A New star in the stallion ranks

Since the start of the Pattern, no stallion had sired three juvenile Royal Ascot Stakes winners in the same year – until New Approach recorded a perfect three-from-three last month

Since the start of the Pattern, no stallion had sired three juvenile Royal Ascot Stakes winners in the same year – until New Approach recorded a perfect three-from-three last month
New Approach could hardly have made a better start to his stud career and the Darley first-season sire was the talk of Royal Ascot, when becoming the first stallion since the start of the Pattern to record three juvenile winners at the prestigious meeting.

New Approach wasted little time in opening his winners’ account, when back in March, Dawn Approach took the first juvenile race on the Irish calendar. Showing few signs of greenness, Jim Bolger’s homebred posted an eye-catching victory at The Curragh and has since gone from strength to strength.

He returned in May at Naas where he trounced his opposition by five-and-a-half lengths, before stepping up to Listed level at the same course just over two weeks later and once again won in convincing style.

His next start - in the G2 Coventry Stakes - was bound to be a much tougher test of Dawn Approach’s ability, but proved to be one he would pass with flying colours. Lining up against the cream of this year’s juvenile colts, he put up a gutsy performance – finding more each time he was challenged took the race more easily than the three-quarter-length margin would suggest.

His latest victory has earned him a Timeform rating of 116p, making him their highest rated two-year-old and in their expert opinion, with more still to come.

Three days later, New Approach’s daughter Newfangled (who runs in the colours of HRH Princess Haya), confirmed her position as Europe’s leading juvenile filly with a facile win in the G3 Albany Stakes.

Having won on her debut at Newmarket by four-and-a-half lengths, the John Gosden-trained filly was justifiably favourite going into the race. Sent straight to the front by William Buick, Newfangled eased clear two furlongs out and won by two-and-a-half lengths.

Newfangled is currently rated 108p by Timeform – three pounds clear of her nearest female rival. She is now likely to step up in class again, most likely in the G2 Lowther Stakes in August followed by a tilt at the G1 Cheveley Park.

The final day of Ascot saw New Approach complete an unprecedented hat-trick of two-year-old Stakes winners, when Godolphin’s Tha’Ir skipped home to take the Chesham Stakes.

Like Newfangled, Tha’Ir broke his maiden by four-and-a-half-lengths and despite taking a keen hold early in the Chesham, once asked for his effort he soon responded and weaving through the field, moved clear a furlong out and stayed on superbly to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Thanks to his three ‘New’ stars, New Approach is not only leading first-season sire, but also leading sire of two-year-olds in Europe and with many more of the premier juvenile contests still to come this year, it would be no surprise to see him follow in the footsteps of numerous other Darley stallions and be crowned Champion first-season sire.