Crown Board steps up to Listed level after eye-catching Shergar Cup success
Crown Board, the emphatic winner of the Mile for the Rest of the World at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting, has been entered in the Tattersalls Nickes Minneslopning at Bro Park on Stockholm Cup Day on 20 September. The decision to head north follows the Dalham yard’s assessment that the six-year-old is ready to move out of handicap company and tackle a Listed assignment.
Trained by Jane Chapple‑Hyam, Crown Board produced one of the day’s most decisive performances on Shergar Cup afternoon, running on strongly under Norwegian jockey Frida Valle Skar to prevail by three and three‑quarter lengths. The victory came off a handicap mark of 103 and the handicapper subsequently raised the gelding 7lb to 110.
Targets and travel plans
With a revised rating that takes him out of the more basic handicap grades, Crown Board’s next assignment has been plotted at Bro Park, where the Tattersalls Nickes Minneslopning offers a suitable step into Black‑type company. The race forms part of a high‑profile card in Stockholm, with the meeting also staged around the traditional Swedish showpiece, the Stockholm Cup International.
Chapple‑Hyam’s intention is to make the trip cost‑effective for the owner, and she will send a second runner to Sweden. Seven‑year‑old Claymore, who has campaigned at the highest level across Europe and finished second in last year’s Stockholm Cup International, is entered for the Group Three feature over a mile and a half on the same card.
Riding arrangements
Riding plans for the Swedish visit have been confirmed. Former regular Ascot partner Frida Valle Skar took the reins on Crown Board at Ascot, while Chapple‑Hyam has secured David Egan to ride both Crown Board and Claymore at Bro Park. The yard’s choice of rider for a pair of international runners underlines the intention to present both horses in competitive order on Stockholm Cup Day.
Form and context
- Crown Board: six years old; recent decisive winner of the Mile at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting; victory margin three and three‑quarter lengths; winner’s handicap mark at time of the race 103; subsequently raised to 110.
- Claymore: seven years old; experienced performer at Group level; runner‑up in last year’s Stockholm Cup International, beaten two and a half lengths.
For Ascot racegoers who noted Crown Board’s stirring performance on Shergar Cup day, the entry to Bro Park offers interest in seeing how a successful Ascot handicapper transfers form to Listed company overseas. The decision to pair Crown Board with an established international performer such as Claymore also reflects a pragmatic approach to campaigning horses on a prestigious foreign fixture while spreading travel costs for connections.
What to watch
- Whether Crown Board can reproduce the same composed finishing kick that carried him to a clear success at Ascot when faced with Black‑type opposition.
- How Claymore fares in the Stockholm Cup International having finished narrowly behind the winner in the previous running.
- The handling of two internationally campaigned runners by Chapple‑Hyam’s team and the impact of riding choices at Bro Park.
Both runners are set to represent a familiar British presence on a card that attracts considerable Scandinavian and continental attention. Their appearances will be monitored by those following the season’s late summer international programme and by connections assessing routes for horses moving between handicap and Pattern company.
