Coronet to retire to stud later this year after Group 1 success

Coronet, who made her Group 1 breakthrough in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday, will join the broodmare band at her owner-breeder Faisal Salman's Denford Stud in Hungerford at the end of the season.

The five-year-old Dubawi mare was a deserving winner having placed seven times in elite company previously, with John Gosden's charge finishing strongly under Frankie Dettori.

"We're so pleased she's been able to get her head in front and win a Group 1 at last," said Richard Evans, farm manager at Denford.

"She's always been beaten by some good ones - she's been behind the likes of Enable and Sea Of Class. She's always been there or thereabouts. She'll probably have a couple of more runs this season but at least the pressure's off for her now.

"I thought Frankie gave her a very nice ride. He had a nice draw but he kept her in contention, always close, and she had a nice little bit in reserve at the end. We're really pleased and it was fantastic the owner could be there with his son to witness his filly win a Group 1."

Coronet, a half-sister to Irish Derby and St Leger runner-up Midas Touch, is a granddaughter of Denford Stud's late foundation mare Last Second, who Paul Webber and Sir Mark Prescott had advised Salman to buy at the 1994 Goffs Orby Sale.

Salman arrived just in time as the daughter of Alzao was being led around the ring, and sealed the deal with a bid of 120,000 old Irish punts.

Last Second won multiple Pattern races including the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, when it was run as a Group 2, and was only narrowly denied a top-flight success when second to Shake The Yoke in the 1996 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

"Last Second was a fantastic foundation mare for us and it's been a wonderful family," continued Evans. "The best was probably her son Aussie Rules, who won the French Guineas, and we're breeding from her two Darshaan daughters Approach and Intrigued.

"Approach has got a lovely Frankel yearling filly, who we'll race, and is back in foal to Saxon Warrior, though she's nearing the end of her breeding days.

"Intrigued is the dam of St Leger third Michelangelo and this year's Cocked Hat Stakes winner Private Secretary, and she's got an Australia yearling filly who will go into training next year."

Both Coronet and the 2017 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Zarak trace back to the legendary racemare and producer Mumtaz Mahal through her granddaughter Mah Iran.

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