Decorated Knight in great form ahead of Arlington Million
11 August 2016
Decorated Knight lands the Meld Stakes
Decorated Knight is in excellent form ahead of his bid in Saturday’s Grade 1 $1,000,0000 Arlington Million at Arlington Park.
Roger Charlton reported that our homebred son of Galileo travelled over well and has adapted quickly to his new surroundings.
“Decorated Knight has settled in very well at Arlington for the Million on Saturday,” Roger Charlton wrote on his site, www.rogercharlton.com.
“His regular work rider says he feels great, and he has not left any food since he arrived.
“All the tweets from the local journalists show him rolling on the grass, if he is not eating it, which is his little party trick.”
Decorated Knight heads into the racing in excellent form having won two of his last three starts, including the Group 3 Meld Stakes at Leopardstown. That form received a boost only last night when the third home, Adool, took the Hurry Harriet Stakes at Gowran Park.
He has drawn post position eight in Saturday’s race, which is the 34th running of the prestigious event, and has the assistance of leading jockey Jose Valdivia.
Decorated Knight was bred by Blue Diamond Stud out of the Storm Cat mare Pearling. He is the first foal out of his dam, who joined the stud when purchased by Tony Nerses at the 2011 Tattersalls December Sale.
Decorated Knight with his dam Pearling as a foal
Pearling boasts a pedigree out of the top drawer as a sister to champion Giant’s Causeway, subsequently a multiple champion sire for Coolmore in America, and the Group 2-placed Freud, himself a leading sire in New York.
Another sibling, Cherry Hinton Stakes winner You’resothrilling, is the dam of top miler Gleneagles, Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Marvellous and Group 3-winning juvenile Coolmore.
Pearling’s three-year-old, the Dubawi colt Azizaan, has been placed this year for Roger Varian. She also has a two-year-old filly by Frankel named Ambrosia.
Among his rivals are Godolphin’s Tryster, winner of the Group 1 Emirates Jebel Hatta at Meydan, Aidan O’Brien’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby winner Deauville and last year’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile winner Mondialiste.
The home defence, meanwhile, includes Charlotte Weber’s recent Grade 1 United Nations Stakes winner World Approval, Grade 1 Man O’War Stakes winner Wake Forest, a German import for Chad Brown, and last year’s hero The Pizza Man, who bids to become the first back-to-back winner of the race.
The 1¼-miles race on the turf is one of three Grade I races on Saturday’s programme and serves as a “Win and You’re In” race for the $4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, ensuring Saturday’s victor a spot in the starting gate at the Breeders’ Cup.
