Kind of Blue breaks Group 1 duck to win the Champions Sprint

Wathnan Racing’s recent acquisition, Kind Of Blue, provided jockey James Doyle with his first Group 1 victory in the colors of his retaining owners, triumphing in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes. Kind Of Blue edged out Swingalong and long-shot Flora Of Bermuda to take the title.

Starting as a 10-1 shot, Kind Of Blue followed in the footsteps of her close relatives, Deacon Blues and The Tin Man, both trained by James Fanshawe, who also won the race in 2011 and 2016, respectively. However, unlike her relatives, who claimed the title at age four, Kind Of Blue achieved the feat as a three-year-old.

The early stages of the race were dominated by lower-drawn horses, with Audience (stall two) setting the pace on the far side and last year’s winner Art Power (stall 12) leading the central group. But as they began to fade, the higher-drawn runners took charge. Drawn in stall 17, Kind Of Blue surged into contention at the furlong marker.

Despite a strong challenge from several contenders, Doyle drove the colt forward, holding off the competition in a tightly packed finish to secure victory by a head over Swingalong, with Flora Of Bermuda finishing just a neck behind.