By Sean Cronin
Sound and Silence (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) backed up an Apr. 18 debut score at Newmarket with a fourth in last month's Listed National S. at Sandown and, fitted with cheekpieces for Tuesday's Listed Windsor Castle S., led home a Godolphin exacta to provide Operation Blue with a 124-1 treble on Royal Ascot's opening day. Reined back in an attempt to find cover after a sharp getaway, the 16-1 chance arrived on the scene to launch his bid entering the final furlong and kept on strongly under stern urging in the latter stages to deny stablemate Roussel (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) by a neck, with James Garfield (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) 1 1/4 lengths further away in third. “He's a real fast horse, five furlongs is his absolute maximum, and he probably had to dig deep into the basement in the last 50 yards, which he really did for me,” said winning rider William Buick after adding to his earlier score aboard Ribchester. “[Runner-up] Roussel is going to improve a lot, it was only his second run, and they are two nice horses. They are two fast 2-year-olds and it was a great result for Charlie [Appleby]. It's obviously lovely to win, but in the Godolphin silks and for Charlie it's particularly special. We've always thought a lot of Sound and Silence at home. He showed up early, he's a real natural and a lovely mover. He won very well at Newmarket first time although he wasn't really tuned to win. He did it through quality and it confused me when he got beat at Sandown, but a fast-run race really suited him today.”
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
WINDSOR CASTLE S.-Listed, £80,000, ASC, 6-20, 2yo, 5fT, :59.20, g/f.
1–#SOUND AND SILENCE (GB), 129, c, 2, by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
1st Dam: Veil of Silence (Ire), by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Gossamer (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Brocade (GB), by Habitat
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $65,287.
2–Roussel (Ire), 129, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Sodashy (Ire), by Noverre. (€68,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; €58,000 RNA Ylg '16 GOFORB; £360,000 2yo '17 GOFBRE). O-Godolphin. £17,200.
3–James Garfield (Ire), 129, c, 2, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Whazzat (GB), by Daylami (Ire). (£60,000 RNA Ylg '16 GOUKPR). O-W J & T C O Gredley. £8,608.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 16.00, 12.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Mokaatil (GB), Last Page (GB), Elizabeth Darcy (Ire), Dragons Tail (Ire), Another Batt (Ire), Corinthia Knight (Ire), Excellently Poised (GB), Marchingontogether (GB), Simmy's Copshop (GB), Declarationoflove (Ire), T For Tango (Ire), Areen Faisal (Ire), Autumn Lodge (GB), Nootka Sound, Magnus (Ire), City Guest (Ire), Dahik (Ire), June Dog (GB), Declarationofpeace. Scratched: Black Orange (GB), Chatburn (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
While Richards Fahey and Hannon enjoyed earlier Group 1 success with the royal-blue silks, Charlie Appleby's exacta was a first Royal triumph for one of the traditional arms of the Godolphin operation and he was understandably delighted at registering his third Royal winner. “The 2-year-olds have been in great order and the team have done a fantastic job,” he said. “We've been lucky with the way the horses have been coming into the meeting at home and I couldn't have been any happier with the way they looked. “I was disappointed with Sound and Silence last time in the National S. last time. He just emptied out there, but scoped dirty that day. I put the cheekpieces on him today as I thought it is a big day and there are lots of horses so let's not take any chances and let's keep the horses honest. William [Buick] told me that they just couldn't go quick enough for him and was travelling so well that he had to take him back. I'm pleased with Roussel as well. He came from the breeze-ups and we've eased him off on since he won at Leicester [May 30]. I'm delighted to get a winner on the board and it's been a fantastic day for Godolphin.”
Sound and Silence, half-brother to a yearling filly by Pivotal (GB) and a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire), is the first stakes scorer produced by an unraced daughter of MG1SW British and Irish highweight distaffer Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells), who registered a career highlight in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Gossamer is herself a full-sister to MG1SW European Horse of the Year and sire Barathea (Ire), and her three black-type performers are headed by G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Ibn Khaldun (Dubai Destination).
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