Royal Ascot wrap – day one
71 for Dark Angel
The Andrew Balding-trained Berkshire Shadow (2 c ex Angel Vision by Oasis Dream) flew home up the stands’ side rail to land the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) under Oisin Murphy yesterday. The colt, who was bought by Balding for 40,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 last year, won on debut at Newbury in April and was kept fresh for this contest. Having jumped from the widest gate in the 17-runner field, Murphy was patient on the colt, holding him up in the early stages before hitting the front inside the final half-furlong. Berkshire Shadow then powered clear to score by one and a quarter lengths, providing his sire Dark Angel (Acclamation) with his 71st individual stakes winner. Eldrickjones (Cotai Glory), sent off a 66-1 chance, was second, a neck ahead of Vintage Clarets (Ardad) in third. Berkshire Shadow, a grandson of four-time Group 1 winner Islington (Sadler’s Wells), descends from the family of Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Fiorente (Monsun), who stands at Widden in Victoria, plus Australian stakes performers Tom Melbourne (Dylan Thomas) and Araaja (Iffraaj).
‘This is a special horse’
Berkshire Shadow’s win provided Oisin Murphy with a sixth Royal Ascot victory, which came just ten days after he was replaced on Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Adayar (Frankel) in favour of Adam Kirby. “I’m so thrilled,” the winning jockey said. “This is a special horse. He was bought inexpensively by Andrew and his mother and he’s a star. That was an incredible performance on his second start. To look at he looks big and immature, but he’s got a very big future and look at what he’s just done at Royal Ascot.” The two-year-old earned quotes of 25-1 for next year’s English 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) post-race and when asked if Berkshire Shadow could become the sixth horse to achieve the Coventry-Guineas double post-war, Murphy added: “One step at a time, but his dam stayed a mile and to look at, he’s done incredibly well.” Berkshire Shadow provided Balding with his seventh Royal Ascot winner and second juvenile success after Tactical’s (Toronado) Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) win last year.
71 for Frankel
Juan Elcano (4 g ex Whatami by Daylami) became the 71st individual stakes winner for super sire Frankel (Galileo) after victory in the Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) at Ascot yesterday. The Mohammed Obaid-owned four-year-old was delivered with a timely challenge by Andrea Atzeni, who got the better of Patrick Sarsfield (Australia) by half a length, with Solid Stone (Shamardal) third. Runner-up in the Superlative Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) and placed in the Champagne Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) as a two-year-old, at three he was placed in the Dante Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 2.5f). He records his first stakes win at his ninth start, saluting at 14-1 for trainer Kevin Ryan. Out of Whatami (Daylami), Juan Elcano is a half-brother to stakes winner Nkosikazi (Cape Cross), and is from a deep black-type family that includes Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) and Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry). He was a 360,000gns buy from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1.
Juan Elcano bounces back
Juan Elcano’s win provided both trainer and jockey with their eighth Royal Ascot success, and Atzeni believes a wind operation, conducted after his sixth-placed last-start effort in March, helped the gelding return to form. “He obviously showed a lot of promise in his early career, he actually ran well in the Guineas (fifth behind Kameko) but for some reason he just went downhill a little bit,” Atzeni said. “On his comeback run he was a little bit poorly, so Kevin decided to give him a wind operation which probably helped and he showed us today what he’s been showing us for the last few years. It’s great to get a winner on the board and great to get one for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.” Ryan has witnessed Juan Elcano’s resurgence at home and was delighted he was able to bring that form to the track. “He’s been working very very well, he’s also been a very talented horse and he just seems to have got his confidence back,” Ryan said.
Reshoun posts shock win in Ascot Stakes
The decision by William Buick to ride Reshoun (Shamardal) much more prominently than in the seven-year-old’s most recent races reaped dividends as he saw off the late challenge of the luckless M C Muldoon (Mastercraftsman) and Ryan Moore to notch a surprise 66-1 success in the Ascot Stakes (2m 4f). Buick was never out of the front three on the Ian Williams-trained gelding, with Moore electing to take a much more reserved approach on his mount. Those patient tactics looked like they may pay off as Moore cut his way through the 19-strong field but he was forced to check on the Willie Mullins-trained runner just as he hit full flight and eventually ran out of track – a short head split the pair as they crossed the line. Buick said: “Ian said beforehand, ‘if you can get out of the gates and get a good posy on him, keep him there’, and he travelled around the race beautifully. I was very happy with where we were in the race and he was always doing enough.” Williams, who was winning the race for the second time in three years, having sent out The Grand Visir (Frankel) to triumph in 2019, said: “The secret to this horse today was William got him out the stalls. He’s forfeited so many chances in races. The Chester Cup he ran a great race but he was slowly away and it’s impossible when you’re lacking a bit of pace to catch up that quickly. It’s a great result and very well ridden by William.” Elysian Flame (Champs Elysees) finished a length and three-quarters behind the winner in third, with Golden Rules (Golden Horn) another neck away in fourth.
Doyle doubles royal tally
Hollie Doyle rode her second winner at the royal meeting and John and Thady Gosden sent out their second of the afternoon as the training duo bookended the card when Amtiyaz (Frankel) took out the concluding Cooper Horse Stakes (1m 6f). Sneaking in at the foot of the weights in the 15-runner field, Amtayuz was winning for the first time on the turf, having done the majority of his racing on the all-weather. The four-year-old saw off a host of challengers late on as he beat Dubious Affair (Frankel) by a head, with Global Storm (Night Of Thunder) a length further away in third spot.
Stradavarius faces dozen in Gold Cup defence
Europe’s star stayer Stradivarius (Sea The Stars) will come up against 12 rivals in his attempt for a record-equalling fourth victory in tomorrow’s Ascot Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f). The John and Thady Gosden-trained seven-year-old will be attempting to match the feat achieved by Yeats (Sadler’s Wells) when he takes on a field which includes last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Teofilo). Divinely (Galileo), third behind her runaway stablemate (Snowfall) in the Epsom Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f), features among the 13 runners declared for the Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f).