The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Tactical justifies favourite tag
Tactical landed a gamble to give the Queen victory at Royal Ascot in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
Having finished third on his debut, the Andrew Balding-trained colt was backed down to 7-2 favouritism and was always handily placed on the rail from his draw on the stands side.
James Doyle delivered Tactical with a telling run to hit the front well inside the final furlong and lift the Listed contest by a length and a quarter.
It was a double for Doyle, who had earlier won the feature Prince of Wales’s Stakes with Lord North.
Yazaman (20-1) stayed on late to snatch second place by a short head from Muker (40-1).
With the meeting being run behind closed doors, the Queen is absent for the first time in her reign, but her bloodstock adviser John Warren said: “I think everyone involved is absolutely thrilled – all of Her Majesty’s team, and obviously Andrew and his team.”
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy opened his account for Royal Ascot with victory aboard Sir Busker in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup.
The William Knight-trained Sir Busker was a 12-1 shot off the back of a narrow victory at Newcastle a fortnight ago and finished with gusto to get up and score by three-quarters of a length from Salayel.
Alternative Fact and Almufti finished third and fourth respectively.
Jim Crowley added to his openingday treble by steering the lightly-raced Hukum to success in the King George V Stakes.
Fujaira Prince made a triumphant return after a year off the track when running out a ready winner of the Copper Horse Handicap.