Three-time grade 1 winner Carl Spackler is set to be an exciting addition to this year's Royal Ascot line-up after he was purchased by Yulong Investments and sent to be trained in Australia.
The 5-year-old is one of the top turf milers in the United States and secured his third success at the highest level with an impressive display in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland April 11, following up victories in the Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) in October and the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) in August when trained by Chad Brown.
Carl Spackler will now carry the green and white silks of Yuesheng Zhang, whose victories under the Yulong Investments banner have included Lucky Vega landing the Phoenix Stakes (G1) and Australian superstar Via Sistina winning eight group 1s since being bought by the owner in March 2024.
Bob Edwards, whose e Five Racing Thoroughbreds campaigned Carl Spackler in the U.S., told Daily Racing Form, "We've had a lot of luck with him, not sure how commercially he'd be received (as a stallion prospect) in the States. The timing worked out."
Zhang's latest purchase will tread a similar path towards the Cox Plate (G1) with new trainer Ciaron Maher, but he will first be aimed at the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on the opening day of the royal meeting and a clash with Britain and Ireland's top milers Rosallion, Dancing Gemini, Lead Artist, Notable Speech, and Porta Fortuna.
Maher said, "I feel very privileged and honored to be given the opportunity to train a horse of this caliber for Mr. Zhang and Yulong. Myself and the team are incredibly excited to race a genuine world-class horse and three-time grade 1 winner on the world's biggest stage and represent Australian racing in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1).
"We're equally as excited to have him travel to Australia after Ascot with the Cox Plate as his ultimate target, where we hope to continue Yulong's success in the race."
Carl Spackler was installed at 12-1 by Coral and Ladbrokes for the June 17 Queen Anne when he will bid to become the first horse trained outside Europe to win the group 1 contest since Tepin struck for U.S. trainer Mark Casse in 2016.
A supplementary fee of £53,000 (about US$71,783) will need to be paid by Carl Spackler's new connections June 11 to gain entry for the £750,000 Queen Anne after the initial entry stage closed April 29.
"This presents a really exciting and unique U.S.-Australia angle," said Ascot's director of racing Nick Smith. "Chad has developed Carl Spackler into arguably the best turf miler in the U.S., and Ciaron is one of Australia's elite trainers.
"Carl Spackler's participation in the Queen Anne will add a fascinating new dimension to the rematch between the Lockinge horses, and he joins what is shaping up to be a strong international challenge. We're tremendously grateful to Mr. Zhang for sending Carl Spackler here for the royal meeting."
While runners from the U.S. have traditionally fared best of the international contingent at Royal Ascot, Australia has enjoyed recent success in the sprinting division with King Charles III Stakes (G1) winners Nature Strip (2022) and Asfoora (2024), with the latter in line to return to the meeting to defend her title this year.
Her participation would bolster a promising overseas line-up which may include up to ten runners from the U.S., including Wesley Ward's exciting Churchill Downs debut winner Outfielder, and Japanese grade 1 scorer Santono Reve, who had only Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising ahead of him on his last start.
"We're expecting between six and ten U.S. runners, including the winners of both Gulfstream wildcard races," added Smith. "Satono Reve has come over from Japan for the Jubilee Stakes, and of course, Asfoora will be bidding for back-to-back King Charles III wins."
