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Trainer Kevin Ryan unveiled an exciting two-year-old prospect at Haydock on Friday with Expensive Queen winning the 7f Class 4 British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes in good style.
The daughter of Lope De Vega took a keen hold under jockey Neil Callan as she exited the stalls and sat in second behind Beveragino. She was encouraged to take the lead with a furlong to run and took control of the race to score by one-and-a-half lengths. Beveragino stayed on to finish second with Karl Burke's Darnation back in third.
Bred by Ballylinch Stud, the filly was purchased for 260,000 euros at the Arqana August Yearling Sale in 2022 by Rabbah Bloodstock. Out of Witches Brew, who was placed over seven furlongs in Listed company, Expensive Queen is a full-sister to two Black Type performers in Antonia De Vega and Luckin Brewin.
Trained by Ralph Beckett, Antonia De Vega was a winner of the Group 3 Prestige Stakes as a juvenile and made a successful start to her three-year-old campaign when recording an easy victory in the Listed Abingdon Stakes over ten furlongs. Although disappointing for the remainder of 2019, she returned in winning style at four with a success in the Listed Pontefract Stakes before defeating subsequent 'Arc' heroine Alpinista in the Group 3 Muhaarar Stakes over twelve furlongs.
Witches Brew's 2020 filly foal Luckin Brew, also trained by Ralph Beckett, flourished when stepped up to a mile during her juvenile campaign, winning a Kempton Park novice stakes before finishing a narrow second in the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes at Pontefract. She is yet unraced as a three-year-old but does hold an entry in the Group 1 Irish Oaks, suggesting connections think she is fairly useful.
Further back in Expensive Queen's pedigree, dam Witches Brew is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Al Wukair (Dream Ahead). The André Fabre-trained colt was an undefeated juvenile and won the Group 3 Prix Djebel on his seasonal reappearance in 2017. Rather than stay in France for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, connections chose to head to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas and Al Wukair rewarded them with a good third behind Churchill. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the colt recorded his Group 1 success in the Prix Jacques le Marois before heading to stud at the end of the three-year-old campaign. Standing at a reasonable 5,000 euros at Haras de Bouquetot, Al Wukair has already produced two Listed winners in France (Le Mehana and Khamma).
