ARCHIPENKO, the Kingmambo horse who won five Graded races including the 2008 Gr1 Audemars Piquet QEII Cup at Sha-Tin for Mike de Kock, sired a Gr1 winner from his first crop when three-year-old filly Madam Chiang captured Saturday’s prestigious Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes over 2400m at Ascot Racecourse in London.

“Archie”, who retired to Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud near Newmarket in 2010, has been threatening to make his mark early early with a Listed winner and a Gr1 placed runner in France, while Madam Chiang, who races in Rausing’s own silks, won a Gr3 race at York in only her second visit to the racetrack  in May of this year.

Madam Chiang (middle) outgunned her opposition at Ascot.

Just three runs later, and improving all the while, Madam Chiang upset several more fancied runners on a big day at Ascot, finishing powerfully under jockey Jim Crowley to lead close home for a fabulous win over Silk Sari and Chiquita.

Trainer David Simcock commented: “”This win is for Kirsten. She puts her life into this and it is very, very special for her.”

Crowley added:  “I didn’t think I would win until the furlong pole. We were making heavy weather of it.  We got shuffled back early on but they were going a nice gallop and got a lovely run through. She is very, very game in that ground. She absolutely relishes the ground.”

Mike de Kock, who has fond memories of “Archie”, who was a real cocky fellow and one of the stable’s favourite characters, congratulated Rausing and Simcock and said: “There is something special about seeing a top runner sired by a horse you’d trained, worked with so closely.  Archipenko’s regular jockey Kevin Shea phoned me just moments after Madam Chiang crossed the line, all excited and remembering the good times we shared with ‘Archie’!

“With this kind of early success Archipenko will go from strength to strength at Lanwades and compliments to Kirsten for what she’s achieved with him in such a short time. We have a son of Archipenko in our stable, Kingston Mines, who looks like a  good stayer in the making and I’m pleased that Kirsten retained a share in him when the partnership of owners was formed.”

 Glory Days: Kevin Shea and the warrior, “Archie”.