POPTRONIC VICTORIOUS IN QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES STAKES
POPTRONIC (GB) registered her first Group 1 win in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot. The victory gives trainer Karl Burke his 25th Stakes win this season.
Owned and bred by David and Yvonne Blunt, Poptronic is now a three-time Group winner, having won the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks back in July and the Group 3 Hoppings Stakes last year. She is due to sell in the Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Her three-year-old half-sister BEAUTRON (GB) will also be offered in the sale.
Poptronic was keen early on before settling into a good rhythm on the front end. The four-year-old kicked off the home turn and kept finding down the straight ultimately scoring by a neck from BLUESTOCKING (GB) with JACKIE OH back in third.
Poptronic gives her sire NATHANIEL his second Group 1 winner of the year. The Newsells Park Stud stallion is now the sire of 30 Group 1 or 2 performers, with 14 Group/Stakes winners or performers in 2023 alone. She is the first foal out of ALPINE DREAM, a half-sister to this year’s Listed Premio Eupili winner ROYAL GREY (GB) by Whitsbury Manor Stud’s HAVANA GREY (GB), and a daughter of Group 2 Lowther Stakes heroine INFAMOUS ANGEL (GB).
Great British Racing International caught up with David Blunt earlier today to find out more:
“You dream of having a horse running in a Group 1, never mind winning it! What a special day to be a part of, the atmosphere was incredible.”
“I’ve been owning [thoroughbreds] for about 15 years and breeding for around five years. We have three mares. They were boarding at my son’s farm which is how Poptronic got her name. My grandchildren called her Poppy and it somehow matured into Poptronic. It’s a catchy name.
“The mares are now in Newmarket with Dwayne Wood at his stud, Brook Farm. Alpine Dream has a foal by ZOUSTAR and she’s currently in foal to TOO DARN HOT (GB).”
Asked about Poptronic’s future, Blunt added:
“Poptronic is in the Tattersalls Sceptre Sale. She deserves a decent covering and we want to give her the best chance as a broodmare. If she doesn’t achieve what we think she’s worth, we’ll keep her and breed from her. It just seems a sensible thing to do.”