Royal Insignia does family proud

Trainer Grahame Begg shared bittersweet news following the impressive return of Royal Insignia, who claimed victory in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Saturday.

In a poignant twist, Royal Insignia’s dam, Yau Chin, was humanely euthanised just a day before the colt’s success. Yau Chin, an exceptional broodmare, also produced Written By, a winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes as a two-year-old and now a prominent stallion.

“The sad part is we had to put his mother down yesterday,” Begg revealed. “She was an old mare but a great producer.

“We’ve got another promising filly out of the family, Perfect Picture, who recently won at Pakenham. She’s out of a half-sister to this horse (Royal Insignia). She’s very exciting as well, so the family lives on.”

Ridden by Jamie Mott, Royal Insignia ($7.50) produced a strong late finish to win by a neck over Tropicus ($5.50), with the $4 favourite Band Of Brothers a further long head away in third.

While comparing Royal Insignia to his half-brother Written By, Begg noted the differences in their racing styles but expressed confidence in Royal Insignia’s ability to thrive over longer distances.

Next on the agenda for Royal Insignia is the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 15, with a potential shot at the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at the same track on March 1.

“We’ve always had a lot of faith in this horse,” Begg said. “I took him to Bendigo for his first race, and he got it all wrong that day. He was beaten eight lengths, and I came home scratching my head, wondering what went wrong.

“We turned him out, brought him back, and gave him a couple of runs later in the spring, but he’s gone to another level now.

“He’s pretty exciting—an unassuming horse that travels well in his races. He wants to relax and get there on the line.”