Romance of travel shows no sign of waning for Champions & Chater Cup hero

Rebel’s Romance continued his love affair with international travel as he stormed to a convincing victory in the G1 Champions & Chater Cup in Hong Kong on Sunday.

The six-year-old was scoring in a sixth different country and adding to his previous G1 wins in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, Preis von Europa, Breeders’ Cup Turf and this season’s Dubai Sheema Classic. He also becomes the first Godolphin winner in the region since Mastery claimed the 2010 Hong Kong Vase.

With five top-level wins to his name, Rebel’s Romance shares fourth spot on the list of Godolphin’s most prolific G1 winners behind Anamoe, Daylami and Fantastic Light. The son of Dubawi could yet add to his total, with a return to North America on the cards before more potential travel later in the year.

Legend Of Time also has major US targets in his sights following his swooping head success in Saturday’s G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Aqueduct. The three-year-old receives an automatic place in July’s G1 Belmont Derby, which this year switches to Aqueduct.

Notable Speech saw the form of his 2,000 Guineas victory boosted as Rosallion and Haatem, who were second and third in the Newmarket Classic, fought out the finish to the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Rosallion is from the first crop of Blue Point and a superb weekend for Darley stallions saw daughters of Too Darn Hot capture both the Irish and German 1,000 Guineas.

Epsom Downs hosts the Derby and Oaks this week and Godolphin could be represented in both Classics, with last season’s Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom and G3 scorer Dance Sequence featuring among the latest confirmations.

Fierce Pride filled the runner-up spot on her first G1 appearance in the Victoria Mile earlier this month and the Deep Impact mare is due to return to Tokyo for Sunday’s G1 Yasuda Kinen. In Secret will be hoping to add to her two previous G1 wins when she tackles the Kingsford-Smith Cup in Brisbane on Saturday.