GUINEAS WEEKEND HEADLINED BY WHITSBURY MANOR STUD BRED CHALDEAN

The 2023 QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse was headlined by a magnificent final QIPCO 2,000 Guineas performance by legendary jockey Frankie Dettori, who piloted the Whitsbury Manor Stud-bred CHALDEAN (GB) to victory in the colt's Classic on Saturday afternoon.

The Andrew Balding-trained colt, who won the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his final start as a juvenile, showed bundles of class on his return to Newmarket, pulling away coming out of the dip to win by just under two lengths at the wire.

Chaldean duly became the first 2,000 Guineas winner sired by world-leading sire FRANKEL (GB), the runaway winner of the 2011 renewal of the race.

Unlike most of Juddmonte’s Group 1 winners by their linchpin stallion, Chaldean was purchased by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah’s operation in the Tattersalls ring from the Whitsbury Manor draft. He cost 550,000 guineas at the December Foal Sale in 2020.

Chaldean is out of SUELITA (GB), a daughter of DUTCH ART (GB) who was bought on somewhat of a whim by Whitsbury Manor Stud owner Chris Harper for just 21,500 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2013.

Chris' son and director of the stud today, Ed Harper, having had 24 hours to digest and reflect upon the result, told GBRI on Sunday afternoon:

"It's pretty surreal. I just about remember BIJOU D'INDE (GB), who we bred, being narrowly beaten by MARK OF ESTEEM, but to breed the winner is fantastic.

"She is the only mare dad has purchased in 12 years since he handed me the reins, which is amazing.

"She has a lovely SHOWCASING (GB) colt foal at foot and has visited Frankel again recently.

"Chaldean was the last foal born on the stud that year, so he was rather spoilt with attention. He was always extremely calm around people. His KINGMAN (GB) half-sister is a little more spicy, but was just as nice an individual."