Kon Tiki heading for Sandown before Group One assignment

Jane Chapple-Hyam will use Sandown’s BetMGM Atalanta Stakes to prepare Ascot winner Kon Tiki for her shot at emulating Saffron Beach in the BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes in the autumn.

Chapple-Hyam sent out her exceptional six-time winner to claim Newmarket’s end-of-season mile Group One in 2021 and although described as a much more relaxed model, Kon Tiki is beginning to go someway to following in her footsteps.

Although falling just short of replicating Saffron Beach’s victory in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, Kon Tiki made up for that when an impressive winner of the Valiant Stakes last time.

She now has the chance to chart the path of distinguished hoofprints once again when heading to Esher for the race Saffron Beach used herself to set up Rowley Mile success five years ago.

Chapple-Hyam said: “She’s come out of Ascot really well and we’re going to aim her at the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown on August 29. She’ll have a penalty but we’re happy to take that.

“The ultimate after that would be the Sun Chariot, so Sandown will keep her fit and keep her ticking over.

“She gets down and works nicely, She’s got a nice turn of foot and she’s very laid-back. She’s horizontal and a completely different spectrum to Saffron Beach, who was a crocodile.”

A smart performance from Kon Tiki in the Sun Chariot would have Chapple-Hyam dreaming of a trip to the Breeders’ Cup with the daughter of Night Of Thunder.

However, more than anything, she hopes to convince owner Peter Harris to keep the four-year-old in training for an extra season.

Chapple-Hyam added: “After Newmarket you could maybe think about a Breeders’ Cup, but you would have to be going close in a Sun Chariot for that.

“I would like to think I could twist Mr Harris’ arm to go to Keeneland, but I’m not sure it’ll happen and if she ran well in the Sun Chariot I would be more keen for him to keep her in training as a five-year-old. If I could have one, I would have that.

“She is lightly-raced and for me it would make sense to keep her in training and because she’s not had much racing I would hope she would fall into the bracket of ‘she could improve again’ from four to five.”