Park Hill Star Bound For The Royallieu

[Wandering Eyes]

Fresh off a game effort to win the G2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, Santorini Star (Golden Horn) will target the G1 Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend, revealed co-owner Tony Bloom's racing manager Sean Graham.

The Bloom and Ian McAleavy runner is searching for a first Group 1 triumph and will be routed accordingly. A consistent sort with six wins from 10 lifetime starts, the William Haggas trainee won a Goodwood handicap in May before running fourth in the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes in June and she filled that spot again in the G3 Stanerra Stakes at Fairyhouse a month later. Back on track over a 2m 1/2f handicap at York in August, she withstood the prolonged challenge of Consent (Lope De Vega) in the Park Hill.

“Her next race will be the Prix de Royallieu, which is a mile and six on the Saturday of Arc weekend,” Graham said. “I'd say that is probably her last run this year as well.

“I suppose she will be brought back next year with the view of trying to win a Group 1. The Prix de Royallieu is a Group 1, but even if she wins that, she'll still be back next year. That's because she didn't run until the October of her three-year-old career, so she's pretty lightly raced and she's open to plenty of improvement. The programme for staying fillies is quite good and there's plenty of opportunity to pick up more black type.”

Regarding next year's campaign, he added, “Even races like the Irish St Leger might be on the radar as that's a mile and six. I don't think we will pigeon hole her and just run her at a mile and six because there's probably not enough races at that distance, so she will have races at two miles as well.”

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