'I've Never Had A Two-Year-Old Filly Like Her': Burke Lauds Albany Heroine Venetian Sun

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's once-raced Carlisle maiden winner Venetian Sun (Starman) fulfilled the role of spoiler with aplomb and the Karl Burke trainee prevented a Ballydoyle clean sweep of Royal Ascot's juvenile pattern races with a dominant victory in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes.

The 240,000gns Book 1 graduate, drawn in the supposedly unfavourable stall one on the track's far side, raced on the wing in midfield through halfway in this straight six-furlong contest. Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile pole, the well-backed 7-1 chance made continued headway to seize control entering the final furlong and was driven out in the closing stages to assert superiority by 1 1/2 lengths and a length from Awaken (Mehmas) and Balantina (Ten Sovereigns). Aidan O'Brien nominee and 15-8 favourite Signora (Frankel) threatened inside the final quarter-mile, but lacked the necessary kick and finished ninth. Venetian Sun becomes the second black-type winner for Tally-Ho Stud-based freshman sire Starman. “I've never had a two-year-old fill like her,” enthused Burke in the immediate aftermath. “Before the season started, we knew we had a good filly on our hands,” added rider Clifford Lee.

“I think Venetian Sun is a very special filly,” the winning trainer insisted. “The work she has done at home over the last six weeks, I haven't had a two-year-old filly work like that. She has been kicking all the Group horses out of the way. I worked her with a good old work horse about a month ago, or just after her debut, and then I worked her with another good work horse I knew was reliable, and she did the same to them. I am talking 110-rated horses. I think she is special.”

Winning rider Clifford Lee added, “When Venetia Sun ran first time at Carlisle, she did that very nicely. She was very babyish when she won at Carlisle, which is a very stiff track. She wasn't quite switched on, but she had come on plenty after that first run. You think you come here with a really good chance, but so do 20 other runners in the race. It is a bit of a lottery unless you're riding the top quality horses, but we knew we had a good filly on our hands. Thanks to Mr Bloom for letting me keep the ride on such a big day. I have had a bit of success for him and hopefully we get some more.”

Winning part-owner Tony Bloom, supremo of Premier League soccer club Brighton & Hove Albion, commented, “We were concerned about the [one] draw, but Karl Burke didn't stop telling us how good a horse Venetian Sun is. She has run unbelievably to win in this field at Royal Ascot. Karl has huge belief in her and her work at home has been outstanding in the last six weeks, so we came here with confidence. Looking at her run today, I am confident she can go further and we are looking ahead to next season and the [G1] 1000 Guineas.”

Fellow owner Ian McAleavy continued, “Karl did say Venetian Sun was the best two-year-old filly he has had, so he did give us a lot of confidence. We were happy to back her and great credit to everyone at the yard and credit to Cliff [Lee]. I don't think everything went for her as she had a tough draw and she didn't have much cover.”

George Boughey, trainer of Awaken, was thrilled with the runner-up's effort and said, “I am delighted with Awaken, but she is a filly who is still very raw and green. That performance was not unexpected, even though she was 66-1. I was delighted with her work and she is a nice replacement for Believing for Highclere. It is great to have a good horse for them and long may it continue.”

Tom Marquand, rider of third home Balantina, reflected, “That was a huge run, but a little bit frustrating as she started a touch slow just as she did in her first run. I thought it was a good salvage performance to pick up a place, as it was tough work from where she was.”

Pedigree Notes
Venetian Sun, who joins G3 Naas Fillies Sprint victrix Lady Iman on her freshman sire's black-type roll of honour, is the third of five foals and one of three scorers produced by Listed Prix de la Calonne and Listed Prix de la Pepiniere runner-up Johara (Iffraaj), herself the leading performer out of a full-sister to Listed Winter Derby Trial third Mister Green (Green Desert). The February-foaled bay is a half-sister to Listed Roses Stakes third Sir Yoshi (Mehmas) while her dam has a yearling filly by Kodiac and a weanling filly by Cotai Glory to come. Venetian Sun's third dam, G3 Prix des Reserviors winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Summertime Legacy (Darshaan), also threw G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Mandaean (Manduro), G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Montjeu) and G1 Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon (New Approach). The latter, in turn, is the dam of dual Group 1-winning sire Earthlight (Shamardal) and dual Group 1-winning 2000 Guineas third Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega). Wavering is the dam of three black-type performers headed by multiple stakes-winning G1 Prix Rothschild runner-up Life In Motion (Sea The Stars).

VENETIAN SUN WINS THE ALBANY STAKES! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/SGr3CzUPNC

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2025

Friday, Ascot, Britain
ALBANY STAKES-G3, £125,000, Ascot, 6-20, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:12.87, g/f.
1–VENETIAN SUN (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Starman (GB)
1st Dam: Johara (Ire) (MSP-Fr), by Iffraaj (GB)
2nd Dam: Hurricane Irene (Ire), by Green Desert
3rd Dam: Summertime Legacy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (240,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Tony Bloom & Ian McAleavy; B-Tally-Ho Stud; T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $124,150. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Awaken (Ire), 128, f, 2, Mehmas (Ire)–Circulation (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (160,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Maple); B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd; T-George Boughey. £26,875.
3–Balantina (Ire), 128, f, 2, Ten Sovereigns (Ire)–Balankiyla (Fr), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€100,000 Ylg '24 ARAUG). O-Steven I Weston & Reeves Thoroughbred Racing; B-Summerhill, Lynch Bages & S Murphy; T-Donnacha O'Brien. £13,450.
Margins: 1HF, 1, HF. Odds: 7.00, 66.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: Fitzella (GB), Fairy Oak (GB), Gold Digger (Ire), Nandita (Ire), Bibi Dahl, Signora (Ire), Senorita Vega (Ire), Ipanema Queen (Ire), Spinning Lizzie (GB), Green Sense (Ire), Magny Cours (Ire), Indigo Dawn (Ire), Oh Cecelia (Ire), Tahalel (Ire).