Middleham Park savouring ‘chance of a lifetime’ with The Platinum Queen

When Tim Palin had the idea of Middleham Park Racing he could never in his wildest dreams have imagined the syndicate would end up with a favourite at the Breeders’ Cup.

That is the situation they find themselves in courtesy of Richard Fahey’s The Platinum Queen in Friday’s Juvenile Turf Sprint, where she will be ridden by Hollie Doyle.

Connections are, of course, in bonus territory with the lightning-fast filly, who has already earned close to £350,000 having finished second in the Nunthorpe and won the Prix de l’Abbaye.

However, if the challenge of taking a thoroughbred across the Atlantic at the end of the season was not enough to temper enthusiasm, being handed the widest draw of all in stall 12 certainly is.

Nevertheless, Palin, who has stayed home in England, will be the first one on the telephone to his son Tom and colleague Mike Prince who have travelled over to Keeneland along with 20 lucky owners.

“We started off with one horse when we approached Patrick Haslam about giving syndication a go. Out of that process came China Castle, who we bought a leg of and shared him initially with a guy called Jim Davis. Jim moved out of racing and China Castle went on to win 25 races,” said Palin.

“We owe a lot to China Castle and Patrick Haslam because success breeds success, but when we started 27 years ago the dream was to be able to syndicate a horse, not to be going to the Breeders’ Cup with a favourite!

“For the first 10 or 15 years it was a hobby, I was still a teacher, but it eventually got out of hand to the point we’ve got 130 horses including Group One winners and champion two-year-olds like Toormore – it’s culminated this week in operating on a different continent with arguably a favourite’s chance.

“When the hammer went down for her in May for 57,000 guineas, there’s no way you think you’ll end up at the Breeders’ Cup. Maybe win a novice, a nursery and try to nick some black type might have been mission accomplished, but she’s developed through the ranks.”

Palin is slightly underplaying her progression as apart from a blowout in the Queen Mary her only defeats have come against the freakish Highfield Princess in the Nunthorpe having paid £40,000 to supplement her, and a short-head reverse in the Flying Childers on soft ground.

“She won at Ripon on her debut. Missed the break slightly at Ascot and her chance had gone, but got back on track at York when Richard said to Oisin (Orr), ‘did you realise you were going 43mph at one stage?’, and Oisin replied, ‘I could have gone 47mph if I’d wanted’,” said Palin.

“She broke the track record at Goodwood and we took a chance supplementing her for the Nunthorpe and as they say, the rest is history.

“She was getting all the weight at York, but we rolled the dice in Paris in the Abbaye as well when we got a bit lucky with the draw – I suppose we’ve got a bit of karma this week with our 12 of 12.

“One thing being drawn out there will do is it means she misses the melee, she’ll have a bit of a free run on the outside.”

He went on: “I counted the other day they run in a straight line for 22 seconds so she’s got a furlong and three-quarters to get her position. When Golden Pal won this it was 19 seconds around a bend and 23 in the home straight so she’s got more than a third of the race to get her position.

“She’s had a hack canter around the track this week, she’s acclimatised well and we’ve dropped lucky that it’s in Kentucky this year as it has been a very similar temperature there to here.”

One thing Middleham Park are is very through in their research of the opposition and while it can sometimes be hard to get a grip on American form compared to the Europeans, Wesley Ward’s love of Ascot is helping in that regard.

“Love Reigns is second-favourite and she came over for the Queen Mary and was fourth so you can read into that what you will,” said Palin.

“Look, there are lots of negatives, we’re drawn in the car park, we’re going round a bend, it’s the end of a long season and it’s on a different continent – if it was at Catterick or something you’d have less question marks.

“Going into the Abbaye we had a favourite’s chance and while she’s favourite again there are all the caveats I’ve mentioned.

“Gate speed is crucial and they might have the beat on us there, but other than that she must have a good chance.

“It’s just a privilege to be there, she’s going to be worth a lot of money the rest of her life, she’s earned loads of prize-money and she’s given her owners some fantastic memories. She’s been one of the story horses of the season.

“We’re just living the dream, aren’t we? People might say why are we going, hasn’t she done enough, but this is the chance in a lifetime to have a Breeders’ Cup favourite and who knows what lies ahead next year as there’s no particular programme for her.”