NEWMARKET saturday

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

SUN CHARIOT STAKES

(GROUP 1)

KARL Burke’s Laurens, tough as well as supremely talented, landed the Group 1 Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes in the hands of Danny Tudhope at Newmarket on Saturday. It was her fifth success at the highest level.

She had to work hard this time after making the best of her way home from five furlongs out. She looked to be going best but Aidan O’Brien’s Happily, tracking her for most of the way, would not be shaken off and remained a threat all the way to the line, where the winning margin was a head.

Altyn Orda, always prominent, was third, ahead of O’Brien’s I Can Fly and shock 1000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook. Laurens was second that day but has won four Group 1s since, including the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown at the expense of the brilliant Alpha Centauri.

“Two furlongs out I thought she’d absolutely bolted up but she needed the line in the last 100 yards. Danny said she was still changing her legs despite all the rain,” Burke commented. “She’s in the Qipco Champion Stakes and could be supplemented for the QEII. Alternatively, she has two options at the Breeders’ Cup.”

O’Brien was delighted with Happily, who may also be heading across the Atlantic.

“She ran a great race here and also in the Irish 1000 but things just haven’t fallen for her this season,” he said. “We’ll look at going to Ascot or even America with her.”

On Arc weekend there would have been a touch of irony in success for André Fabre’s Wind Chimes, who travelled the other way and was well backed but finished last. She was found to have an irregular heartbeat afterwards.