Back to back Stakes successes for Royal Empire

Royal Empire, from the first crop of Europe's leading third crop sire Teofilo, gained his second successive Stakes victory on Saturday August 17 when taking the G3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury. After only making his debut in July of last season, he now has a fine record of five victories in 11 career starts including the Listed Steventon Stakes over the same course last month. He holds a G1 entry in Irish St Leger next month at the Curragh.

Bred by Twelve Oaks Stud and sold a yearling for €200,000, Royal Empire is out of the juvenile Stakes winner Zeiting (Zieten) and a half-brother to the G2-winning miler Combat Zone. Zeiting also has a full-brother yearling to Royal Empire.

Royal Empire is one of five Group winners from Teofilo's first crop that includes Parish Hall, who emulated his sire by winning the Dewhurst Stakes. His second crop, who are three this season, already include a pair of G1 winners in Irish Derby winner Trading Leather and G1-winning miler Havana Gold.