By Tom Frary
Helped by race-fitness on Friday, Ka Kui Ho's Glittering Legend (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) proved too strong in the Listed Burradon Stakes to emulate the win of his half-brother Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Newcastle feature. This looked a deep renewal of the mile contest staged on the Tapeta, with last year's G2 Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Royal Playwright (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Lordship Stud's TDN Rising Star Bowmark (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in attendance and the focus was sharply on the latter who started as the well-supported 6-4 favourite despite having only his second start.
Glittering Legend, who had taken a similarly warm affair at Kempton last month, was delivered by Daniel Muscutt to overhaul the Gosdens' market-leader in the last furlong and secure a neck success at odds of 9-2. Royal Playwright was 1 3/4 lengths away in third. The winner was a bargain 67,000gns purchase from the Tattersalls Somerville Sale, being that he is out of the Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial Stakes winner Eastern Belle (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) who is a half to Golden Horn (GB). Her aforementioned son Megallan took this in 2021 before finishing second in the G2 Dante Stakes and adding the G3 Diomed Stakes and G3 Sovereign Stakes to his tally.
“He's a star horse. He was very naughty to begin with, but he's getting it together now and turning into a really useful three-year-old,” trainer James Fanshawe said. “He came there travelling beautifully and his experience probably stood him in good stead today. He's very tenacious and tough and it's just a case of whether we step up to a mile and a quarter. I'll speak to Mr Ho and make a plan, but he'll probably be at Royal Ascot I'd say.”
Thady Gosden said of the runner-up, “The winner is a nice horse, he showed good form and won well at the backend of March, so that was a good first run from Bowmark. There is stamina on the dam side, but Bowmark is by Kingman and, as you saw there, he has a real turn of foot. They didn't look like they went an overly quick gallop early on and he picked up readily to hit the front. The [G2] Dante is definitely an option.”
Battling display!
Glittering Legend takes the BetMGM Burradon Stakes at @NewcastleRaces!@D_Muscutttt | @james_fanshawe pic.twitter.com/YQMzD2Nqax
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 18, 2025
Eastern Belle, who was also second in the GII New York Stakes, GIII Waya Stakes and GIII Glens Falls Stakes, is not the only daughter of the Oppenheimers' unraced Fleche D'Or (GB) (Dubai Destination) to make her mark during her second career with Cercle D'Or (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) producing last year's Ginger Brew Stakes winner and GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes-placed Ozara (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). With this family of Golden Horn and Rebecca Sharp (GB) (Machiavellian) showing no signs of abating in churning out smart runners, Eastern Belle's yearling filly by Baaeed (GB) will be keenly-awaited.
BETMGM BURRADON STAKES-Listed, £100,000, Newcastle, 4-18, 3yo, 8f 5y (AWT), 1:26.45, st.
1–GLITTERING LEGEND (GB), 130, g, 3, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Eastern Belle (GB) (SW-Eng, MGSP-US, $230,141), by Champs Elysees (GB)
2nd Dam: Fleche D'Or (GB), by Dubai Destination
3rd Dam: Nuryana (GB), by Nureyev
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (67,000gns Ylg '23 TATSOM). O-Mr Boniface Ho Ka Kui; B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd (GB); T-James Fanshawe; J-Daniel Muscutt. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0, $126,557. *1/2 to Megallan (GB) (Kingman {GB}), MGSW-Eng, $284,415.
2–Bowmark (GB), 130, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Bound (Ire), by Galileo (Ire).
TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Lordship Stud (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £21,500.
3–Royal Playwright (GB), 130, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Arabian Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). O-Mr J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £10,760.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 4.50, 1.50, 2.50.
Also Ran: Michael Scofield, Titanium Emperor (Ire), Nordic Norm (GB).
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