Another boost for bargain breeding as Signora Cabello takes Queen Mary

The action on day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday kicked off with a surprise victory for a horse by a budget sire who had been available to buy cheaply at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, when Accidental Agent – a son of Delegator bought back for 8,000gns – landed the Queen Anne Stakes at 33-1.

History repeated itself in the opening race of the meeting on Wednesday, when 25-1 shot Signora Cabello scored narrowly in the Queen Mary Stakes.

The John Quinn-trained filly is by Camacho, who stands at Yeomanstown Stud at just €7,500, and was bought by Richard Knight Bloodstock with the trainer's son Sean Quinn for 20,000gns at Book 3.

Signora Cabello will have turned her original owners Zen Racing and partners a considerable profit as she was bought into by the big-spending Phoenix Thoroughbreds after she won the Listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes at York last month.

Yeomanstown Stud are enjoying a fairytale year with Camacho, who has long been established as a good value option for producing speedy and precocious performers but has revealed a new dimension to his stallion appeal at the age of 16 this year.

The son of Danehill supplied a first Classic winner when Teppal took the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month – she is among the leading fancies for the Coronation Stakes on Friday – and his earlier runners Ambiance and My Catch are still going strong, each collecting more stakes successes at the age of seven in 2018.

He has a filly mopping up Scandinavian Guineas contests in recent weeks in the Bent Olsen-trained Queen Estoril, to boot.

Watching Berkshire from Barbados...

Chris Edwards and Ross Sankey of Zen Racing were watching their star filly win the Queen Mary Stakes from Barbados, as reported in the Racing Post on Wednesday.

Edwards said: "It was a fantastic result for Phoenix, ourselves and John and his team. I'm pleased to say the WiFi held up in Barbados and we were able to watch the race live. I must say it was an excellent ride from Oisin, but what a fantastic filly she is. We're so proud of her.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet, as we've been spending most of our time fielding phone calls from family and friends. Perhaps after having a glass or two of bubbly to celebrate it will.

"A party is already organised and we're going up to Malton next week to celebrate with John, Sean, their team and Signora herself of course!"

Camacho has also benefited from the reflected glory of his younger half-brother Showcasing, an exciting sire for Whitsbury Manor Stud who made his presence felt on day one with Coventry Stakes runner-up Advertise.

Signora Cabello was bred by Damien Burns' Diomed Bloodstock and was bred to excel at two as the last foal out of the late Night Shift mare Journalist, who won over 6f and finished second in the Princess Margaret Stakes at two.

The dam produced eight winners including La Presse and Plagiarism, both of whom were black type-placed at two.

Journalist was a half-sister to Flying Childers Stakes winner Sheer Viking, while her dam, Schlefalora, was in turn a half-sister to Las Meninas, who won the Silver Flash Stakes and finished second in the Phoenix Stakes at two and added the 1,000 Guineas to her resume at three.

Signora Cabello took the scalp of one far more expensively bred in the Queen Mary Stakes. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Gossamer Wings, a short head back in second, is a $500,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate by the late Scat Daddy.

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