CHAMPLAIN

2 b c Seeking The Gold - Calando (Storm Cat)

Owner: Sheikh Mohammed
Trainer: Michael Jarvis
Breeder: Darley

It may have been a quiet Royal Ascot for Godolphin but the week was not a total write-off for the stable's founder Sheikh Mohammed, whose own now rarely seen maroon-and-white silks were carried to victory on the final day by a notably smart juvenile.

Champlain, one of only a dozen horses racing in Britain in the owner's colours up to late-June, was sent out by Michael Jarvis to be an impressive Chesham Stakes winner. The juvenile was also bred by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation, descending from one of the very best mares to have sported the owner's colours.

Champlain's dam Calando was no mean performer herself, winning the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster when trained by David Loder and finishing third in the 1999 French 1000 Guineas when transferred to the Godolphin stable.

But Calando's mother, Diminuendo, was an even better racemare. Picked out personally by Sheikh Mohammed at Fasig-Tipton's 1986 Kentucky July Yearling Sale and bought for $125,000, the daughter of Diesis measured just 15 hands in height but captured the public imagination throughout 1988.

Having taken the Musidora Stakes at York, she then won the Oaks by four lengths with an effort that Timeform described as "a breathtaking performance". Diminuendo went on to complete an Oaks treble when capturing The Curragh and York equivalents, and came within a length of another Classic victory when runner-up to Minster Son in the St Leger at Doncaster.

Diminuendo, whose sister Pricket finished second in the Oaks, has an indifferent record at stud, with Calando being one of only two winners she has produced to date. Indeed, only a handful of her foals have made it to the track.

Raising the Gold standard

Champlain's now 21-year-old sire Seeking The Gold, standing at the Hancock family's Claiborne Farm at Paris in Kentucky, has been enjoying a good year.

The son of Mr Prospector was bred by Ogden Phipps and was a very smart racehorse. He won a couple of Grade One races, finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic and was retired during his four-year-old season after suffering a near-fore fracture when runner-up in the Metropolitan Handicap.

Claiborne's sires have always covered well-managed books and Seeking The Gold had only 38 first-crop foals to represent him but, with an eight-time Grade One winner in Heavenly Prize among them, his merits as a stallion were swiftly established.

Although there has been nothing to match the best horse he (and indeed Sheikh Mohammed) has bred, Dubai Millennium, he has provided another Maktoum brother with a notable result this year.

Jazil, carrying Sheikh Hamdan's colours, stepped up on his Kentucky Derby fourth place to give the Maktoum family a second successive US Classic success when capturing the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Champlain, whose next outing is likely to be in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket's July meeting, still has much to prove before he can be considered a likely Classic contender but he is certainly bred for the job.