Guest Of Honour adds further Black type to his record

Guest Of Honour, winner of last year’s Royal Windsor Stakes and third in the G2 Summer Mile, returned to winning ways in tenacious style on 14 June when landing the Ganton Stakes at York.

Clearly relishing his favoured good ground, Marco Botti’s charge travelled well under Martin Harley throughout the one-mile contest and soon took the lead once asked to quicken, running on superbly to win by half a length from Fencing (Street Cry).

Bred by Azienda Agricola Gennaro Stimola, Guest Of Honour is out of the winning Royal Academy mare Risera, herself a daughter of G1 performer Smageta and from the immediate family of five-time G1 winner Rakti.

Cape Cross, whose son Sea The Stars sired the Oaks winner last Friday, while his daughter Ouija Board was responsible for the Derby winner a day later, is also sire this year of Group winner Lesstalk In Paris plus fellow Stakes winner and UAE Derby second Asmar.