Alenquer (foaled 21 February 2018) is a French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing promise as a juvenile in 2020 he emerged as a top-class middle-distance performer in the following year, winning the Sandown Classic Trial and King Edward VII Stakes as well as finishing second in the International Stakes and Grand Prix de Paris. As a four-year-old he added victories in the Winter Derby and Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Background
Alenquer is a bay colt with a white blaze and white socks on his hind legs bred in France by the German breeding company Gestut Romerhof. As a foal in December 2018 he was consigned to the Arqana Breeding Stock sale at Deauville and was bought for €18,000 by representatives of the bloodstock agency BBA Ireland. In October 2019 the colt was entered in the Tattersalls Yearling Sale at Newmarket where he was purchased for 80,000 guineas by Armando Duarte on behalf of M M Stables. He was sent into training with William Haggas at Somerville Lodge stables in Newmarket.
He was from the eighth crop of foals sired by Adlerflug who won the Deutsches Derby in 2007. His other major winners have included Torquator Tasso, In Swoop (second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe), Iquitos (Grosser Preis von Baden) and Ito (Grosser Preis von Bayern). Alenquer's dam Wild Blossom showed modest racing ability in Germany, winning one minor race from twelve starts. She was descended from the British broodmare Kingscavil, who was a half-sister to the Epsom Oaks winner Neasham Belle.
Racing career
2020: two-year-old season
Alenquer was ridden in both of his races as a juvenile by Tom Marquand. He began his track career in a maiden race over seven furlongs on soft ground at Newbury Racecourse on 18 August. Starting at odds of 13/1 in an eleven-runner field he recovered from a poor start to take the lead approaching the final furlong and won "comfortably" by two and three quarter lengths from the favourite Tasfeeq. The colt was then moved up in distance to contest the Listed Ascendant Stakes over one mile at Haydock Park when he started joint-favourite but was beaten into second place by the Richard Hannon Jr.-trained Fancy Man.
2021: three-year-old season
On his first run as a three-year-old Alenquer was partnered by Marquand when he contested the Group 3 bet365 Classic Trial over ten furlongs at Sandown Park on 23 April and went off a 25/1 outsider in a ten-runner field which included Lone Eagle (winner of the Zetland Stakes), Adayar, Yibir and Etonian (Solario Stakes). He was among the leaders from the start, gained the advantage two furlongs from the finish and although he "wandered around" in the closing stages he held on to win by half a length and a neck from Adayar and Yibir. After the race Marquand said "Every time he was joined he fought back again. He's certainly not the finished article and he's a really nice horse to go forward with. Realistically speaking he's still quite raw so he's done very well to win that today".
Alenquer had not been entered in the Epsom Derby and a minor injury in May ruled out the possibility of a supplementary entry. Plans for the colt to run in the Deutsches Derby were cancelled owing to COVID-19 restrictions. He returned to the track for the King Edward VII Stakes over one and a half miles on heavy ground at Royal Ascot on 18 June and started the 13/8 favourite against five opponents. After being restrained towards the rear of the field my Marquand he moved up to take the lead approaching the final furlong and "kept on well" to win by one and a half lengths from Tasman Bay. Haggas commented "I think Tom only gave him a couple of flicks because it was heavy ground, but I don’t think he needed to, it looked like he was always going to win. I’m not sure about the St Leger, I think he’s a bit quicker than that but all options are open. He’s not a today horse, he’s very much for the longer term as well so we’ve lots of exciting options.”