Empire strikes at Newbury

Royal Empire, a son of Teofilo, gained his first Stakes victory on Saturday July 20 when easily taking the Listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury. A progressive colt who only made his racecourse debut just over a year ago, he was having his first start of the year in Europe after a successful carnival in Dubai.

Bred by Twelve Oaks Stud and sold a yearling for €200,000, Royal Empire is out of the juvenile Stakes-winner Zeiting (Zieten) and a half-brother to the G2-winning miler Combat Zone. Zeiting also has a full-brother yearling to Royal Empire.

Teofilo, the leading third-crop stallion in Europe, has now sired 17 individual Stakes winners. These include Parish Hall, who emulated his sire in winning the Dewhurst Stakes; fellow G1-winning juvenile Loch Garmon; Trading Leather, winner of this season's Irish Derby and G1-winning miler Havana Gold. Teofilo will stand this season for $22,000 inc. GST at Kelvinside, NSW.