A ROYAL DAY OUT FOR THE FAMILY ROSE
IT could have been a six-foot putt to win the Ryder Cup for the nerves jangling inside Justin Rose. What the champion golfer experienced in the parade ring was the tension of the helpless spouse. By his side, radiant in green and pink, was his wife Kate, owner of Master Merion, a 20-1 shot in the Royal Hunt Cup. Kate has watched helplessly as Justin has torn around fairways on the way to golfing success. She knows what it is like to kiss him goodbye as he takes on the course and his rivals. But this time he said: ‘I’m the nervous one — nervous for Kate.’ The good thing, he noted, is the champagne in the Royal Enclosure. It is cold and plentiful and slakes anxiety like little else. The horse, flown over from America, barely made the cut, so to speak, but it mattered little to the Roses. Just to have made it to the world’s grandest and swankiest racing shindig was delight enough. Master Merion’s name, of course, derived from the venue of the US Open in 2013, Merion Golf Club, where Rose became the first Englishman to win a Major since Sir Nick Faldo in 1996. Rose is a long-time racing fan. His interest was further stoked by his caddie Mark Fulcher. And when Rose came to dream up an appropriate gift for Kate’s 40th birthday the light-bulb moment flashed a horse into his head. A near neighbour of theirs in the Bahamas is Viviene Day, daughter of leading owner Derrick Smith. One idea led to another, and suddenly Kate and Viviene were co-owners of the horse ridden yesterday by Ryan Moore to finish 12th of 30 runners. ‘Two owners and one hanger-on,’ said Rose of his appearance alongside Viviene and Kate, insisting: ‘The name of the horse had nothing to do with me. It was Kate’s idea.’ After tying for 10th at the latest US Open last weekend, Rose flew in from America on Tuesday — thriving on Master Merion-inspired adrenaline, he said — and will spend some time at his riverside apartment in London. ‘I’ll enjoy being in the UK and having a few days off, before turning the focus to golf again ahead of The Open,’ he added of Carnoustie’s big weekend next month. While many sporting eyes are trained on a certain quadrennial event currently unfolding in Russia, Royal Ascot is still packing in the sports stars. Sir Mo Farah, knighted absurdly early, was here to present the prizes at the end of the day’s opening race, the Queen Mary Stakes. One man who had hoped to meet Farah for the ceremonials was Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Thai billionaire owner of Leicester City, whose 20-1 hope Come On Leicester finished fifth. But Srivaddhanaprabha is back today and full of intent. Quietly, almost covertly, he is putting together a collection of horses to take on the big boys. Only this week he splashed some £2million on five Royal Ascot runners at the Goffs London sale. That is the same amount he spent exactly a year before. And there was the near £20m he invested in yearlings in 2017. Eight horses carrying the Leicester City colours are listed for the meeting, including Vintage Brut in the Norfolk Stakes today. King Power is coming to the races.