Saturday’s feature at Hastings Racecourse is the $50,000 George Royal Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
George Royal was hands-down, without a doubt, by a mile, the best thoroughbred ever bred in B.C. After winning nine straight races in Vancouver, he went on to greater things, winning multiple Grade 1 races across North America.
His most memorable victory came in the 1966 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita. Before the race, jockey John Longden announced the San Juan Capistrano would be the final ride of his legendary career.
With over 60,000 people in attendance, Longden guided George Royal to a nose victory over Plaque in the 1¾-mile race on turf.
George Royal was owned by Robert (Bobby) W. Hall. The “Gov”, who died peacefully with his daughter Sandra Loseth at his side in 2015, left a legacy of which he was very proud of with three of his children becoming trainers: Loseth, Jennifer Johnson and Phil Hall.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Phil was the leading trainer at Hastings for three years in a row beginning in 2017 before his moving his operation to Woodbine in Ontario.
He won the George Royal with Awhitesportscoat in 2019.
“It was a huge moment for me,” said Phil.
Loseth’s daughter, Christine Ammann, finished third in the trainer’s standings at Hastings in 2020. She stepped aside to become the assistant to Edgar Mendoza who was the leading trainer last year. She is still heavily involved in the stable, and gallops many of the horses in the barn.
“I needed to spend more time with my husband and two children,” said Ammann, who fondly remembers her grandfather.
“We were very close,” said Ammann. “My parents were busy working, and ‘papa’ was the one that mostly took me to my horse shows, which is where I learned to ride. He loved it.”
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Ammann was raised at the Hall’s farm in Aldergrove, Emerald Acres.
“I wasn’t around for all the hoopla with George Royal, but my mom said people would park down the street just to get a glance of him when he returned to the farm,” she said. “He was just George to me until I started getting involved in racing and learned how important he really was.”
Ammann would love to win the George Royal with the Mendoza-trained Soaringforthesun, who figures to be one of the favourites.
“It would mean the world to me,” she said. “Papa would be proud.”
He already is.
Soaringforthesun is my pick to win the George Royal, which is a wide-open event. He looked great winning his first start this year, came back to work impressively and with his versatility should get a nice trip from a stalking position.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The Ammann-owned Rea Mea has a shot in the co-featured $50,000 Emerald Downs for fillies and mares. She also has rooting interests in Shamra, trained by her father, Jim Loseth, and the Mendoza-trained Wandalita.
I like Solarity who should move forward after finishing second to We B Three in her first start this year. The classy seven-year-old daughter of Mass Market won this race under similar circumstances last year and the past five years her trainer, Barbara Heads, has a 27 per cent strike rate with horses making their second start following a layoff of 180 days.
Wee B Three is also eligible to improve off her sharp win for trainer Steve Henson.
Randy Goulding has been handicapping horses and writing for The Racing Form at Hastings Racecourse for more than 30 years. His column will run weekly throughout the racing season.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Recommended from Editorial