Both New Approach and Shamardal added new Black Type winners to their records on Monday, 6 May with Flop Shot and Ickworth victorious in France and Ireland respectively.
Flop Shot (New Approach) has quickly progressed through the ranks, stepping up to Group level today having won his maiden at the same course this March. The Wertheimer et Frere homebred raced in the middle of the pack during the early stages of the nine-furlong contest but quickened impressively once asked and soon put the race to bed, eventually winning by three lengths.
Flop Shot is out of the Stakes-placed Dansili mare Dancequest, a half-sister to G1 winner Plumania – herself dam of this week’s G2 Prix du Muguet winner Plumatic (Dubawi). Another of Dancequest’s half-sisters, Balladeuse, is dam of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Left Hand (also by Dubawi).
New Approach stands at Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £30,000, Oct 1, SLF.
Also on Monday, Shamardal’s exciting daughter Ickworth threw herself into Royal Ascot contention with an impressive win in the Listed First Flier Stakes at the Curragh.
Never far from the pace under Billy Lee, Ickworth took up the running a furlong and a half from home and kept to her task superbly to win from odds-on favourite King Neptune by two and a quarter lengths. She will now be aimed at the G2 Queen Mary on the second day of Ascot’s royal meeting next month.
Ickworth is out of the multiple G1 winner and Champion two-year-old in Argentina, Ishitaki. She has a yearling colt by Exceed And Excel.
