Australia’s famed Circles of Gold family delivered a new stakes-winner overnight at Goodwood when two year-old colt Angel Bleu won the Group II Vintage Stakes (7f).
Trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Frankie Dettori, Angel Bleu was on a quick back up after finishing second in a Listed race at Ascot last Saturday.
He relished the task, ploughing through the soft ground to win by three quarters of a length taking his overall record to three wins from six starts.
“If we hadn’t declared and the field had fallen out like this I’d have felt really, really cross with myself. It’s worked out great. The rain last night, I could hardly believe my luck,” said Ralph Beckett.
“I’m not sure America would suit him, he likes a bit of juice. He’s two out of two on soft ground now so I’d say we’ll think about the Dewhurst (G1).”
Angel Bleu was a 100,000 euro purchase from the Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale and his half-brother will be offered at the Deauville Yearling Sale next month.
Angel Bleu is the first winner for placed Galileo mare Cercle De La Vie, a full sister to Champion Older Horse Highland Reel (IRE) (shuttling to Swettenham Stud this spring) and Group I winner Cape of Good Hope as well as Group winners Idaho and Nobel Prize.
His grand-dam Hveger is an Aussie bred Group I placed daughter of blue hen Circles of Gold, who gave us champions Elvstroem and Haradasun.
Angel Bleu is the 74th stakes-winner for Dark Angel, whose Group I winning son Harry Angel (GB) returns to Darley for this third season this spring at a fee of $16,500.
