ascot day 2
Aidan O’Brien lands his 56th winner of the Royal meeting as Highland Reel repels all challengers
Highland Reel leads them all a dance in the sun
HIGHLAND REELS THEM ALL IN
Globetrotting superstar Highland Reel (9/4) stamped his class on the Prince Of Wales’Stakes with a game performance to provide Ballydoyle handler Aidan O’Brien with his 56th victory at the Royal Meeting and his first success of the week.
Always prominent after breaking smartly under Ryan Moore, the five-year-old son of Galileo handled the drop back to 10 furlongs with aplomb, finding plenty in the home straight to repel the challenge of Roger Charlton’s Decorated Knight (10/1), who was a length and a quarter behind in second, with a short-head back to Sir Michael Stoute’s Ulysses (9/2) in third.
O’Brien said:“Highland Reel is a brilliant horse and Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. Davy has done a great job on him and Andrew was over the moon with him,so we were really looking forward to it. Seamus was very happy with his work and Davy, who rides him every day, felt he was getting better and better. They were very confident that he was on the upgrade.
“He is an incredible horse. Pace, courage, tactical speed, he has everything. He was back to a mile and a quarter today and we know he gets a mile and a half well, but was a very good Group Two winner over seven furlongs as a two-yearold. He always had that pace. A big credit and well done must go to everybody at home that is involved with him.
“He has never lacked pace so we were hoping today over this distance that courage would come into it.He is tactically very quick and unbelievably courageous.
“He has passed every test that you would want a thoroughbred to go through. His first Group race was as a two-year-old and we have toured the world with him since then. Every time, he turns up in big races over a mile, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs, he has a great mind and has passed all the tests everywhere he goes – he is an amazing horse.He stays and is incredibly brave. Ryan asked for courage and he gave it to them.
“He is like his sire Galileo because he also had so much courage and he has passed it on to Highland Reel ten-fold.
“He has been racing at the top level for the last few years and he is just amazing. We always thought the world of him because he has always been a natural, brilliant athlete. Sometimes he gets beat, but if the pace is strong and if it comes anywhere near courage, then he will be there fighting. He has danced every dance. He has awful lot of tactical speed and that is a huge asset to have in a horse. I’m not sure we have ever had a horse with the constitution that he has.”
O’Brien suggested that a return to Ascot for the King GeorgeVI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a race which Highland Reel won last year,could be next on the agenda.He is 5/4 with Paddy Power and 6/4 with Ladbrokes for the G1. O’Brien continued: “The plan was to come here for this race and then come back to Ascot again for the King George but we’ll see what the lads want to do, but that was what we were thinking.”
HEARTACHE FOR FILLY’S RIVALS
Heartache struck a blow for the smaller owner when winning for trainer Clive Cox in the Queen Mary Stakes at 5/1.
The two-year-old Kyllachy filly,who was ridden by Adam Kirby, is leased to The Hot To Trot Syndicate, which was set up by Sam Hoskins and Luke Lillingston.The current roster involves seven horses, all two-year-olds,and with 75 members who all paid a one-off fee of £2,000 to gain shares in all of them.
Heartache beat 10/11 favourite Happy Like A Fool from Wesley Ward’s stable by two and a half lengths, with Out Of The Flames, 14/1, half a length back in third.
Cox said:“She’s very special – she did it very well at Bath on her debut and I couldn’t believe the time of that race.She’s no different from the rest of mine in that she has improved for a bit of racing and she’s lovely to deal with.
“Her mother was very quick – we won a Listed race with her at Bath – and today’s
run was awesome. To share it with this wonderful Hot To Trot Syndicate is great – there are all manner of people here today who are so buoyed by the experience.
“We knew she was nice, but we were not sure how nice – to win at this level is what it is all about. I was a bit worried when I saw the American filly [Happy Like A Fool], who looked pretty special in the paddock, and when Adam took her on as early as he did I was a bit concerned. Adam rode her with complete confidence, and is a pretty good fellow in the saddle.
“Two-year-olds are my passion, the stars of the future, and she is.”
Heartache was given a 12/1 quote for the Nunthorpe Stakes by Paddy Power,but Cox said:“Let’s just enjoy the day,we have a lot of decisions to make.”
FORTUNE FAVOURS LE BRIVIDO
Well-backed 2/1 favourite Le Brivido captured the Jersey Stakes, by a neck from 66/1 shot Spirit Of Valor.
The three-year-old Siyouni colt was a ninth Royal Ascot winner for trainer Andre Fabre, a first for jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot – and a first French success of the week.
“He looked beaten with a furlong to go and showed his class and courage to come back and beat the other horse,”said Fabre.“I thought he was going a bit freely in the race and he had come from further behind. His action was really good, and he dried up a bit behind the stalls there,so he was looking good.
“This is a new experience for him, coming to Ascot – he is a relatively inexperienced horse,and what I liked is that he showed he will get a mile.We will probably run him in the Prix Jacques Le Marois. I had no doubt that he was a good horse.
“Royal Ascot is a special place for anybody.”
Boudot was delighted with the colt’s performance. He said: “Le Brivido is a very good horse and is in good form at the moment.
“Today,we had the perfect race.We had a good run through the race behind Ryan Moore.
“The horse was a little bit excited at the start because it is a hot day, but when I
QEMAH THE STAR IN DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE
The Jean Claude-Rouget-trained Qemah (5/2 favourite) registered consecutive victories at Royal Ascot with a game success in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.
Winner of the Coronation Stakes at last year’s Royal Meeting, the four-year-old daughter of Danehill Dancer travelled beautifully throughout the mile event and quickened up nicely under Gregory Benoist to register a three-quarter length success from 40/1 shot,Aljazzi,trained by Marco Botti, in second.
Andre Fabre’s Usherette (11/4), was a further neck behind in third.
Second at Lingfield last time, Qemah was too keen that day and Rouget,gaining his third victory at the Royal Meeting,was delighted with her performance.
He said:“Congratulations must go to the filly,jockey and the staff at home including her lad Jerome,who does a wonderful job with her.
“We do strong work with her every day as she is a bit delicate, but I was happy to see her before the race today because she looked a different filly from Lingfield last time – there was a big change in her.
“I hope now that she will continue to improve for the rest of the season.
“She will now go to Deauville for the Prix Rothschild and then certainly the Matron Stakes]after that.”
Al Shaqab’s Racing Manager Harry Herbert said: “She was much calmer today and much more settled. Gregory
“Brivido was a little bit excited at the start because it is a hot day, but when I asked him, he showed a nice turn of foot to get the win “asked him,he showed a nice turn of foot to get the win.”
said she was the same filly this year as when she won the Coronation Stakes.
“She is a high-class filly and as a Group One winning filly running in here without a penalty, she should have been winning this.She needed her run at Lingfield last time to get the buzziness out of her, so it’s very exciting.
“It was fantastic viewing. The conditions of the race suited her. She still had to do it on the day but she was very impressive.”
ZHUI FENG STAYS IN THE HUNT
Just 17 years after training her first Royal Ascot winner, Amanda Perrett came up with her second thanks to Zhui Feng in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Ridden by Martin Dwyer, Zhui Feng (25/1) and most of the field came up the stands’ side before he clinched victory by half a length from Godolphin’s Blair House (16/1). In third, beaten a further neck, was Tashweeq (66/1), while Ballet Concerto (20/1) took fourth.
Perrett said:“He loves the track and the ground, was very brave from the front, and we had a great draw in 26 - and it was a great front-running ride.The owners are very patient people and thoroughly deserved this win.
“In the Victoria Cup last time he ran a blinder, but had to come across a long way to get to the front, but today with the draw it was fine.
“It’s been a long time since Give The Slip won the King George V Handicap in 2000, and it’s marvellous to have a horse good enough to run here, let alone be a winner.”
Dwyer was breaking a six-year Royal Ascot duck of his own.He said:“He’s been crying out for the firm ground and I knew beforehand I had a really good shot at it.In these big mile handicaps it is difficult to make all, but I knew we’d get a relatively easy lead as no one wanted to make it and he’s got a big stride. Ian Balding taught me that if you get to the front, you’ve got to go up the rail.
“It’s the hardest meeting in the world to have winners at and it’s a great feeling to have one.”
JAMIE PULLS OFF CON TRICK
Jamie Spencer and Wesley Ward teamed up with Con Te Partiro to take the Listed Sandringham Handicap, from Ryan Moore and Rain Goddess, who were a length-and-a-quarter second.
Spencer was taking the ride on the Scat Daddy three-year-old for the first time, but had ridden her in a piece of work the previous week.
He said: “I galloped her last Wednesday and she wasn’t left behind by her stablemates.
“That was enough to make me reasonably confident. She was unlucky not to win a Listed race at Santa Anita last year so I knew the form was there.
“I wanted to drop her in but she flew the gates like an American horse and it took me a furlong to get her covered up. Wesley said ‘ride her like you own her’.
“I got her relaxed and let her coast over to the rail and then move into the race. “She drops out in her races in America and showed a good turn of foot.We went very fast and it was just case of whether she stayed or not. I followed Ryan and he went right a furlong and a half out and I went left.
“There was a bit of scrimmaging at half-way, then the race opened up a little bit earlier than I expected.
“I was going fairly handy at three furlongs out and I knew it was either me or Ryan. His filly has form in Classics but mine picked up good and I am delighted with the result.
“That is a monkey off my back – having the winner and beating Ryan. He is Mr Ascot at the moment. It is a big week for everyone.I’ve been trying to get a winner but not much has gone right so far.”