Kameko 2yos to look out for in 2024
The new year will see the first crop of Qatar Racing's record-breaking QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Kameko turn two, so it’s an ideal time to look at a selection of his potential runners in 2024…
Kameko’s highest-priced yearling sold was the colt out of Stakes-winning Galileo mare Roheryn consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux at the Arqana Deauville August Sale and purchased by Hong-Kong Jockey Club for €310,000. It’s assumed that his racing career will take place in Hong Kong.
Kameko clearly has the potential to make a splash on the international stage as Ecurie des Monceaux also sold a Kameko filly out of Stakes-winning Lord Kanaloa mare Know It All to French trainer Yann Barberot for €170,000 and a Kameko colt out of $1.2m Galileo mare Glories to Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi for €140,000. The Kameko colt out of Helmet mare Courteous Crown was sold by Clenagh Castle Stud to International bloodstock agent Edgar Byrne for €115,000.
There will also be an expensive Kameko at a breeze-up sale as Monceaux sold a Kameko filly out of Stakes-winning Le Havre mare Qatar Power to Mick Murphy and Sarah O’Connell’s Longways Stables for €135,000.
There were many other Kameko yearlings who sold for six-figure sums too – an excellent return on the £25,000 (Oct 1st SLF) Kameko stood for in his debut season in 2021.
The stunning Kameko colt out of Stakes-placed Al Kazeem mare Golden Spell sold from Mountain View Stud to Blandford Bloodstok for 160,000gns, while the Kameko colt out of Mizzen Mast mare Let It Be Me sold from Mickley Stud Ltd to Norris / Huntingdon for 130,000gns.
The Kameko colt out of Tertullian mare Stacey Sutton sold by Manister House Stud to Blandford Bloodstock for 125,000gns will be trained by Ed Bethell. The Kameko colt out of Stakes-winning Invincible Spirit mare Beach Belle bought back by Aughamore Stud for 145,000gns.
Naturally, Qatar Racing will send a host of Kameko homebreds into training too.
Kameko’s trainer Andrew Balding will train Kameko colts out of Stakes-winning Lope de Vega mare Ship of Dreams and winning Street Cry mare Potent Embrace, whilst David Howden has a homebred Kameko filly out of Pivotal mare Bewitchment with the master of Kingsclere.
Qatar Racing will also have a homebred Kameko colt out of Stakes-winning Dansili mare Ripples Maid with James Ferguson; a Kameko filly out of Stakes-winning Holy Roman Emperor mare An Ghalanta with Archie Watson; and a Kameko colt out of winning Pivotal mare Dulkashe with Roger Varian.
Ripples Maid is the dam of Japanese Gr.2 winner Mikki Charm; An Ghalanta the dam of Stakes performers Bletchley, Time Scale and Miaharris; and Dulkashe the dam of Gr.1 winner Defoe.
John and Thady Gosden will train a homebred Kameko filly out of dual Gr.1-winning Scat Daddy mare Con Te Partiro for Qatar Racing and a Kameko colt out of winning Dansili mare Bella Nouf for David Howden. Bella Nouf is the dam of the same connections’ Stakes winner Running Lion.
Ripples Maid is the dam of Japanese Gr.2 winner Mikki Charm; An Ghalanta the dam of Stakes performers Bletchley, Time Scale and Miaharris; and Dulkashe the dam of Gr.1 winner Defoe.
John and Thady Gosden will train a homebred Kameko filly out of dual Gr.1-winning Scat Daddy mare Con Te Partiro for Qatar Racing and a Kameko colt out of winning Dansili mare Bella Nouf for David Howden. Bella Nouf is the dam of the same connections’ Stakes winner Running Lion.