Bradsell repels Highfield Princess in dramatic King’s Stand

Hollie Doyle gave Bradsell a brilliant ride to land a dramatic running of the King’s Stand Stakes, as the Archie Watson-trained colt earned a second Royal Ascot win in as many years.

Bradsell landed the six-furlong Coventry Stakes last term, yet had shown plenty of speed in his recent work and his trainer was able to persuade connections to supplement him for the five-furlong dash.

Doyle, gaining her fourth Royal Ascot success, was positive from the stalls aboard the three-year-old and had Highfield Princess for company throughout, in a race few ever really got into.

🌟 @HollieDoyle1 is on the board at #RoyalAscot 2023! Bradsell wins the King’s Stand! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/DaveGbhEEr

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2023

But it was not all plain sailing for Doyle and Watson, who had to survive a stewards’ inquiry as Bradsell – sent off a 14-1 chance – drifted left in the final furlong and intimidated 7-4 favourite Highfield Princess and jockey Jason Hart.

After an agonising deliberation by the stewards, it was a sweet success for Watson, who had to endure Dragon Symbol losing the 2021 Commonwealth Cup after an inquiry.

Doyle’s mount had three-quarters of a length to spare at the line, with 50-1 shot Annaf running a huge race to be third for Mick Appleby.

Watson said: “He’s a Coventry winner over a stiff six here and we were always going to go over six, we were never going to go over a mile or anything. The plan all winter was always to come to the Commonwealth trial here and on to the Commonwealth.

“I thought he showed up best of the horses in the Commonwealth trial, he got a bit tired late so we ran in the Sandy Lane and he ran similar race. I knew it couldn’t have been tiredness that day, even in the Coventry last year they could only really take him to the four-and-a-half-furlong pole, then Hollie had to say ‘right, I’m getting on with this now’.

“He’s got so much speed, this horse. It was an easy decision to pull back to five, it wasn’t easy in that we had to pay £35,000 to supplement him! I was feeling slightly iffy yesterday when he was 40-1 in the betting, thinking ‘God, we’ve spent quite a lot of money for a 40-1 shot’. But when he was 12-1 I thought that was alright. Sheikh Nasser was incredibly supportive and said if it’s the right race then we will go for it. I’m just delighted.”

Of his partnership with Doyle, he said: “We’ve had 200-odd winners together now, she’s been massive for my career and I hope vice versa. What I’ve always said about Hollie is that she’s incredibly consistent, she doesn’t make many mistakes and she knows the team, she loves all the horses, she knows how we want them ridden.

“For a yard like us to have one of the top five jockeys in the country – which she is – to ride our horses is just fantastic.”

Doyle – becoming the first woman to ride at Group One winner at Royal Ascot – said: “It’s always heart-wrenching when you hear that claxon go and unfortunately it’s happened to me the last twice I’ve had a big winner here. When you get the result and the certainty of keeping the race you can relax, thankfully we kept the race today.

“It’s a huge training performance from Archie, thank God we supplemented him and thank God the owners allowed us to do so. The improvement with the step down in trip has been incredible, what a tough little horse.

“The race went perfectly well, I wanted to track Highfield Princess and she just hit a flat spot. Three down I had to kick in and hold my position and it lit him up – he got really competitive and scooted clear.

“He just idled quite badly towards the line and had a look at the exit, which shows he’s got a bit up his sleeve. I think if he’d stayed straight, he’d have won by two or three lengths.

“It’s so special and I’m so lucky – I have to pinch myself sometimes with the position I’m in. Coming to Royal Ascot and having a winner on the first day is unbelievable. I’ve got a big book of rides, but you play it down every year and think if you get one you’ll be doing well, so I’m lucky.”

Malton trainer John Quinn took defeat for Highfield Princess on the chin, although he was of the view the interference did hamper his mare.

“I’m delighted with how she ran and she definitely got taken off a straight line and it obviously hasn’t helped,” he said.

“If you’re trying to run in one direction and something is pushing you the other way – well you can’t go as quick can you. But I was delighted.

“Jason felt she was just getting going again. We certainly had a case.

“She’s a six-year-old mare and she’s run two fantastic races this season. The only thing I would say, and I’m not making excuses, is that she’s better when she just runs and runs and runs.”

He added of a possible quick reappearance later in the week: “We said if she won or ran well Saturday (Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) was always likely. We’re leaving her down tonight and if she’s OK she will run.”

Of Annaf, Appleby said: “Hopefully he’s improving this year. I think he’s better over six furlong than five, too.

“We might look at taking him out to Korea again later in the year, he ran well there last year but it just didn’t pan out for him.”

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