Thrill of a lifetime for Steve Parkin with homebred Dramatised

Years of Steve Parkin’s investment, time and patience were for the precise reason of producing moments such as Dramatised’s in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

Justifying what were apparently enormously confident sounds emanating from her trainer Karl Burke, the daughter of Showcasing came down the centre of the track in absolute command as the sort of filly who could well end up as the leader of her generation.

Parkin, who runs horses in the grey silks of his Clipper Logistics brand, has been involved with smart performers such as sprinter Captain Rio and the 2012 Cheveley Park winner Rosdhu Queen over the last couple of decades.

Watch Dramatised's brilliant Queen Mary win here

However, they were sales purchases while Dramatised is the first major star produced by Parkin’s own Branton Court Stud in North Yorkshire.

"We saw her as a baby, watched her develop on the farm and to watch her come through like that is very special and very emotional," said Parkin.

"This has been a five, ten-year plan and to come here and have a homebred winner so early in the stud’s life is a massive thrill, the biggest thrill I’ve had in my life. It absolutely is - apart from having my children!"

Alongside Parkin every step of the way has been his adviser Joe Foley, who stood Captain Rio at Ballyhane Stud and took on his 2018 Windsor Castle and Flying Childers hero Soldier’s Call.

Foley remembers Dramatised’s dam, Katie’s Diamond, very well and signed for her on behalf of Parkin for 190,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. The Turtle Bowl mare won the Listed Empress Stakes when in Burke’s care, but had her foibles.

Steve Parkin (left) and Joe Foley have been a long-lasting partnership in racing

Foley said: "She ran away going to the start in the Boussac, ran away during the race and was still was in front 50 yards from the line [before weakening into fifth].

"She was a highly talented mare but she was a bit crazy. She’s still a beautiful looking mare and she’s got a belting yearling, a Night Of Thunder filly, a Pinatubo colt foal that’s gorgeous, and she’s in foal to Showcasing."

Dramatised is a 27th Group winner for Whitsbury Manor Stud’s sire and arrived on the back of an impressive racecourse debut at the Newmarket Guineas meeting.

"It’s magic, this is what you do it for, isn’t it," added Foley. "Karl told me last night it was only a matter of how far, honest to God.

"Trainers usually get scared coming into a race, I had to tell him to stop talking. But he was so bullish."

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