Sharon Lee-Chapman
Triple Group One winning miler Charm Spirit continued his upward trajectory with a flurry of first-crop two-year-old winners this week including a metropolitan double at Deauville overnight.
On the eve of returning to England from his southern hemisphere base at Windsor Park Stud, Invincible Spirit’s highest earning son celebrated his departure by extending his tally of individual two-year-old winners for the season to 28, placing him in second position to No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) - who has 29 winners -on the European First Season Sires’ list.
Preceding his Deauville double, smart Charm Spirit colt The Big Smoke backed up his maiden victory three weeks earlier when combining successfully with champion jockey Christophe Soumillon to score again in the Prix Gilles Tartoue over 1700m at Pornichet.
At Deauville yesterday, Soumillon was also successful aboard progressive Charm Spirit filly Olympe in the 1500m Prix d’Epreville for champion trainer Jean-Claude Rouget while earlier on the card the Richard Hughes trained colt Harbour Spirit, who earlier had debuted for third at Ascot, stayed on strongly to win the 1500m Prix de Martainville.
Charm Spirit was also recently represented by his first southern hemisphere two-year-old Group performer when the hugely talented Baker/Forsman trained filly Aretha debuted for third in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham following two trials wins.
Charm Spirit has 24 yearlings catalogued for sale at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Sales next month while he also has yearling representation at both the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale and Sydney Inglis Classic Sale in Australia. -Windsor park Stud