ROYAL ASCOT

NORFOLK STAKES, G2

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ritish racing’s finest American import, Wesley Ward, had not enjoyed the best Royal Ascot until Shang Shang Shang landed the G2 Norfolk Stakes. Victory for the filly against colts – the first such success since Superstar Leo beat male rivals in 2000 – was particularly sweet following the defeats of strongly-fancied Chelsea Cloisters and Lady Aurelia earlier in the week, although Shang Shang Shang did not make things easy for her trainer when prevailing on the nod by the smallest of margins. A 5/1 chance, she beat 20/1
shot Pocket Dynamo from Robert Cowell’s stable, with Land Force at 7/1 a further half a length down in third. The two-year-old daughter of Shanghai Bobby made all of the running in the group towards the far side rail and held on gamely in the closing stages to deny the fast-finishing Pocket Dynamo (20/1), trained by Robert Cowell, in second by a nose in a thrilling finish to the five-furlong contest.

Ward said of the Joel Rosario-ridden winner: “To do this with a filly is quite unbelievable. I come here every year, but we were kinda scratching our heads for a few days and felt like we were back at the beginning and wondering if we were in the wrong place or not. I felt this filly was better than Chelsea Cloisters on firm ground, but not on soft ground. Unfortunately Chelsea Cloisters just didn’t get a breather during the race like this filly did.” this was his tenth Royal Ascot winner.

HAMPTON COURT STAKES, G3

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]yan Moore rode his 50th Royal Ascot winner for one of the meeting’s most successful partnerships when Hunting Horn landed the G3 Hampton Court Stakes over 10 furlongs. Moore, who wore the all-navy silks synonymous with John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, drove the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt to victory by four and a half lengths, an emphatic win that made up for his sixth in the recent G1 Prix du Jockey-Club. The 5/1 winner beat 16/1 chance Crossed Baton, who was half a length clear of Zaaki, 14/1.
The son of Camelot streaked away from the 16-strong field in the Hampton Court Stakes to score by four and a half lengths from the John Gosden-trained Crossed Baton at odds of 5/1. It was O’Brien’s third win in the Group Three 10-furlong race for three-year-olds – he also took it in 2004 with Moscow Ballet and in 2005 with Indigo Cat.

Newmarket trainer John Gosden was pleased with the run of 16/1 shot Crossed Baton who finished a creditable second to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Hunting Horn. Ridden by Robert Havlin, the three-year-old son of Dansili was always prominent in the 10-furlong contest and took the lead passing the two-furlong pole.

RIBBLESDALE STAKES, G2

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]agic Wand’s G2 Ribblesdale Stakes victory provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with a quick-fire 25/1 double, following immediately on the heels of Hunting Horn’s Hampton Court Stakes success.
The Ryan Moore-ridden filly, a daughter of Galileo, was sent off at 100/30 and beat the Charlie Appleby-trained 9/4 favourite Wild Illusion into second. Magic Wand was always prominent throughout the mile and a half race and came to the front after rounding the turn into the home straight. She quickly drew clear of the field and won impressively by four lengths in 2min 28.52s.
He said: “We were very happy with Magic Wand after the Oaks [she finished fourth to stable-mate Forever Together] – the ground went unusually soft in Epsom.” Asked about future plans for Magic Wand and Forever Together, O’Brien replied: “Forever Together might go back to the [G1] Pretty Polly [at the Curragh], and this filly [Magic Wand] might go to the Irish Oaks, and then they both might head for the Arc or something like that.

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby was magnanimous in defeat following Wild Illusion’s second place. Second in the G1 Investec Oaks on her previous start, the daughter of Dubawi was sent off the 9/4 favourite to go one place better, but proved no match for winner Magic Wand (100/30). who had finished behind her in fourth at Epsom. Sun Maiden, 3/1, a choicely-bred daughter of Frankel and owned by that great racehorse’s breeder, Khalid Abdullah, took third, one and a half lengths further back, adding to her future value as a broodmare by gaining her first piece of black type.

GOLD CUP, G1

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he famous race was a rare omission from the illustrious CV of Newmarket-based John Gosden, but the four-year-old colt Stradivarius, owned and bred by Bjorn Nielsen and ridden by the inimitable Frankie Dettori, filled the vacancy in style. Stradivarius tracked his 7/4 joint-favourite, Order Of St George into the straight, but when that rival appeared to be emptying and Torcedor (14/1) went on, Dettori was alert to the danger and headed in pursuit. He drove his mount past Torcedor and then had enough in reserve to hold the late-challenging French runner Vazirabad (9/2), who loomed as a danger, had every chance, but was fighting a losing battle near the line as the winner began to inch away. Vazirabad, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, took second, beaten three-quarters of a length, and there was a head back to Torcedor in third. Order Of St George, who won the Gold Cup in 2016 and was second last year had to be content with fourth.
Gosden said: “It was an extraordinary race. Frankie said they didn’t go that quick, and his heels were definitely down early on, which meant the horse was taking him on. “Frankie got himself out of a pocket, which was essential with the pacemaker coming back, and got himself in the perfect position. But as usual, Mr Soumillon was waiting like all good Frenchman to pounce late and frustrate us. What an exciting finish that was – and look at the line-up as they headed to the line. That’s a pretty smart front four. It was a fascinating tactical race, because if Frankie had gone too soon there was the danger that Vazirabad would nail him – if he had committed to kill off a rival at the furlong pole the French could have come along to collect the prize so he had to be careful of that.”

Stradivarius had not run over today’s stamina-testing trip of two and a half miles, although he had won the G1 Goodwood Cup last year over two miles, as well as being placed in the G1 St Leger. Fears about his stamina for the Gold Cup began to evaporate inside the final furlong as he ran to the line tenaciously. Stradivarius is a son of the great racehorse Sea The Stars. Stradivarius is now on track to land the W H Stayers’ Million, a £1m bonus designed to encourage breeders and owners to produce and/or buy staying horses. He won one of four designated prep races in May and now needs to win the G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup and York’s Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Stakes to land the prize.
Dettori said: “This is my 60th Royal Ascot winner! And I’m only 47.” He added: “I still haven’t got over yesterday [defeat on Cracksman in the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes]; I’m still scratching my head. We know he underperformed, but let’s enjoy this moment here. It’s brilliant for the owner, and the Gosden team are really on fire.”