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Andrew Balding is confident star filly Kalpana can ‘get the ball rolling’ ahead of her return to Group One company by securing back-to-back victories in the Unibet September Stakes at Kempton Park on Saturday (September 6th).
The daughter of Study Of Man will make her first start outside of Group One company this season in the £90,000 mile and a half Group Three test, which has attracted 13 entries, on route to a tilt at next month’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
In three starts this season the Juddmonte-owned filly has finished in the frame on each occasion, starting with a third on her return in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh before filling the runner-up spot back at the Irish track in the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes.
And it was a case of having to settle for second best behind Calandagan on her most recent appearance in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.
However, Classic-winning trainer Balding feels the four-year-old can become the fourth two-time winner of September Stakes ahead of being sent on her travels once again in search of a second Group One success. Unibet make her the 4-5 Favourite for Saturday’s contest.
Balding said: “Kalpana is very much on course for the September Stakes. She won the race last year, so we know that the track and trip suits her well.
“She put in a stellar performance during her last run and hopefully this will be a stepping stone towards Longchamp in October.
“We just thought she hasn’t won a race this year, and as we have taken her to Ireland twice this year, we thought finding something closer to home would be a better prep rather than running in another Group One before the Arc.
“We felt at the time that the King George took a bit more out of her than her other races and that is why we took away any temptation to run at York straight away and decided to wait for this.
“She has had a nice break since Ascot and this is very much a prep race so she will come on for the run, but she seems in great form.”
Although Kalpana is yet to get her head in front this season Balding insists there has been plenty of encouragement in each of her three starts.
He added: “I thought she ran a good race in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. She was probably a little unlucky in the race, but she ran with great credit behind two very good colts.
“She was then beaten by Whirl, who has done the form no harm since, when giving her a large lump of weight with the weight-for-age the older horses have to give to the three-year-olds.
“I don’t think I was alone in thinking that she had won the King George when she hit the front. We all got quite excited as she swept to the lead and quickened really well.
“It meant it would have to be a really good one to peg her back and unfortunately that was the case.
“Calandagan is possibly the best middle-distance horse in Europe so she lost nothing in defeat there against him in the King George.
“They have been three really good runs, but she is yet to win a race and it would be nice to get the ball rolling and get back on track with a win to tee us nicely up for Paris in October.”
Following her victory in last year’s September Stakes, Kalpana then went on to make her first start at Group One level a successful one in the Qipco British Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.
And while Balding hopes she can replicate that sort of form once again when becoming his first runner in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe he admits his focus is on her next assignment.
Balding said “It was certainly the case last year that this is her time of year as she improved with every race last year so that is what we are hoping will happen again.
“She has got very good form on slow ground so we know that will be in her favour when it comes.
“The Arc is one of the most important races in the calendar. Juddmonte were lucky enough to win it last year, and they have won it twice with Enable, along with plenty of other good horses, so they are no stranger to success in it, but I’ve never had a runner in the race.
“It is a privilege to train for them, and you have always got a chance of getting a good one as they breed such good horses.
“However, we still have plenty of water to go under the bridge between now and then, but the first step is Kempton Park at the weekend.”
Unibet September Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 219y
1.35pm, Kempton Park, Saturday 6th September
Absurde (FR) 7 H. O. S. Syndicate W. P. Mullins Ireland
Arabian Crown (FR) 4 Godolphin Charlie Appleby
Candleford (IRE) 7 Barnane Stud William Haggas
Giavellotto (IRE) 6 Scuderia La Tesa Limited & Vaibhav Shah Marco Botti Oisin Murphy
Kalpana 4 Juddmonte Andrew Balding Colin Keane
Meydaan (IRE) 4 Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Simon & Ed Crisford
Military Academy 4 Isa Salman & Abdulla Al Khalifa John & Thady Gosden
Niminy Piminy (FR) 3 Mrs Simon Marsh & Hon Mrs Peter Stanley Ollie Sangster
Palladium (GER) 4 Lady Bamford John & Thady Gosden
Raja Raja 4 Chola Dynasty David Simcock
Satavia 3 Juddmonte Ralph Beckett
Tasmania (GER) 5 Gestuet Schlenderhan Gmbh U. Co. Kg Sir Mark Prescott Bt Luke Morris
Term of Endearment 6 Mr Zhang Yuesheng William Haggas
13 entries
1 Irish-trained
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