Royal Ascot wrap – day five
19 for Australia
The well-backed Point Lonsdale (2 c ex Sweepstake by Acclamation) remained unbeaten when landing the Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) yesterday, providing Australia (Galileo) with his 19th individual stakes winner. Sent off the 10-11 favourite under Ryan Moore, Point Lonsdale followed up a five and a half-length debut win at the Curragh on June 2 with a half-length defeat of Reach For The Moon (Sea The Stars), whose owner the Queen was in attendance for the first time this week. The promising pair, who were drifting towards opposite sides of the track in the final stages, pulled three and a quarter lengths clear of Great Max (Wootton Bassett) in third. Bought by John Magnier for 575,000gns from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year, Point Lonsdale is the ninth foal out of Listed winner Sweepstake (Acclamation) and he is a brother to Broome, who finished runner-up in the Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) later on the card. Point Lonsdale was installed as favourite for both next year’s English 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) by the northern hemisphere bookmakers following his Chesham success.
‘You’d like to think he’ll be a Guineas horse’
Aidan O’Brien has had plenty of success in the Chesham and Point Lonsdale became his sixth winner of the race, following in the hoofprints of the likes of first season shuttle sire Churchill (Galileo). “He was very brave, it was only his second start,” said the winning trainer. “He more or less made the running the first day so probably didn’t learn too much and it was nice he got a little bit of a lead today, but he fought well and I think the first and second pulled clear of the third horse, so they’re a couple of good colts. He’s a typical Australia, his head goes down and out and when you ask him he’s really brave, we’re delighted,” he added. “He’s very smart, it’s funny for a horse that’s bred to be a middle-distance horse from day one to show a lot of speed. He was obviously out very early for an Australia, he was always very natural the way he did everything. If all goes well, you’d like to think he’ll be a Guineas horse.”
Wonderful Tonight provides Menuisier with first royal winner
Wonderful Tonight (4 f Le Havre – Salvation by Montjeu) defied an eight-month break to impressively land the Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) yesterday and earn trainer David Menuisier his first Royal Ascot winner. The four-year-old filly landed the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) when last seen in October and, despite Menuisier describing her as only 85 per cent fit yesterday, Wonderful Tonight took the lead over two furlongs from home and pulled clear gamely to score by one and a half lengths from favourite Broome (Australia), with Hakum (Sea The Stars) the same distance further back in third. “She keeps on amazing me this filly,” said the winning trainer. “She is so game, she tries so hard and she was only 85 per cent fit today so she will improve for the run but she runs her heart out and I am so proud of her. It means the world to me (a first Royal Ascot winner) because you carry it like a monkey on your back until it happens. I am so thrilled.” The fifth foal out of winning mare Salvation (Montjeu), who is a half-sister to the multiple Australian stakes-placed Mr Garcia (Paco Boy), Wonderful Tonight was purchased as a yearling for €40,000 and is a half-sister to stakes winner Penjade (Air Chief Marshal). The four-year-old provided owner Chris Wright with a first Royal Ascot winner exactly 40 years after his first runner at the meeting. “I am absolutely staggered,” he said. “I knew she needed the race – what a filly! I wasn’t expecting her to win and didn’t she win so well. What a filly she is.” Wonderful Tonight will be targeted at October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m), for which she was cut to a general price of 12-1 by northern hemisphere bookmakers following yesterday’s win.
Creative Force leads home Godolphin quinella in Jersey
Godolphin dominated yesterday’s running of the Jersey Stakes (Gr 3, 7f), with the James Doyle-ridden Creative Force (3 g Dubawi – Choose Me by Choisir) seeing off stablemate Naval Crown (Dubawi). The market failed to split the Charlie Appleby-trained pair, who were sent off the 5-1 joint favourites, and it took a brave performance up the middle of the track from Creative Force to defeat Naval Crown, who was aided by the stands’ side rail under William Buick, by one and a quarter lengths. Vadream (Brazen Beau) was two lengths behind the winner in third. “They both turned up in great order, full credit to the team,” Appleby said. “I worked them together ten days ago and I said to Henry and Alex, my assistants, that we don’t want to be doing that again as they’re both very genuine horses and it was a stronger piece of work than I ideally wanted. From William’s point of view, when he chose Naval Crown it was such a hard choice and he just said ‘I’m going to do what I’m going to do, and it could tee up quite nicely for Creative Force’. It’s nice to come here and have a one-two.” Doyle was partnering his 17th Royal Ascot winner, and the first this week, with Creative Force, who landed the Carnarvon Stakes (Listed, 6f) on his previous start. “We’ve hit the crossbar a couple of times this week but we were quietly confident with this horse, I just loved him at Newbury and what he did, you go back through his form and he’s beaten two subsequent Royal Ascot winners this week, just everything that was unfolding went perfect for him,” the winning rider said. “He went through the ground no problem, the draw was the only slight worry with the lack of pace around us. He’s a brave horse and he did it all by himself from pretty much two and a half furlongs out with no targets to follow. We were mindful of the trip but his dam stayed alright and full credit to Charlie.” A half-brother to Group 1 winner Persuasive (Dark Angel), Creative Force is the sixth foal out of the Choisir (Danehill Dancer) mare Choose Me, herself a stakes winner.
Rohaan provides Kelly and Evans with first royal triumphs
The remarkable rise of Rohaan (Mayson) continued when he became a Royal Ascot winner by taking out yesterday’s Wokingham Stakes (6f). Sat last of the 21 runners until deep into the race, the likeable three-year-old picked them off one by one under an ice cool ride from Shane Kelly to provide the jockey, and trainer David Evans, with their first ever wins at the royal meeting. Picked up at the Horses In Training Sale last October for just 20,000gns after being beaten a combined 38 lengths on his two starts up to then, Rohaan has risen through the ranks having won his first race off a mark of 55 to triumph yesterday off a rating of 112. That incredible rise has taken in victories at Group 3 and Group 2 level along the way, and it is only the fact he is a gelding which prevented him from being a serious player in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) the previous afternoon. “He is an incredible horse,” said Kelly after the 8-1 chance had won by a comfortable neck over Fresh (Bated Breath). “He couldn’t go early. I squeezed him for a bit and then I just had to accept it and hope that he would come good and he did.” After watching the bargain buy win a seventh time in 11 starts in his care, Evans added: “It is hard to believe that it has happened. It’s a dream come true – who would have thought it?” Royal runner King’s Lynn (Cable Bay) was sent off the 3-1 favourite and finished three-quarters of a length behind the winner in third.
Foxes fantastic run almost comes derailed
Foxes Tales (Zoffany) scooted up the far rail under Oisin Murphy as he came from last to first to take out the Golden Gates Stakes (1m 2f) – but only after giving his connections a late scare. The Andrew Balding-trained colt looked destined for a wide margin win when he hit the front but gave his rivals a glimmer of hope as he drifted halfway across the track in the closing stages. Despite that hiccup, the 13-2 chance still finished two and a quarter lengths in front of Visualisation (No Nay Never) with Irish Legend (Sea The Stars) another length away in third.
Stratum scores in finale
The Willie Mullins-trained Stratum (Dansili) landed the Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 5.5f) yesterday to close out the five-day royal meeting. Stratum, who finished 20th in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) last year when racing as Stratum Albion, defeated Calling The Wind (Authorized) to provide Mullins with his third winner in the race. The Grand Visir (Frankel) finished third.
Murphy edges battle for top jockey
Britain’s champion jockey Oisin Murphy was crowned leading rider at Royal Ascot for the first time in his career when riding his fifth winner of the week on board Foxes Tales. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. Thankfully the last few days have been incredible,” he said after wrapping up the title. Meanwhile, John and Thady Gosden picked up the leading trainer award courtesy of their four wins at the meeting.