Crystal Ocean finally gained a deserved Group 1 success with a strong staying performance in a rain-soaked running of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Frankie Dettori gave the Sir Michael Stoute-trained 3-1 shot a positive ride and the five-year-old kept finding for pressure to hold off 13-8 favourite Magical.
The first two home were the only runners to really get into the race, with Waldgeist (4-1) finishing some three and a quarter lengths back in third.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes: view the race replay along with the result here
Crystal Ocean had finished second on all three of his previous attempts at the highest level, including twice at Ascot in last year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Champion Stakes.
Equally effective over a mile and a half, the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild-owned Crystal Ocean was suited by the testing conditions and Dettori always had his mount in a prominent position before taking the lead turning into the home straight.
As Magical attempted to challenge Crystal Ocean, she was switched to the inside by Ryan Moore for a final run in the closing stages but could not match the winner’s stamina.
Dettori, riding his second winner of the day after landing the Queen Mary on Raffle Prize, said: “I knew he stays really well so I kicked him early and I didn’t hear anything coming. He was still full of running and I didn’t feel she [Magical] would get past me. Everything went to plan.”
Crystal Ocean provided Stoute with an 80th victory at a meeting where he has had more winners than any other trainer.
“He’s a high-class horse and I’m delighted to win a Group 1 with him,” the trainer said. ”He’s just a very admirable racehorse and there has been great teamwork here.”
Last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Sea Of Class, who was only given the go-ahead before the race with the soft ground causing concern, never got involved on her seasonal comeback and trailed home in fifth.
It took until the final race for the all-conquering Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore to get on the board on day two of Royal Ascot as Southern Hills won for the first time in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
The son of Gleneagles, sent off a 7-1 shot, was the third winner of the meeting for the champion trainer in Ireland and he saw off the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Platinum Star in second by half a length.
O’Brien said: “Southern Hills is a fast horse. These Gleneagles are fast and brave, those are the two traits his stock seem to have. I think five or six furlongs will be his trip, he’s got a lot of speed and I’m not sure he’d get much further.”
The 6-1 joint favourites, Symbolize and Temple Of Heaven, could only finish fourth and 13th respectively.
There was drama beforehand as the Richard Fahey-trained Show Me Show Me got loose but was eventually caught and withdrawn.
It was just like the good old days.
True, on this occasion there was no warm hug between Frankie Dettori and Sheikh Mohammed, the world’s most famous jockey saving his extravagant embrace for former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Darcey Bussell on the winner’s podium. For Dubai’s ruler he restricted himself to a respectful handshake, yet the significance of the moment was still obvious. If only briefly, the old firm had been reunited.
They became a union once more thanks to Mark Johnston and his filly Raffle Prize, who showed tenacity to match her ability when overhauling Wesley Ward’s American raider Kimari at the end of a Queen Mary Stakes in which the 25 runners were confronted by driving rain.
Queen Mary Stakes: view the race replay along with the result here
Ickworth did not want to confront it and, following the lead of Accidental Agent on Tuesday, chose instead to stay in the stalls when they opened. That was a blow to Godolphin, but for the superpower’s founder this was still a race to celebrate, as Raffle Prize races in the colours of his son, Sheikh Hamdan.
That meant Sheikh Mohammed and Dettori were brought together in victory at Ascot, where the longtime Godolphin number one had previously captured no fewer than 32 races at the royal meeting in the colours of either Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed or Raffle Prize’s young owner.
Now, seven years after parting company with the team, they met in glory once again.
“He was very pleased,” said Dettori of Sheikh Mohammed after the contest. During the contest Dettori had become increasingly bullish.
He explained: “I looked at the form this morning and saw she had won over six furlongs, so I knew if I could keep tabs on Wesley’s horses – and I did – that my filly would stay really well. Wesley came back after the race and he wanted to kill me!”
Such is their friendship, he probably did not, although Ward was plainly disappointed.
“It’s tough getting beat in a big one like that,” said Ward. “You want to get in there and be celebrating. I’m proud of her but Frankie is tough out there. It’s his track and that’s probably why we got beat.”
Praise for Dettori came not only from Ward but also from Johnston, who used his post-race ITV interview with Oli Bell to hail Dettori the best of all time.
Johnston told Bell: “I was with you at the Highclere Ascot preview the other day and you introduced Frankie Dettori as the greatest jockey with the exception of Lester Piggott.
“With no disrespect to Lester, is Frankie not just the greatest jockey? I could see our filly tracking Wesley Ward’s horse and Frankie looking reasonably relaxed. We couldn’t have been in a better position.”
Nor could his filly have been ridden by a better jockey. On a rainy day at Ascot, that jockey and Sheikh Mohammed had an extremely happy reunion.
Last year’s runner-up Afaak went one better when edging out Clon Coulis in a photo-finish to the Royal Hunt Cup.
Making his first start of the season – and first as a gelding – Afaak returned the 20-1 winner for Charlie Hills and Jim Crowley.
Clon Coulis was just denied at 16-1 under Jamie Spencer, with Raising Sand making late inroads to grab third. Stylehunter (22-1) was fourth and 11-2 joint favourite Kynren finished fifth.
Royal Hunt Cup: view the race replay along with the result here
The field split into two groups and the pace seemed evenly spread across the track for much of the mile contest before those on the stands’ side began to assert.
Afaak broke out of the pack a furlong and a half from home and just had enough to fend off the fast-finishing Clon Coulis at the line.
The first four home were drawn 21, 18, 32, and 25 and to rub salt into the wounds of Clon Coulis’ trainer David Barron, he was responsible for the first horse home on the far side in Kynren (drawn in three).
Afaak had been off for 263 days and Crowley was in no doubt as to the role played by Hills in bringing him back in top form.
“He’s done a brilliant job with him,” the jockey said. “We were not confident when the rain came and we were more going out in hope.
“He hasn’t really come in his coat yet and he’ll come on again. It’s a great performance and fair play Charlie, to come here and pull it off.”
It had been a nervous few days in the lead-up to the Queen’s Vase for trainer Andrew Balding as Dashing Willoughby was “very lame” on Saturday, with his date with destiny just 96 hours away.
However, overnight work from the Kingsclere team ensured he was right as rain come Sunday morning and he rewarded their efforts by landing a significant gamble in the 1m6f Group 2 under Oisin Murphy, much to the delight of punters.
Sent off at 6-1 after being available at 14-1 in the morning, Dashing Willoughby tracked the pace set by Nayef Road and showed great grit and determination to fend off tenacious duo Barbados and Nayef Road, who battled on for second and third respectively.
Watch Dashing Willoughby’s victory
An overjoyed Balding, who was gaining compensation after being pipped in the Queen Anne Stakes with Beat The Bank on Tuesday, said: ”We had a little hiccup on Saturday morning as Dashing Willoughby was very lame.
“He had a blood blister in his foot and the farrier and head lad worked through the night to get it right. Happily, he was right 12 hours later and we’re just delighted that he’s come good.”
All of Dashing Willoughby’s four previous starts on turf had come on rain-softened ground and the downpours that drenched the Berkshire track – much to the dismay of racegoers – was fantastic news for connections.
“We were pretty hopeful coming into the race and the rain certainly was in his favour,” Balding added. “He’s got a bit of talent.”
Oisin Murphy, the former Kingsclere apprentice who many believe is on his way to a first champion jockey title, showcased his skill in the saddle by keeping Dashing Willoughby straight as he tried to veer off a true line inside the final furlong.
Having ridden his first – but surely not last – winner of the week, a jubilant Murphy, who was grinning from ear to ear as he entered the winner’s enclosure, said: “He’s a son of Nathaniel and he loved that ground.
“I’m thrilled and I’m delighted to ride a Royal Ascot winner for my first boss.”
With stamina assured and ability in bundles, Dashing Willoughby could have a tilt at a Classic and he was quoted between 10-1 and 16-1 for the St Leger after his dominant display.
When questioned whether Doncaster would be his autumn target, Balding said: ”Possibly. That looks the logical objective. It will be a lot tougher than this but we think he deserves to head in that direction anyway.”
fonte : RacingPost
