By Sean Cronin
Godolphin and Charlie Appleby have made Kempton's Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Maiden Stakes their own in recent years, landing recent renewals with high-class winners such as Opera Ballo, Notable Speech and Measured Time.
That dominance continued on Wednesday evening, when Palladas (Lope de Vega) made a striking debut in the one-mile contest. The €750,000 Tattersalls Book 1 yearling produced a power-packed performance that earned him TDN Rising Star status, presented by Hagyard.
“He feels like a vert smart horse, he's got a nice turn of foot and he did it very easily,” reflected apprentice rider Connor Planas. “He took the preliminaries very well, he stood well in the gate and I was able to get a nice position. He travelled very well, he settled into a lovely rhythm and quickened up nicely. Compared to the horses I have ridden, he is one of the nicest horses I've sat on.”
Palladas settled into a smooth rhythm and lobbed along in sixth after an alert getaway. Cruising forward once into the home straight, the 6-5 favourite powered to the front passing the furlong marker and thundered clear in the latter stages to easily outclass Al Azd (Dubawi) by an impressive 2 3/4 lengths.
Palladas is the fourth of five foals and third scorer from as many runners produced by Listed River Eden Stakes third Isabella (Galileo), herself a daughter of Listed Blenheim Stakes victrix Song Of My Heart (Footstepsinthesand). Song Of My Heart is also the dam of G3 Musidora Stakes third Pandora (Galileo) and the dual stakes-placed Allegio (Galileo). The March-foaled chestnut is a half-brother to GIII La Jolla Handicap victor and GII Del Mar Derby runner-up Maltese Falcon (Caravaggio) and the unraced two-year-old colt Helvellyn (Pinatubo).
2026 🥇
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2021 🥇Palladas, a 750,000gns son of Lope De Vega, continues stunning run of Charlie Appleby in this Kempton maiden.@godolphin 🟦🟦 pic.twitter.com/GCB2Je2ybz
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 28, 2026
4th-Kempton, £10,000, Mdn, 1-28, 3yo/up, 8f (AWT), 1:42.63, st/sl.
PALLADAS (GB), c, 3, by Lope De Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Isabella (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Song Of My Heart (Ire), by Footstepsinthesand (GB)
3rd Dam: Catch The Moon (Ire), by Peintre Celebre
Sales history: 750,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $7,478. *1/2 to Maltese Falcon (Ire) (Caravaggio), GSW-US, $320,688. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Godolphin; B-Brightwalton Bloodstock Ltd; T-Charlie Appleby; J-Connor Planas.
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