King's Lynn wins the Temple Stakes
Twilight Calls (blue cap, centre) was only narrowly denied in the Temple

Henry Candy on Twilight Calls and an exciting King's Stand


There is a truly cosmopolitan flavour to this year's King's Stand Stakes as the British and Irish sprinters face stern challenges from Australia, America and even the Czech Republic.

Royal Ascot is now established as an international event but that was not the case until the remarkable Choisir blazed a trail nearly 20 years ago.

By winning the 2003 King's Stand Stakes Choisir went into the record books as the first horse trained in Australia to win in Britain. He achieved another notable feat four days later when beating Airwave, one of the British bankers of the meeting, to land the Golden Jubilee Stakes and become the first horse since Stanerra in 1983 to win twice at the same meeting.

Recalling those events from 19 years ago, Airwave's trainer Henry Candy said: "We were all fascinated to see Choisir and when he first appeared on the Tuesday I don't think I'd ever seen a bigger bull of a horse. He was most extraordinary. He wore those eyeshields which made him look all the more daunting.

"He won the King's Stand and I thought 'hooray, wonderful, that's him out of the way'. Then he rolls up on Saturday and beats us a neck. I didn't think he'd attempt the double but how wrong I was!"

Choisir was a 25/1 shot when he won the King's Stand but international raiders are not such unknown quantities nowadays and the latest Aussie ace Nature Strip is no bigger than 11/4 in a market headed by US sprinter Golden Pal at 2/1.

Twilight Calls, the best offspring of Candy's 2016 Diamond Jubilee Stakes winner Twilight Son, has been well supported for the King's Stand in recent days and, at a top price of 9/1, is comfortably the shortest-priced contender from Britain or Ireland.

Twilight Calls looked ready for a step up in class when comfortably landing a handicap at Newmarket on his return in April and he has since acquitted himself with credit in Group company, shaping better than the result would suggest when fifth in the Palace House and then going down by just a head in the Temple Stakes after finding himself short of room at a crucial stage.

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Candy said: "He's been in great from since the Temple Stakes. I was very happy with him in the Palace House, despite everything going wrong. That was when we were trying to see whether we were any better than a handicapper, and with a better draw and a better run he'd have been not too far away that day. It was worth having a go at stepping up another grade and trying the Temple, and he could have had a bit more luck. You could say he was unlucky in both.

"He's a strong-travelling horse but I think he'll have to be facing those Australians and Americans! It's going to be a bit tough but hopefully he'll be one of the last off the bridle.

"It will be a very exciting race, perhaps the most exciting of the week."


Henry Candy's star sprinters

Twilight Calls is the latest in a line of talented sprinters trained by Henry Candy. Here are three of the best.

Kyllachy (Peak Timeform annual rating 129)

Kyllachy was brought along steadily, running only three times as a juvenile and then four times the following campaign, but he rewarded that patient approach as a four-year-old, establishing himself as one of Europe's top sprinters. Kyllachy won his first three starts in 2002, posting a hugely impressive four-length success in the Temple Stakes, and he bounced back from a short-price defeat in the King's Stand when landing the Nunthorpe Stakes.

Limato (129)

Limato became a firm fan favourite during his seven seasons in training, winning in each campaign. He was twice successful at Group 1 level, with both top-level victories achieved as four-year-old - he landed the July Cup and Prix de la Foret either side of finishing runner-up in the Nunthorpe.

Twilight Son (125)

Twilight Son won his first five starts, including the Sprint Cup in which he successfully made the transition to Group 1 company from handicaps. Even when he lost his unbeaten record he was far from disgraced as he found only the top-class Muhaarar too good in the Champions Sprint Stakes. Twilight Son didn't prove quite as good as a four-year-old but he did gain a notable success in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Twilight Calls seemingly takes after Twilight Son as Candy commented: "They look the same, behave the same, everything."

Richard Fahey: My Royal Ascot team 2022


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