Venetian Sun Shines in Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot
Trainer Karl Burke turned around a frustrating week as the highly regarded Venetian Sun burst home to land the June 20 Albany Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot under Clifford Lee.
The 2-year-old Starman filly had been “kicking group horses out of the way” on Burke’s gallops in recent weeks and brought that class to the track to stay on bravely, having taken the lead around a furlong and a half out.
Burke, who called her the best 2-year-old filly he has trained, was enjoying his first success of the week after some disappointments with runners in the first three days of Royal Ascot.
Venetian Sun was stylish when winning a Carlisle novice last month and always looked in control of Friday’s opener after starting quickly from stall one. She held off 66-1 outsider Awaken , who finished best of those from off the pace, to get within 1 1/2 lengths as the runner-up.
Balantina was third at 40-1 odds for Donnacha O’Brien, who won this race with the classy Porta Fortuna in 2023.
The American-trained Bibi Dahl , previously second in the May 10 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park, ran sixth in the Albany for owner AMO Racing.
Reflecting on the winner, Lee said, “When she ran first time at Carlisle she did it very nicely, and before the season started we knew we had a really good filly on our hands. She was babyish on debut but she’d come on … I’m delighted to get one for the team.
“It’s not easy to get winners at Royal Ascot, you come here thinking you’ve got a good chance but so do 20 others. It’s a bit of a lottery unless you’re riding top quality horses, but we’ve got a great one here.”
Venetian Sun carried the silks of Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom, who owns her along with Ian McAleavy.
“I think she’s a very special filly,” Burke said. “The work she’s done at home, I haven’t had a 2-year-old filly do anything like. In the last few weeks, she’s kicking older group horses out the way. I worked her with a good workhorse and she did the same to him, I’m talking (high quality) horses. I think she’s very special.”
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