The British flat racing season is reaching its thrilling conclusion, and while there are some big prize purses still on offer with the likes of British Champions Day at Ascot next month, now seems like the perfect time to look back at some of the horses who have excelled this summer and excited those who bet on horse racing.
Charyn – Roger Varian
Roger Varian’s fallout with Kia Joorabchian, which saw the football super-agent withdraw all his Amo Racing horses from Varian’s yard back in May, looked set to have a massive impact on the Newmarket-based trainer this season.
However, Varian is never short of stable stars, and Charyn has proven to be one this campaign, racking up roughly £1.2 million in prize funds from a busy campaign that has seen him race six times.
The four-year-old won Listed and Group 2 contests at Doncaster and Sandown before being beaten by Audience in a Group 1 at Newbury, but bounced back at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Charyn has appeared in France for his last two starts, winning the top-level Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois — which is worth nearly half a million — and was runner-up in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp more recently.
Economics – William Haggas
The William Haggas-trained Economics has had an incredibly three-year-old season, racking up almost £1 million from his four victories this campaign.
Fourth on debut at Newmarket last November on his only start as a two-year-old, the Isa Salman Al Khalifa-owned colt has improved drastically this year.
He kicked things off with a win a Maiden at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance back in April and has followed up with back-to-back Group 2 wins at York and Deauville in France.
Economics crowning moment of the season came recently at Leopardstown, as he just edged out dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin to win the valuable Irish Champion Stakes at the Curragh.
Notable Speech – Charlie Appleby
Godolphin are usually one of the main dangers in the British flat season’s top races, but Charlie Appleby has had a relatively quiet campaign when it comes to landing Group 1 wins on home soil.
In fact, Notable Speech is the only Moulton Paddocks star to secure victories at the top level for the major operation this season.
The three-year-old bypassed a juvenile campaign, making his debut on the all-weather at Kempton in January and winning before scoring twice more at the track in February and April.
That set up a bid for the 2000 Guineas, and although not many believed he could transfer his form to the turf, he romped home at Newmarket to secure the first Classic of the season.
Another Group 1 win in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood is wedged between two moderately lacklustre runs at Ascot and Longchamp.
Bluestocking – Ralph Beckett
Bluestocking had a modest three-year-old campaign last year, failing to pick up a win in her six starts but finishing runner-up on four occasions.
However, she has improved drastically this season, winning three times from five races and amassing almost £900,000 in prize funds, taking her career earnings over £1.1 million.
The Juddmonte four-year-old streaked to a six-length victory over Free Wind at York on reappearance and followed up with a win over Emily Upjohn in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
She then had respectable runs against the males at Ascot and York, in which she finished second and fourth, but bounced back with a win in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp last time out.
It looks likely that Bluestocking will return to the iconic Paris racecourse for the prestigious Arc de Triomphe next month.
Rosallion – Richard Hannon
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned Rosallion has earned almost three-quarters of a million for his connections this season.
The Richard Hannon-trained colt has appeared just three times so far this campaign, but those have been in very valuable competitions.
A Group 1 winner at Longchamp at the end of his two-year-old season, Rosallion reappeared with a second in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and went on to win the Irish renewal at the Curragh from stablemate Haatem.
He won the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen, beating Henry Longfellow by the neck in a thrilling finish.