By Sean Cronin
Bettors suspected something was afoot and hammered the Godolphin homebred Desert Castle (Frankel) into 1-2 favouritism for Friday evening's Zyn Frontrunner EBF Newcomers' Confined Maiden Stakes at Newmarket, and the imposing bay duly delivered in eyecatching fashion to earn a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, on debut.
“He's a very nice horse, I have been lucky to sit on him a bit at home and I really liked him coming into today, said Billy Loughnane of the sire's 51st Rising Star. “He did everything right, but he had a good look around when he hit the front. He's got plenty to improve on still, but he's definitely got the potential to be smart. He's a horse that travels well through his paces and, with pace on and something to aim at in a stakes race, he could be even better.”
Charlie Appleby added, “He is a brother to Group 1 horses, so that is a help, but his homework had been good and we came up here with confidence. I would probably stick him into a novice next time as he looked a bit raw there.”
The G2 Champagne Stakes and G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes entry was a shade hesitant from the stalls and tanked along behind the leaders in fifth through the initial factions of the seven-furlong contest.
Cruising forward hard on the steel from halfway, he seized control soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and surged clear, despite drifting left on the climb, to easily overpower Sommood (Kingman) by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths.
Desert Castle is the 11th of one dozen foals and sixth scorer out of G2 Flying Childers victrix Sand Vixen (Dubawi), herself a half-sister to Listed-winning G3 Greenham third So Will I (Inchinor) and to the dams of the G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up King Of Spades (Foxwedge) and the stakes-placed Irish Gent (Ten Sovereigns).
He is a full-brother to G1 Jebel Hatta hero Dream Castle, the multiple Grade I-placed G2 Cape Verdi and G2 Balanchine victrix With The Moonlight and a yearling colt.
Impressive 👀
Desert Castle (Frankel) makes a winning start for Charlie Appleby, @loughnane_billy and @godolphin in the @NewmarketRace opener 🔵 pic.twitter.com/WtWDfZTekB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 7, 2026
1st-Newmarket, £13,000, Mdn, 8-7, 2yo, 7fT, 1:25.91, g/f.
DESERT CASTLE (GB), c, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, £6,700. *Full to Dream Castle (GB), G1SW-UAE, MGSP-Eng & GSP-Tur; and With The Moonlight (Ire), GSW & MGISP-US, MGSW-UAE, SW-Eng, GISP-Can. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby; J-Billy Loughnane.
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