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Bloom Eyes Royal Ascot Honours with Poniros and Lake Forest
Patience the Key as Bloom Targets Summer Success
Patience has long been a hallmark of Tony Bloom’s racing philosophy, and that trait could soon reap further rewards as he plots a high-profile double assault on Royal Ascot with Poniros and Lake Forest. Following a headline-grabbing few months on both the jumps and Flat scenes, the Brighton & Hove Albion chairman is preparing to turn his attention to Britain’s most prestigious Flat meeting.
While his Premier League club continues to impress, Bloom’s carefully assembled racing team has also delivered success on a global stage. Though Energumene narrowly missed out on a third Champion Chase, Bloom was all smiles after Poniros sprang one of the greatest shocks in Cheltenham Festival history with his 100-1 Triumph Hurdle win. Meanwhile, Lake Forest struck gold down under with a bold victory in Australia’s Golden Eagle, pocketing a remarkable £2.8 million in the process.
Ascot the Ambition for Star Pair
Both Poniros and Lake Forest are now firmly in the frame for Royal Ascot, where Bloom hopes to build on previous victories with High Standing in the Wokingham Stakes (2009) and Stratum, who won the Queen Alexandra Stakestwice in 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the owner, racing manager Sean Graham said:
“Royal Ascot is a meeting Tony loves and enjoys going to. A lot of his Flat horses, if they are good enough, that’s the meeting where the trainers are asked if they can get them there if it fits into their plan.”
Graham credits Bloom’s continued success to his patient approach. He and long-time associate Ian McAleavy have always preferred a hands-off stance, trusting their trainers and allowing horses the time they need to develop.
“They don’t rush. They leave their trainers to train them the way they want to train them, and all the horses we’ve had over the years have always had a break after the sales,” Graham explained.
Notable campaigners such as Penhill, Withhold, Librisa Breeze, and Stratum have all benefited from this method, laying the foundation for long-term results.
Lake Forest Targets the Queen Anne
The road to Ascot is already mapped out for Lake Forest, with William Haggas overseeing the colt’s preparations. The Queen Anne Stakes, which opens the Royal meeting, is the prime target.
Before that, the No Nay Never gelding will tackle the FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin this Sunday, where he will test his credentials over a mile once again. Following his lucrative Australian triumph, connections are optimistic he can add further international success before returning to race on home soil.
Poniros Set for Flat Transition
As for Poniros, his triumph at Cheltenham may have stunned the racing world, but connections are dreaming even bigger. He’s set to line up at the Punchestown Festival in the Irish equivalent of the Triumph Hurdle, and if all goes according to plan, he will switch his attention to the Flat with a crack at the Ascot Stakes—a two-and-a-half-mile handicap—on the Tuesday of Royal Ascot.
Graham added:
“He goes to Punchestown for their Grade One and if all goes to plan, then it will be Royal Ascot for the two-and-a-half-mile handicap on the Tuesday.”
A Surprise Triumph Sets the Tone
Neither Bloom nor Graham were on hand at Prestbury Park to witness Poniros’ astonishing debut success in person, where the 200,000-guinea purchase floored the likes of Lulamba and East India Dock in the Gold Cup-day opener.
Now firmly in the care of Willie Mullins, Poniros is already proving to be a shrewd investment—and with Royal Ascot firmly in the sights, Bloom’s dream summer campaign might only just be getting started.
