Royal Ascot Wrap
First for Sea The Moon
Lanwades Stud’s Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars) recorded his first Group 1 winner as a sire when Alpine Star (3 f ex Alpha Lupi by Rahy) took out the Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) yesterday. Sea The Moon stood for £15,000 in 2020.
Second for Kingman
Juddmonte stallion Kingman (Invincible Spirit) brought up his second Group 1 winner yesterday when Palace Pier (3 c ex Beach Frolic by Nayef) remained unbeaten in the St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) yesterday. Kingman stood at Banstead Manor Stud for £150,000 this year.
Double for Kodiac
Tally–Ho Stud resident Kodiac (Danehill) sired his 55th and 56th stakes winners yesterday after American raider Campanelle (2 f ex Janina by Namid) took out the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot before Nando Parrado (2 c ex Chibola by Roy) scored a huge shock in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f). The pair join the likes of Best Solution, Fairyland and Hello Youmzain as a stakes winner for Kodiac, who stood at Tally-Ho in Ireland for a fee of €65,000 in 2020.
Fellowes and Buick add second win in Silver Wokingham
Charlie Fellowes and William Buick made it two wins for the week when Chiefofchiefs (Royal Applause) took the last of the new additions for this year’s Royal Ascot, the Silver Wokingham Handicap (6f). Chiefofchiefs sprinted strongly to defeat Burmese Waltz (Showcasing) and Nahaar (Dark Angel) and a self-deprecating Fellowes was kicking himself that it took so long for him to drop the gelding to six furlongs, having only dropped him below a mile for the first time in February. “I am absolutely furious with myself,” he said. “That is the worst training performance you will see here all week. It has taken me – how old is he, seven? – to finally get his trip right. I have called this horse every name under the sun, thinking he was a monkey, thinking he wasn’t putting it all in, and it’s actually all my fault. Hey, all is well that ends well. For me, Royal Ascot has always been the pinnacle. When I set up training this was always the dream, and I am very lucky to be living the dream. Three winners in two years – a lot of trainers go a lot longer than that without having winners. I am very, very lucky, we have got a beautiful yard. I can’t really complain much at the moment, to be honest!”
Headgear sparks Jonesy into life in Wokingham
Hey Jonesy (Excelebration) had been beaten a combined total of 47 and three-quarter lengths from his last five starts in big-money handicaps, however the application of first-time blinkers and a positive ride from Diamond Jubilee (Gr 1, 6f)-winning jockey Kevin Stott saw the Kevin Ryan-trained five-year-old lead from start to finish to just hang on and take the Wokingham Handicap (6f) yesterday. There was a nervous wait as the photo finish was assessed, however Hey Jonesy prevailed by a nose to defeat Summerghand (Lope De Vega) with a further length back to Spanish City (Exceed And Excel) in third.
Marquand on the board as Alan King caps fine Royal meeting
Renowned primarily as a trainer of jumpers, Alan King capped a fine Royal Ascot meeting when Who Dares Wins (Jeremy) justified short-priced favoritism to win the finale in the Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 5.5f), bringing up a third winner of the week for the handler. Tom Marquand, who rode Addeybb (Pivotal) to two Group 1 wins in Australia earlier this year, claimed his first win of the meeting. King, who won the Ascot Stakes with Scarlet Dragon (Sir Percy) and the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes with Coeur De Lion (Pour Moi), also saw Painless Potter run a fine fifth in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) earlier on the card. Who Dares Wins was produced off the heels of the leader to prove too good close to home, defeating The Grand Visir (Frankel) by a neck, with Mukha Magic (Mukhadram) two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Full set of Royal Ascot Group 1s for Frankie
Alpine Star’s (Sea The Moon) victory in the Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) provided Frankie Dettori with his first win in the race and means he has now completed the full set of all the Royal Ascot Group 1 races. This leaves only Newmarket’s July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) as the sole British Group 1 race he has not won to date. He said: “It has taken 30 years to win all the Group 1s, but I can say that I have really conquered Royal Ascot now – I am delighted for all the people concerned. This was missing, Royal Ascot means a lot to me, the Coronation, I have been riding here for 30 years, but for some reason I have never managed to get on the right horse. I was very excited about the ride, I had a good draw, a good split, the filly was beautifully prepared by Jessica, she showed a good turn of foot, and I am thrilled, thrilled.”