Hernando {Fr}), SW & GSP-Ire, $120,590.
2–King Of Cities (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Ajman Princess (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £11,825.
3–Nightwalker (GB), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Sleep Walk (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £5,918.
Margins: 1, 7HF, 2. Odds: 2.75, 8.50, 7.50.
Also Ran: Green Storm (Ire), Sallaal (Ire), Last Galileo (Ire), Masai Moon (GB), Law Of Design (Ire).

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