Ascot day 3
Gosden filly catches favourite Mori on the line
Ladies Day and the crown goes to top filly Coronet
CORONET CROWNED
Coronet’s last-gasp victory at 9/1 in the Ribblesdale Stakes was the 42nd Royal Ascot win for her trainer John Gosden – but his first of this year’s meeting.
The Dubawi filly snatched triumph in the shadow of the post by a neck from 2/1 favourite Mori,denying Sir Michael Stoute a record-breaking 76th Royal Ascot win.
“My God, I’ve never seen a pace like that for a mile and a half race,” said Gosden. “The boys said the track was riding better today, because obviously they watered last night, five millilitres, then we got the cloud cover,which held the moisture in. In the last two days the water they put on at night had been sucked out by noon by the wind and the heat. It’s interesting that they say it is riding better today.
“Coronet is a lovely filly. I thought the third filly [Hertford Dancer, also trained by Gosden] had got it won. She’s a very game filly and was ridden well. It was a great run and I’m delighted with her.
“I told Olivier Peslier that this filly would come strong – I thought Mori was going to win and then Olivier came and grabbed it. She’s a tough filly. She loved the uphill at Epsom but not downhill.It was a good run and she deserved this success, and the second is an exceptionally good filly as well.
“It was a proper, true Ribblesdale – I think Mori was the one and Alluringly in sixth fought a lot of fights – but it was still a high-class race.”
Coronet gave veteran French jockey Peslier a 16th Royal Ascot success.
He said: “I could take my time on her and the race went well for her.
“There was a good pace,but the leader was a bit too far in front so no one wanted to follow her.There was a horse on my out- side, number nine I think, who lost her saddle,so I wasn’t very comfortable at that point. I tried to stay behind her, I was not quite sure where she was going to go.
“The strong pace was a big help for me. When you win, you say the ground is OK and everything is fine but, just before the last corner, I didn’t really have the gap. I prefer it when the filly is coming slowly and I didn’t want to push too hard with her.
“John said that she would take a bit of time but when she comes,she comes well. This was the reason I didn’t panic,took a bit of time and came back late. I am very patient and I didn’t want to kill her between horses – I preferred to take my time.”
SIOUX NATION IS THE CHIEF
Sioux Nation raced on the far side with just three other horses but still managed to run out a comfortable winner of the Norfolk Stakes.
She had half a length in hand over Santry to land the spoils at 14/1.
American-trained 13/2 joint-favourite McErin, who raced among the main stands’ side group and made most of the running, finished seventh.
It was a third winner of the meeting for jockey Ryan Moore and a second for Aidan O’Brien.
O’Brien said:“His sire Scat Daddy is an incredible stallion - the pace that they have make them very different. It’s pure, raw speed and this horse has that as well.
“He’s a massive horse, a big, powerful horse and to be doing this at this time of his career is incredible, really.
“Ryan looked very comfortable and was travelling very well. I think he was trying to stall getting there but he gave the horse a marvellous ride. He paced it brilliantly - he only had three horses to follow and slowly manoeuvred him into cover. To get cover like he did with only three horses was brilliant. He’s a horse everyone at home loved from the first time he worked, and I’m delighted really.”
Moore confirmed there had been a bias for horses drawn on the stands’ side over the first two days but it had changed around here.
He said: “There is nothing wrong with the track and it was just that the pace has been down the stands’ side rail so far.
“It was just that over the first couple of days, the pace was towards the stands’ side and that was the difference.
“I would have been better off on the other side as there were more horses and I would have got more of a lead, but the track is not a problem.
“Luckily,we had speed where we were and we were kind of always ahead. I wouldn’t read too much into the track or the draw - this is a very good colt.When you see how big he is, he needed his first run and then the ground has gone against him.”
BENBATL WINS HAMPTON COURT WAR
Saeed bin Suroor had a high point in a disappointing season Benbatl gamely landed the Hampton Court Stakes.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, gaining his first success at Royal Ascot,the three-yearold son of Dubawi was fifth until moving nicely into contention in the home straight.
Benbatl took the lead a furlong and a half out and kept on well for Murphy’s urgings to fend off the late challenge of Aidan O’Brien’s well-backed 10/3 favourite Orderofthegarter, to score by half-alength.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Mirage Dancer
(7/1) was a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Benbatl was an excellent second in the Dante Stakes atYork in May,before finishing a creditable fifth in the Investec Derby at Epsom last time and Bin Suroor was effusive in his praise of the winner.
The Godolphin handler said:“When he won the first time, we thought that he was the right horse for the big races.
“He finished fifth in the Derby and he ran well,but he came from too far back and finished strong,so we thought that a mile and a quarter would be better for him.
“Sheikh Mohammed made the decision to run him in today’s race and Benbatl is obviously improving all the time.
“Today’s trip was brilliant for him. He was in a nice position and kicked really well. He is a nice horse for the future.
“Last year, he was very backward, I looked after him in the winter and then early in the season, he showed some class.
“It is brilliant to win at Royal Ascot. These races are hard to win but finally we find the right horse to win.
“We will keep the options open. We might take him toYork for theYork Stakes or the Great Voltigeur Stakes or we could go to Goodwood for the Gordon Stakes. Then later maybe give him a break before the Champion Stakes at Ascot.”
“I like him. He won really well first time at Doncaster and is a very honest horse.He could be anything for the future.
“Oisin is a jockey for the future. He is doing really well and has always done a good job for us in Dubai and here.We are going to use him even more in the future.”
Suroor was also very open when discussing the current situation at Godolphin, which recently saw the operation’s chief executive John Ferguson resign.
The Newmarket trainer continued: “Things are better and I am very positive for the future. I hope things will be good and the team is happy - it is so far so good.
“Sometimes, you don’t have the right horses to run, but this year, at least we have some nice horses which can be something for the future.”
BLESS THIS WINNER
Bless Him’s Britannia Handicap success was only a second Royal Ascot career winner for trainer David Simcock – but a second for the week for jockey Jamie Spencer, whose total now stands at 24.
The 25/1 shot won by half a length from Ronald R, trained and owned by the Gold Cup winning team of Michael Bell and Bill and Tim Gredley.
“Fantastic – I’m chuffed to bits,” said Simcock.“It hasn’t been the best of weeks so far – bit quick for old Sheikhzayedroad in the Gold Cup and Lightning Spear didn’t run his race in the Queen Anne for one reason or another, so this is great.
“He’s very straightforward at home,but he’s surprised us when he’s got to the races and he hasn’t been straightforward there, to be honest. He’s behaved impeccably today, he got a bit of pace to run at and quickened up very, very well. Jamie got there too early,but all credit goes to the second horse. He’s taken the second horse’s gap and then he had to come with him, so a lot of credit has to go to the second horse as well.”
Spencer only got the mount from Martin Harley after his intended ride was a nonrunner.
ATTY GRABS THE PERSSE
The Roger Charlton-trained 7/1 shot Atty Persse gave his sire Frankel a first winner at Royal Ascot with an impressive success in the King GeorgeV Handicap.
Ridden by apprentice jockey Kieran Shoemark, the talented three-year-old found plenty for pressure in the closing stages to register a three-length victory.
Charlie Appleby’s First Nation (8/1), also owned by Godolphin,held on to take second, with Mark Johnston’s Bear Valley (20/1) a head behind in third.There was a further neck back to Andrew Balding’s Drochaid (14/1) in fourth.
A delighted Charlton, registering his 10th victory at the Royal Meeting, said: “They went very quick and you had to think whether he would have the petrol left to keep going, but he had lots left.
“What we have seen today is a horse that stays a mile and a half really well.
“I had Frankel’s first Stakes winner and now I have had his first Royal Ascot winner. Atty Persse is very easy to train. For a little horse,he has a very long stride.
“The jockey,Kieran Shoemark,is good. You have to have trust and faith in people and he is a good rider, I am lucky to have him.”