By Sean Cronin
Juddmonte's dual G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares heroine Kalpana (Study Of Man) made a successful return to action by defeating five rivals, racing under a Group 1 penalty, in a hot renewal of Saturday's G3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes at Newbury, repeating her win in last year's edition.
In the money in all bar one of 14 prior starts, the 11-10 pick was forced to knuckle down in the 12-furlong contest and registered a neck verdict from the multiple Group 1-placed West Wind Blows (Teofilo).
“Her fitness was telling a bit inside the final half-furlong, but she showed she still has the appetite and desire for it,” said trainer Andrew Balding. “When you sportingly keep horses in training as a five-year-old you just hope they still want to do it and she certainly seems to. Twelve months ago we started off by taking on colts in Ireland in a Group 1 [Tattersalls Gold Cup], which was a tough ask, and this was much calmer waters. I think she was just getting tired towards the end and was entitled to win the race on ratings. She was carrying a little extra condition and she hasn't run for a good while, so we're thrilled.”
Outlining likely targets this term, Balding added, “We tried the Arc last year and it didn't work out. I think the [G1] Fillies & Mares would be the big plan. and I don't think any horse has won three races consecutively on British Champions Day. Next stop will probably be something at Royal Ascot and the [G1] King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes [at Ascot in July] would be a nice midsummer target having finished second in it last year. The [G1] Prince of Wales's Stakes and [G2] Hardwicke will be available to her at Royal Ascot and I think, if the ground was very soft, it might make the Prince of Wales's more attractive.”
Kalpana broke on the lead and was allowed to find her rhythm under Colin Keane, shuffling back to race last of the five runners after a half-mile.
Making smooth progress in the home straight, she eased by the pacesetting West Wind Blows approaching the final quarter-mile and came under forceful urging in the closing stages to hold that rallying rival in game fashion. The pair pulled 11 lengths clear of third home Arabian Force (Lope De Vega).
Never in doubt! 💪
Kalpana – all class! https://t.co/CRb0s5ZDq4 pic.twitter.com/0NPkisrtlH
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 16, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Kalpana, the eighth of 11 foals, is the leading performer from six scorers out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile victrix Zero Gravity (Dansili), herself a full-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris-winning sire Zambezi Sun and the dual stakes-placed Shared Account.
Zero Gravity is also a half-sister to G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano victor Kalabar (Kahyasi) and the multiple Group-placed G2 Prix Eugene Adam runner-up World Heritage (Kahyasi).
Shared Account is the dam of four stakes performers headed by dual Group 3 winner Better Together (Oasis Dream) and G3 Prix des Reservoirs and GIII Athenia Stakes victrix Pocket Square (Night Of Thunder).
The winner, who hails from the family of G1 July Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye hero Continent (Lake Coniston), is kin to the three-year-old filly Seet (Too Darn Hot), who shed maiden status at Wolverhampton last week, and a yearling filly by Chaldean.
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
SKY SPORTS RACING ASTON PARK STAKES-G3, £100,000, Newbury, 5-16, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:28.71, gd.
1–KALPANA (GB), 132, m, 5, by Study Of Man (Ire)
1st Dam: Zero Gravity (GB) (SW-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Imbabala (GB), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Interval (Ire), by Habitat
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd; T-Andrew Balding; J-Colin Keane. £56,710. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Eng & MG1SP-Ire, 15-7-5-2, $1,600,124. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–West Wind Blows (Ire), 128, g, 7, Teofilo (Ire)–West Wind (GB), by Machiavellian. TDN Rising Star. O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-Godolphin; T-Simon & Ed Crisford. £21,500.
3–Arabian Force (Ire), 128, c, 4, Lope De Vega (Ire)–October Queen (Ire), by Iffraaj (GB). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd; T-William Haggas. £10,760.
Margins: NK, 11, 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 2.75, 4.50.
Also Ran: Liberty Lane (Ire), French Master (Ire).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
