By Elaine Belval
Royal Ascot is simply one of the best racing meets in the world, if not THE best. This year in which the Queen is celebrating her jubilee is extra special, and it was only fitting that opening day—Tuesday—saw the super-impressive win of 11-for-11 Frankel in the Group 1 Queen Anne S. Frankel was the main act, but Most Improved had his moment, too, with a victory in the one mile G1 St. James’s Palace S. He is owned by Iraj Parvizi, bred by Skymarc Farm and Ecurie des Monceaux, and trained by Brian Meehan.
Most Improved won a maiden at Newmarket in August of his two-year-old season, on his second start. Next out, he finished third behind Parish Hall in the G1 Dewhurst S. at that same course in October. Â In his fourth start, and sophomore debut, Most Improved appeared to not have improved from two to three, finishing unplaced in the June 3rd G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby). He showed that to be a fluke in the St. James’s Palace, when he won not only his first Group 1 but his first stakes as well.
Most Improved is by the 2012 second-crop sire Lawman. Lawman won four of seven starts: a debut maiden race at Saint-Cloud in the fall of his two-year-old season, and three stakes—including the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (beating G1 winners Literato, Shamdinan, Zambezi Sun and Spirit One) and the one mile G1 Prix Jean Prat (beating French 2,000 Guineas winner Astronomer Royal)—at three.
Lawman is from the first crop of the leading sire Invincible Spirit (a son of Green Desert) out of the Gulch mare Laramie. Invincible Spirit has 56 SWs, led by 26 GSWs (he has six G1 winners including Fleeting Spirit and Vale of York). Besides Lawman, Laramie has produced G1 French Oaks winner Latice and GSW/G1-placed Satri.
Lawman had his first runners in 2011, and until Most Improved’s G1 win, the most accomplished of his progeny was G3 Prix de Conde winner Loi. His second SW, Mustaheel, won the Prix de Suresnes at Maisons-Laffitte in late April. With Lawman’s early success, it seems likely Most Improved won’t be his last G1 winner.
Lawman stands at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland and his 2012 fee is €15,000.