Tag Archive for: Royal Ascot Festival

Disappointment for the King and Queen again at Ascot

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Rainbows Edge could finish only seventh in the colours of the King and Queen, as Miss Information claimed top honours in the Kensington Palace Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot.

With the well-fancied Reaching High unable to land a blow when the 11-4 favourite for Tuesday’s Ascot Stakes, attentions turned to the next runner to carry the royal silks in the penultimate race on Wednesday’s card and Rainbows Edge was the 3-1 market leader come the off.

The four-year-old had won three of her four starts for the the in-form training team of John and Thady Gosden, but while she travelled strongly for the first half of this straight mile contest under William Buick, she was a spent force with two furlongs to run and faded out of contention.

Rainbows Edge before running at Royal Ascot
Rainbows Edge before running at Royal Ascot (Adam Morgan/PA)

John Gosden said: “The ground was too quick for her, it dried out too much for her and she wants stepping up to a mile and a quarter.

“She’s actually run well for a filly who wasn’t in love with the ground, so we will just now go a mile and a quarter with a bit of ease in the ground and hopefully win a Listed race with her.”

At the business end of proceedings it was Andrew Balding’s Miss Information (11-1) and the Gavin Cromwell-trained Snellen who came to the fore, with the former coming out on top by a length in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

Miss Information passes the post in front in the Kensington Palace Stakes
Miss Information passes the post in front in the Kensington Palace Stakes (John Walton/PA)

Balding said: “She’s been a star, this filly. She had no luck last time at Epsom, she got shuffled back and just didn’t seem to enjoy herself.

“Fast ground is what she wants, she just about got the mile.

“It’s so nice for her owner, they really get a lot of enjoyment out of it and I’m so pleased for them.

“She’s in the Bunbury Cup, we will try to get some black type at some stage and she’ll make a lovely broodmare.”

Ascot Eyecatcher Rahiebb will make his mark

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Roger Varian’s Queen’s Vase third Rahiebb could be worth following with big days later in the season in mind.

The Carlburg Stables handler won this race with Eldar Eldarov in 2022 and looked to have another real contender in Rahiebb, who emerged from the pack full of running with two furlongs to run.

Inexperience perhaps cost the lightly-raced son of Frankel late on, but he is yet to finish outside the top three in five starts, with his trainer saying he will be handed a St Leger entry later in the season.

My Cloud overshadows the rest in Royal Hunt Cup

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My Cloud scooted up the stands side rail to justify favouritism in the Royal Hunt Cup.

Roger Varian’s charge was sent off the 3-1 market leader for one of the betting highlights of the week and was ridden with plenty of confidence by Silvestre de Sousa.

The 30-strong field split into three groups and while My Cloud was clearly in front on his side of the track, Bullet Point was running him close on the other side, with the favourite edging in front of the 11-1 second by three-quarters of a length, with Bopedro taking third at 50-1.

My Cloud had won over the course and distance on his penultimate start and Varian said: “The horse likes it here and we all do, we all enjoy winners at this meeting.

“Patience has been key and he had a few niggles as a young horse. We couldn’t get as busy as we would have liked on the racecourse aged two and three and he only really got going late last year.

“He’s done well this year which is a great team effort at home. There’s a lot of people to thank but mainly his owner who has been the most patient of everyone.

“I was at pains to tell Silvestre not to be in a rush with him, as races on the straight mile can develop late, and this is a horse with a lot of class who moved through the race well.

“We will have to hope he keeps improving and progressing and that was a mighty performance for an inexperienced horse. We hope he could progress out of handicaps one day, but there won’t be a rush to do so.

“He’s had three races now so I think we will regroup, enjoy today and then work out a plan.”

The Windsor Castle Stakes brought day two of the meeting to a close and for the second time the Listed prize went to Eve Johnson Houghton, this time with Havana Hurricane (7-1).

The Oxfordshire-based trainer saddled Chipotle to strike gold 2021 and her latest contender was prominent in the market after supplementing a successful debut at Goodwood with a runner-up finish behind Maximized in the Woodcote at Epsom less than a fortnight ago.

Ridden by Charles Bishop, the Havana Gold colt quickened up smartly to grab the lead inside the final furlong and was well on top at the line, with Dickensian best of the rest in second.

Johnson Houghton’s thoughts immediately turned to her late father, Fulke, who died in February this year at the age of 84.

She said: “I’m missing my dad, he’d have been proud. He’d be the first person I’d ring.

“Didn’t he (Bishop) give him a beautiful ride? He got slated for his ride at Epsom, unfairly, and he gave him an absolute corker; couldn’t be more proud of my jockey.”

Anmaat gives his all in honourable defeat

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Owen Burrows was proud of Anmaat after his stable star went down fighting in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot – and is already eyeing a return to the course on British Champions Day.

A shock 40-1 winner of the Qipco Champion Stakes over course and distance last season, the seven-year-old once again proved he belongs at the top-level when pushing the reopposing Los Angeles all the way on his return to action in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month.

With improvement anticipated, hopes for Anmaat were high ahead of his return to Berkshire – but while he turned the tables on the 13-8 favourite Los Angeles, who was beaten into fifth, the Burrows runner had no answer to the finishing kick of 7-1 winner Ombudsman and had to make do with the silver medal.

“He’s an absolute star and he’s done us proud and there’s not a lot of excuses really,” said Burrows.

“He’s come there to win, just credit to John’s horse who has picked up a bit better than us.

“There wasn’t really a moment I thought he would win today and I thought more so in Ireland. He obviously travelled great, but I could see William (Buick) was in a bit of a pocket and was trying to get a bit of room and always looked like he had a little bit left.

“I think we know he has a preference for a bit of juice in the ground but Jim (Crowley) said I can’t use that as an excuse. Possibly he can quicken on softer ground when others can’t, but I’m not making any excuses.”

Anmaat holds entries for both the Coral-Eclipse (Sandown, July 5) and Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Leopardstown, September 13), with York’s Juddmonte International Stakes on August 20 also a plausible option.

However, it is a Champion Stakes defence on October 19 which is prominent in Burrows’ thoughts.

“The Eclipse has been mentioned but that may be too soon and we’ll have to see how he comes out of this,” continued Burrows.

“Then there’s York and the Irish Champion Stakes. But I think back here in October will be his main aim and all being well he should have some juice in the ground by then.

“He’s run in two Group Ones now this season, finished second both times and not done an awful lot wrong. I’m very proud of him.”

A place behind Anmaat in third was Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, who was supplemented into the race at a cost of £70,000 after a runaway win at York in the Middleton Stakes.

Another to be thrilled with his charge’s performance, Balding now plans to return his star filly to competing against her own sex and she will now attempt to go one place better than last year’s narrow second in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (July 31).

“I’m thrilled and it’s probably a career-best performance,” said Balding.

“She’ll have a little break now and head towards the Nassau which has always been her main objective really. She ran well in it last year and I think being back against her own sex will help her cause.”

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien will give beaten favourite Los Angeles a full MOT after tasting defeat for the first time this season.

He added: “We’ll take him back and see how he is. You wouldn’t take anything away from the others but you wouldn’t think that wasn’t his true running.

“The King George might come a bit quick after a run like that, Jan Brueghel might come into that job.”

Ombudsman shows star quality with sizzling Prince of Wales’s display

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Ombudsman displayed a devastating change of gear to run out a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Successful on each of his first four starts last season, including a Group Three win in France, John and Thady Gosden’s colt met with defeat for the first time when second to Almaqam on his return to action in last month’s Brigadier Gerard at Sandown.

The Godolphin-owned four-year-old faced a further hike in class for this Group One feature, but after being settled well off the strong early pace by William Buick, he engaged overdrive once in the clear halfway up the straight and readily picked off the gallant Anmaat to win by two lengths going away.

See The Fire was third, another two and a half lengths behind the 7-1 winner, but Aidan O’Brien’s Los Angeles, the 13-8 favourite, faded into fifth place.

Gosden senior, celebrating his 70th Royal Ascot winner, said: “He’s a special horse and it’s just a question of an owner giving you the time to let them mature and get there.

“He’s got a turn of foot and he (Buick) knew it, it was a matter of getting out, but I did notice when he finally got daylight there was a furlong to go.”

He went on: “It’s a question of, when you get to the straight, whether you get the luck. He wasn’t in a position where he could swing round the field, it was more of a case of waiting for the gap.

“He was very patient. I knew when there was a gap at the furlong pole that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot – he was patient and he was rewarded.

“When we bought him he was an immature horse, he didn’t run as a two-year-old and as a three-year-old we brought him on and then put him away. He’s horse who is now properly grown and developed as a four-year-old.

The Prince of Wales presents a commemorative saddle blanket to trainer John Gosden following his 70th win at Royal Ascot with Ombudsman
The Prince of Wales presents a commemorative saddle blanket to trainer John Gosden following his 70th win at Royal Ascot with Ombudsman (David Davies/PA)

“He’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse, he’s got a wonderful turn of foot as you saw and I think we’ll play to that strength. As far as I’m concerned he’s done nothing but grow in stature.

“He is a horse that because he hasn’t over-raced this year, he could be a horse you could look at the Eclipse.

“That wouldn’t be my choice (to run him against Field Of Gold).”

Thady Gosden added: “When William found a gap he asked him to go through it and he was very quick.

“The Eclipse looks like the natural step to take. It was a top-class field today, it was the most elite field of the week as it often is and he showed what he was capable of there.

“It wasn’t a huge field but it was highly elite, as you’d expect at this meeting. He certainly came up good.”

William Buick was all smiles after winning on Ombudsman
William Buick was all smiles after winning on Ombudsman (John Walton/PA)

Buick was noticeably jubilant on passing the line, after an opening day that had seen high-profile reverses for Notable Speech and Ruling Court.

He said: “This place tames lions. It’s so special to win here because it’s so tough, everyone comes here in great form and everyone is doing their very best of course.

“They went a hard gallop. I was always going to have to ride for a bit of luck and he quickened instantly. I thought he was impressive.

“I think that was a taste of what’s to come for sure. He’s got low miles on the clock, he’s an exciting horse.”

Crimson tide proves unstoppable in Duke of Cambridge

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Crimson Advocate swooped with some style in the final furlong to secure a second Royal Ascot success, this time in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

Winner of the Queen Mary Stakes two years ago when trained by American George Weaver, Crimson Advocate is now with John and Thady Gosden in the colours of Wathnan Racing and came from last to first in the hands of James McDonald.

Fellow Gosden runner and defending champion Running Lion made a bold bid to make all but had no answer as Crimson Advocate (13-2) collared her inside the final furlong and pulled clear of 5-4 favourite Cinderella’s Dream.

John Gosden said: “We knew she would run a big race but I didn’t expect her to go by those three fillies. Let’s face it, Running Lion won it last year and the second and third are Group One fillies.

“I said to James to just get her settled and he did a beautiful job, he has really great hands and even though he hadn’t ridden her before got a wonderful tune out of her.

“At the half-furlong marker I thought Running Lion had it and so did the commentator and then this filly came along with a wet sail – it was impressive for a filly who was a Queen Mary filly not so long ago.

“We gave her a long time off over the winter and worked on settling her and she ran really well in the Snowdrop and then Robert Havlin settled her at Goodwood and she got up and won.

“Full marks to Robert and Thady who have devoted their time to settling her and she’s sat last here and then blown them away. I’m thrilled but this one is not much to do with me.”

Crimson Advocate was cut to 7-1 from 16s for the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket next month, but the team are yet to commit to their next move.

Gosden added: “I haven’t thought too far ahead and I thought she might get placed. But she’s done that well and we’ll have to readjust our sights.”

For New Zealander McDonald it was a fifth success at the Royal meeting having beaten off a bout of flu to ride for the Wathnan Racing team this week.

He said: “You have no idea what a buzz it is to win here, it means so much, and you can see why everyone treats the week so seriously. It’s a very special place and there’s nothing better.

“It was still on the edge last week, I’m not sure what it was, maybe just a bad case of flu, but I would have to have broken a bone not to be here.

“I thought about a furlong out when Will (Buick, on Cinderella’s Dream) didn’t put them away I had a real chance.

“As a competitor, to ride for such strong stables is so nice. Wathnan is a huge team and James (Doyle, who rode Fallen Angel for Wathnan) has some huge decisions and once he’s picked, it’s nice to fill in where I can.”

O’Brien looks to Illinois in search for perfect 10 in Gold Cup

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Illinois will go into unknown territory when he plays the role of super-sub for Aidan O’Brien in his search for a 10th victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

The master of Ballydoyle handler has an unrivalled record in the two-and-a-half-mile feature, with the brilliant four-time winner Yeats, Fame And Glory, Leading Light, Order Of St George and dual scorer Kyprios all featuring on the roll of honour.

Kyprios looked well placed to make it a hat-trick after winning Ireland’s two key trials in the spring, but his subsequent retirement led to a shuffling of the pack and it was last month’s Ormonde Stakes winner Illinois who got the call-up.

O’Brien said: “Everything has gone well so far and we always thought he was a horse who could step into the role of a Gold Cup horse.

“We thought he could do that next year and he was standing in line behind Kyprios, but he’s had his run and it went well.

“We have always thought he would stay the trip, but it’s not until you go past the quarter (mile) pole in the Gold Cup that you find out.”

Trawlerman and Sweet William finished second and third respectively behind Kyprios 12 months ago and the John and Thady Gosden-trained duo are back for another tilt at Gold Cup glory.

Trawlerman in action at Sandown
Trawlerman in action at Sandown (Adam Davy/PA)

Reflecting on Sweet William’s comeback third in last month’s Yorkshire Cup, Gosden senior said: “It was a great run at York as a mile and six (furlongs) would be on the sharp side for him.

“He enjoys the climb at Ascot and he’s solid at two and a quarter miles and as always two and a half takes him into no man’s land, but we’ve been very pleased with his preparation.

“He’s in great order and he’s a wonderful character. He does everything in his own time and hopefully his work (last week) will have sharpened him up nicely.”

Of Trawlerman, he added: “He won the Henry II well and is training nicely. He’s a different type of horse to Sweet William as Trawlerman likes to bowl along, whereas the other comes with a strong late run and to that extent they suit each other rather well as they are not trying to do the same job.

“There’s no Kyprios this year, but it will still be a smart field and it will be a good race with Illinois in there.”

French hopes are carried by Francis-Henri Graffard’s Candelari, who has come a long way since making a winning debut on the all-weather at Chantilly in early December, most recently impressing with a Group One triumph in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at ParisLongchamp.

Nemone Routh, racing manager for the late Aga Khan’s French Studs, said: “We’re very happy with the horse, he worked well last week and it looks like he’s taken his last run very well.

“The question marks are over whether he will stay the distance, we believe he will be because he finishes his races strongly but obviously that is an unknown, and he probably lacks the experience of the rest of the field.

“He only made his debut in December, so he’s only really been racing for six months, but then he’s not got as many miles on the clock as some of the others and I think he’s a natural stayer and a very genuine horse.”

It would be quite a story if Candelari were to win what is arguably the biggest race of the entire week at Royal Ascot given he was very nearly moved on seven months ago.

“He is a horse who has taken us massively by surprise,” Routh added.

“We nearly sold him unraced in November but took him out during the week of the sale because he is so well-bred and he hadn’t had any major setbacks. He’s just a big horse who was quite immature and after we castrated him it took us a while to get him fit again.

“He’s obviously not a flashy worker as he’s a staying horse, but we just felt we’d give him a chance and then Francis found that first race for him on the Fibresand at Chantilly when he was incredibly green, he reared up in the stalls and lost 10 lengths at the start. If you watch the race it’s hilarious and he still won by eight lengths!

“He really did show us something that day and he’s never looked back. It shows that sometimes these horses just need time. They’re not fast, they’re not two-year-olds and he wasn’t really even a three-year-old, but if you give them time they can repay you and he has repaid us in spades.

“It’s been an amazing story already, we think he’s an improving horse and the good thing is he will have his ground as he needs good, fast ground to be at his best.

Carmers collects in Queen’s Vase for Paddy Twomey

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Carmers maintained his unbeaten record with a determined display in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

A first runner at the Royal fixture for trainer Paddy Twomey, the Wootton Bassett colt had been successful on his two previous starts at Ballinrobe and Navan and was a 9-2 shot to complete his hat-trick in this one-mile-six-furlong Group Two.

Always to the fore in the hands of Billy Lee, Carmers took over from Shackleton rounding the home turn and answered his rider’s every call to repel the staying-on pair of Furthur and Rahiebb, with three-quarters of a length the winning margin.

“I knew he’d stay and I knew turning in that Billy looked comfortable,” said Twomey.

“I was happy to see a horse come up alongside him and help him at the front, he looked comfortable when the bell rang and I knew he had a chance.

“I think staying is his game and I think he’s a pretty good horse.”

Ladbrokes installed the Fiona Carmichael-owned winner as the 8-1 second-favourite for the Betfred St Leger, and Twomey added: “He’s done everything we’ve asked, he’s obviously going to have an entry in the Leger at Doncaster – we’ll see.

“He’s done what was asked of him today, he’s run three times, he’s won three times and hopefully he continues to win.

“We’ve nice horses, we’ve good owners and it’s fantastic to be able to bring them here.

“It’s nice to have good horses to win on the big days for a small stable.”

True Love powers to Queen Mary first for O’Brien

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True Love shed her maiden tag in style with victory in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, True Love had chased home Tuesday’s Coventry Stakes winner and stablemate Gstaad on her latest start and was duly sent off the 9-4 favourite.

True Love took some time to work her way into the race as Zelaina set a scorching early pace, but she stayed on to real effect in the final furlong to beat 100-1 shot Flowerhead, with Patrick Biancone’s American raider Lennilu third.

True Love looked the part
True Love looked the part (John Walton/PA)

It was win number 93 for O’Brien at the big meeting, although rather surprisingly his first in the Queen Mary.

He said: “She’s lovely and in her first run Ryan came in and said they won’t beat her again and then after her second run Wayne (Lordan) said the same thing, that they won’t beat her again, and then you have to consider the two that beat her (Lady Iman and Gstaad) are very good horses.

“Ryan gave her a beautiful ride and Michael (Tabor) has always loved her and always spoken about her. It’s great as her mother (Alluringly) is in foal to City Of Troy and her sister is in foal to Wootton Bassett so it’s marvellous really.

“She was drawn by herself and there was no pace where she was so she had to go and do her own work and that’s what Ryan did, he was excellent on her. She was probably strongest in the last half-furlong and when she got going she really powered away.

“Ryan said he was a little slow to step and a little on the back foot all the time and I think that’s why he was trying to stoke her up a bit, but late on she was really strong.

“She had to work really hard and the only place she was going to get company was out in the middle and Ryan did really well to let her go there. She was under the pump a long way out, but so strong at the line and is obviously high class.

“She’s like a four-year-old really and Ryan thought she would be better when she steps up to six furlongs and she’s a big, mature filly who walks around the ring like a four-year-old, she’s so scopey – she’s something to look forward to.”

On future plans, O’Brien added: “I think we look forward to going up in trip now, the lads will decide that. You would imagine she would have no problem going six furlongs, but she is No Nay Never and he’s a big speed influence always.

“The Queen Mary winner seems to always head to Deauville (Prix Morny) or the Curragh (Airlie Stud Stakes) and that would be the two races really or there is the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket in July. That may come too soon, but we will see how she is.”

Flowerhead on her way to post at Royal Ascot
Flowerhead on her way to post at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

Flowerhead’s trainer Charlie Clover was thrilled to secure a Royal Ascot placing in his first full season with a licence.

He said: “This is a huge start for us, we were struggling away for the first few months but it’s really kicked into gear the past few weeks and it’s been a delight to see the whole team find their feet.

“It’s only a small team but it’s been massively welcome to see these horses run to form and I can’t thank (owner) Amo Racing enough, they’ve done so much for me and my career in helping me get off the ground.

“We liked her at home, we hoped she’d run a nice race but second was a bit of a dream. You can get greedy quite quickly and think you could have won it, who knows?

“I’m delighted to be in the frame and for her to run a big race for owners who are so important to me.”

Biancone plans to head back to America with Lennilu following her run, saying: “She’s only a baby.

“I liked the fact she was the first one off the bridle and she was there at the end, which means she will go a bit further and that is great. We’re happy, she fought all the way.

“We go home, we give her a break. The first plan was to try to bring her here which we did, she’s Grade Two placed now which is good. She’ll have a little vacation and we’ll see her in Del Mar.”

The Richard Hannon-trained Harry’s Girl was pulled up during the race and it was later confirmed the filly had sustained a fatal injury.

Detain team ‘excited’ to tackle Hampton Court challenge

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Classic form is to the fore in a hot renewal of the Hampton Court Stakes at Ascot on Thursday.

John and Thady Gosden’s Detain has come closest to big-race glory of the 14 runners as having run well in the French Guineas to be sixth, he stepped up on that to finish third in the French Derby.

“It was a huge run the last day and he was beaten three-quarters of a length which is very little,” said Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte.

“We initially thought Ascot would come too soon, but he has bounced out of Chantilly well and John and Thady are both very happy with him.

“We would be excited to see him over the mile and a quarter again at a nice track and a little down in grade.”

Just behind him in the French Derby in fourth was Trinity College for Aidan O’Brien and the pair meet again, with just a quarter of a length to make up.

Representing British Classic form is Saeed bin Suroor’s Tornado Alert.

He outran his odds to finish fourth in the 2000 Guineas and was not disgraced when sixth of 18 in the Derby behind Lambourn.

“He came back well from the Derby and he’s in good form,” said Godolphin’s long-standing trainer.

“I think this race will suit him, a mile and a quarter looks a nice trip for him having run well over a mile and a mile and a half.

“This looked the right place to bring him, down in class a bit, having run well in the Guineas and the Derby.”

Two horses arrive on the back of just two runs, Andrew Balding’s High Stock, who won the Wood Ditton before finishing second in the Dee Stakes at Chester, and Roger Varian’s Jackknife.

He was an impressive winner on debut before finishing third in the Heron Stakes at Sandown.

“We’ve been very pleased with him, I was delighted with him in the Heron, he finished his race off really well after meeting a bit of trouble,” Varian told Sky Sports Racing.

“Oisin (Murphy) thought the step up to 10 furlongs and better ground would suit him. He’s a lovely horse, not only for this week but beyond.”

James Ferguson’s Glittering Legend made big strides in the spring and is another of note, along with William Haggas’ Arabian Force, who has seen his form boosted in recent days.

While the Ribblesdale Stakes perhaps lacks an established star, Paddy Twomey’s Catalina Delcarpio still has plenty of time to develop into one.

Unraced at two, she made a winning debut before being beaten into second in the Salsabil Stakes.

Twomey said: “We’re looking forward to the race. Catalina won well on debut and then ran well again in the Salsabil Stakes.

“She’s trained well since and we’re looking forward it.

“She’s run well in both her runs and she’s bred to be a middle-distance filly and we’re really looking forward to the race.”

The Balding-trained Serenity Prayer, second in the Musidora at York, has a similar profile.

In the Norfolk Stakes, O’Brien’s Charles Darwin is a short price to take his record to three out of four, although there are plenty of lively challengers.

Wathnan Racing are well represented with Karl Burke’s Naval Light, who caught the eye when second on debut, and Sandal’s Song, trained in America by George Weaver.

Of Naval Light, Wathnan’s Richard Brown said: “I think there will be much more to come and he fell out the stalls at Beverley and then was given the perfect ride for a debut by Sam James, who was very patient with him.

“Although the gaps didn’t come for him to win the race, when they did open and he gave him a small flick he started to fly and galloped out very strongly.”

Of Sandal’s Song, he added: “He won impressively at Gulfstream for the team who brought Crimson Advocate over to win a couple of years ago.

“He’s settled in well at the National Stud and we know these American raiders have to be taken seriously.”

Classy line-up assembled for Coronation Stakes

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Falakeyah and Zarigana top 11 contenders for Friday’s Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Owen Burrows-trained Falakeyah was supplemented for the mile Group One following an effortless Listed win in Newmarket’s Pretty Polly Stakes, with connections opting by bypass a possible French Oaks run in favour of dropping back from 10 furlongs here.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana was crowned winner of the French 1000 Guineas in the ParisLongchamp stewards’ room following the demotion of Shes Perfect to second and she will clash again with fourth-placed Exactly, who is one of two for Aidan O’Brien along with January.

Ollie Sangster fields both Flight and Simmering, second and third in the 1000 Guineas, with Duty First, Kon Tiki, Cathedral, Cercene and Chantilly Lace completing the field.

The Commonwealth Cup has drawn a bumper field of 22, headed by 2000 Guineas third Shadow Of Light, who will be dropping back to six furlongs for Charlie Appleby.

Babouche, Jonquil, Whistlejacket, Ides Of March and Big Mojo are other leading names in the Group One contest, for which only Seattle was not declared.

The opening Albany Stakes boasts a 17-strong line up, with Karl Burke having made no secret of his regard for ante-post favourite Venetian Sun. Fitzella, Gold Digger and O’Brien’s Signora are also towards the head of the betting.

Derby seventh Green Storm and 12th Nightwalker bid for compensation in the King Edward VII Stakes, in which Ralph Beckett’s unbeaten gelding Amiloc is set to be a popular choice.

Puppet Master won the Lingfield Derby Trial but bypassed Epsom and he is one of two for O’Brien along with Naas winner Galveston. Dante third Wimbledon Hawkeye runs for James Owen, while the progressive Zahrann represents Johnny Murtagh.

Teumessias Fox heads a maximum 19-strong field for the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, with 28 to go to post in both the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes and the Sandringham.

Haatem shines with back-to-back Royal Ascot victories

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Haatem notched his second victory at Royal Ascot with a determined display in the Wolferton Stakes.

Placed in the English and Irish Guineas last season, Richard Hannon’s charge won the Jersey Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago, but was not seen in competitive action again until April.

Having finished fifth on his Sandown comeback and then fourth in a Listed event in France, Haatem (8-1) stepped up to a mile and a quarter and saw out the trip well to beat Galen by three-quarters of a length under James Doyle, with 4-1 favourite King’s Gambit – like the winner carrying the Wathnan Racing colours – a strong-finishing third.

Hannon said of Haatem: “He’s pleased everyone all the way through his career, especially me.

“He’s an amazing horse and a pleasure to be involved with, for old connections and new connections, and he’s one of those horses that makes you remember why you train horses.

“What did he cost, 27,000 guineas? And the best thing about racing is you can find these horses and they then win these big races.

“He worked in the week and it was the best piece of work he’s done all year and I thought ‘is this the right thing to do, upping him in trip, maybe we should stick to a mile?’.

“James said he’s loved it despite being a bit eager early and it’s not out of the question we come back to a mile, but he will probably turn up in the Eclipse (would need to be supplemented) and I could see him running very well in that.”

The Wathnan team and retained rider Doyle completed a quickfire double in the concluding Copper Horse Stakes, with John and Thady Gosden’s French Master flying home to delight favourite-backers.

Making his first outing since being bought by the Qatar-based owners and also sporting blinkers for the first time, the 5-2 market leader was nearer last than first at the top of the straight but was doing his best work at the finish and was two and a half lengths clear at the winning line.

The Gosdens were also completing a double following the spectacular earlier success of Field Of Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ascot Eyecatcher Reaching High will get his day in the sun

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There remains a big prize to be won with Reaching High, the royal runner who suffered a luckless passage in the Ascot Stakes.

Sent to Willie Mullins upon the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute by the King and Queen, the big meeting had understandably been his aim.

Draw one, though, Ryan Moore was always looking for a way out having been trapped on the rails, meaning he finished full of running in ninth. He is entered back at Ascot Saturday, but the Northumberland Plate would look a likely target.

Reaching High out of luck for the King and Queen in Ascot Stakes

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Hopes of a winner for the King and Queen were dashed on the opening day of Royal Ascot, as the well-fancied Reaching High finished a never-nearer ninth in the Ascot Stakes.

A first horse trained by Willie Mullins to carry the royal colours, Reaching High was the 11-4 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore – but while he looked full of running rounding the home turn, he was all dressed up with nowhere to go against the rail and when he did eventually get out it was all too late.

Up front Henry de Bromhead’s fellow Irish raider Ascending (20-1) knuckled down under Billy Lee in the concluding stages of the two-and-a-half-mile contest to beat Nurburgring, with the latter’s trainer Joseph O’Brien also saddling the third and fourth home in Comfort Zone and Leinster.

Queen Camilla watches the Ascot Stakes
Queen Camilla watches the Ascot Stakes (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Mullins said: “Ryan just said he got no run. He’s finished full of running, but just got no luck in running, so it’s disappointing.

“Their Majesties are very easy, lovely people to train for and it’s a pleasure. There’s a bit more pressure when you train one for them at this meeting, but to bring one here with a real chance is what we like to do. Hopefully this fellow will show us how good he is at some stage later in the season.”

Mullins added: “Poniros (17th) was probably a little too keen and had run his race before he got to the straight, so it’s back to the drawing board with him.”

As for the winner, De Bromhead explained the Ascot Stakes was not even his first choice.

Ascending held off Nurburgring
Ascending held off Nurburgring (David Davies/PA)

“I’m delighted. I wanted to go for the mile and six (Copper Horse Stakes), I thought he had a great chance but he didn’t get in so we ran in this one and now we’ve won – happy days,” said De Bromhead.

“He’s just a star. He was bought to go hurdling and he ran very well over hurdles but he never really loved it, so we said we’d go back on the Flat.

“I think we’ll stay on the Flat, he seems to love it so I think we should.

“Billy opted to go out and get a bit of light, the horse travelled beautifully and he gave him a super ride. He knew he had a kick so he used the kick a bit earlier than he had planned.

“It’s amazing to win any of these races, we’re fortunate enough to train good horses. We’re very lucky.”

No King Charles repeat for Asfoora but still rest of the summer to look forward to

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Henry Dwyer is looking forward to another summer campaign on British turf with Asfoora, after his Australian speedster put up a creditable defence of her crown in the King Charles III Stakes.

The six-year-old scorched the Berkshire turf to emerge victorious at Royal Ascot 12 months ago before going on to finish a close second in the King George at Goodwood and fourth in the Nunthorpe at York.

Return trips to the Sussex Downs and the Knavesmire appear to be on the agenda for Dwyer’s pride and joy who having been fitted with blinkers for the first time, was beaten around two lengths under Oisin Murphy, with the judge unable to split her and Kerdos in joint-fifth place.

Dwyer said said: “The horse did everything right, Oisin was just of the opinion we got stuck on the wrong part of the track.

“Us and Believing never really got into the race. Even though she loomed at the 150-metre mark like she had a fair chance, she probably just felt the pinch for having to do a fair bit to get into the race.

“She’s run a good, honest race and certainly hasn’t run poorly and we’ll stick on with the plan here like last summer. There’s not much for us at home so it will be Goodwood, York and beyond hopefully.”

Asfoora beat Regional and Believing into second and fourth place last year, but while Ed Bethell’s Regional again ran a stormer to place third this time around, the George Boughey-trained 3-1 favourite Believing was well held in 11th.

Bethell said: “He’s an amazing horse. He’s taken his owners on an amazing journey and I’m hugely appreciative of the horse and Callum (Rodriguez). Obviously I would have loved to win, but this is horse racing and the winner and second were faster than us and that’s the bottom line.

“We’ll keep kicking and try to win another big one somewhere. I entered him in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and I would like to go there – a flat six furlongs at Deauville on some nice ground would probably play to his strengths and then we’d like to go to the Sprint Cup (at Haydock).

“He’s a legend and we’re just very lucky to have him, I’m over the moon. Well done to Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan (trainer and rider of winner American Affair), they deserve a win like this, they’ve been in the game a long time and fair play to them.”

Believing, who broke her Group One duck in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on her previous start, is now in-foal to Frankel and it remains to be seen whether she will race on or be retired.

Boughey said: “There’s a little bit of we were on the wrong side and we were quite aggressive out the gate with her, but Ryan (Moore) thinks she possibly ran the race a little back to front.

“She looked to be going well with a couple of furlongs to go and the horse next to her (Kerdos) kept getting pushed to the side. She’s run with credit, it just wasn’t to be today and the race happened a long way away from her.

“It will be a Coolmore decision (whether she continues to race) and they will make the call. We’ll have a chat and see how she comes out of the race, that is the main thing. She’s got plenty of time left and is only recently in-foal, but it will be the owners’ decision.”

A neck second to American Affair at 28-1 was Frost At Dawn, whose trainer William Knight said: “A huge run and not unexpected, I thought she would run very well. I thought the stiff five furlongs really suited her and it’s just annoying to not get the win.

“I’ve always had belief in this horse and campaigned her aggressively in that sense and we’ll continue to do so. I think she’s run a blinder there today and we’ll stick at five furlongs – that’s her trip.

“We’ll go to Goodwood and York and follow that five-furlong Pattern and maybe try to get back to Del Mar and this time run in the turf race, which we’ll hopefully get into this time. “