Benvenuto Cellini routs Golden Fleece rivals

Two-year-old Frankel colt Benvenuto Cellini produced a classy win in the Gr.2 Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, reaching the winning post with a five-length margin.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 14th September 2025, by Sean Cronin:

Christophe Soumillon was forced into switching mounts, taking up piloting duties aboard Killarney maiden winner Benvenuto Cellini after Montreal was scratched, in Saturday's Gr.2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes - known as the Golden Fleece Stakes - and the rider continued on a roll as the son of Newspaperofrecord stepped forward to claim a career high in the one-mile contest. His tally earned him a spot in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar at the beginning of November.

The 1-2 favourite bowled along in second for the most part as Hardy Warrior set the tempo up front. Sent wide into the straight for a narrow advantage passing the quarter-mile marker, he was beyond recall thereafter and powered clear underneath the stands= side rail inside the final furlong to easily outclass the pacesetting Hardy Warrior by five lengths. Nil Bua Gan Dua was a half-length away in third, a nose in front of A Boy Named Suzie.

"He's a lovely horse and a great mover by Frankel out of a very good mare," said Aidan O'Brien. "He's been going well at home and Christophe [Soumillon] gave him a very uncomplicated ride. He's a smasher, he's got a big open stride, he's genuine and he cruises. He looks like he's going to be a lovely middle-distance horse and Christophe thinks he feels like a French Derby horse. He can go again this year, maybe in the Racing Post [Gr.1 Futurity Trophy] or one of the French [Group 1] races [at ParisLongchamp and Saint-Cloud], and then start in one of the Derby trials next year."