by Myra Lewyn
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum’s Archipenko cemented his status as one of the world’s top middle-distance turf horses and possibly stamped his ticket to the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) later this summer when he easily held back runner-up Barshiba to win the Plymouth Gin Summer Mile Stakes (Eng-G2) on Saturday at Ascot.
The four-old Kingmambo colt won for the third time in five starts this season for trainer Mike de Kock and was racing for the first time since capturing the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1) on April 27 at Sha Tin.
Ridden by Kevin Shea on Saturday, Archipenko tracked the early pace set by Kandidate, seized the lead just over a quarter-mile out, and ran on strongly while easily holding back stakes winner Barshiba to win by three-quarters of a length.
Barshiba finished a neck in front of last season’s Summer Mile winner Cesare, the 6-to-4 favorite.
Gary Tanaka’s Group 1 winner Pressing (Ire), who could return for the Million after posting a seventh-place finish in 2007, finished fourth, two lengths in front of multiple Group 1 winner Ramonti, who was making his much anticipated return since winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) in December, but was never a threat in the Summer Mile.
Archipenko, covered the distance in 1:42.16 on a turf course rated as good to soft.
Archipenko joined de Kock’s South African-based stable in December and won the Commercial Bank of Dubai Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2) in February at Nad al Sheba Racecourse before a third-place finish in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) on March 29 prior to his victory in the QE II Cup.
"I owe Archipenko a lot and he's a fantastic horse,” de Kock told England’s Press Association. “I'm lucky and privileged to get a horse like him.
"He's an intelligent horse—he can almost read and write but just can't talk."
Out of the Nijinsky II mare Bound, Archipenko is a former English classic starter and group stakes winner for previous owner Coolmore.
"We'll reassess plans now," de Kock said. "He has been left in the [BGC] Sussex [Stakes (Eng-G1) on July 30 at Goodwood] but we are thinking of taking him to Chicago for the Arlington Million [on August 9]."
Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times Today editor