Royal Ascot Round-up
Image: NolaSoul, (Credit: Bronwen Healy Photography)
18 for Dark Angel
Yeomanstown Stud stallion Dark Angel (Acclamation) chalked up his 18th individual elite-level winner on Saturday when Almeraq (4 c ex Manaajim by Muhaarar) landed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot. Bred and raced by Shadwell Estate, Almeraq is the first foal out of the unraced Muhaarar (Oasis Dream) mare Manaajim, herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Fairyland (Kodiac) and Australian Group 2 scorer Now Or Never (Bushranger) being out of an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winner Dream Ahead (Diktat). Dark Angel stood the 2026 northern hemisphere breeding season for a fee of €45,000 (approx. AU$73,670).
31 for Havana Grey
Orthodox (2 c ex Heartwarming by Showcasing) became the 31st individual stakes winner for his sire Havana Grey (Havana Gold) when producing an impressive winning performance in Saturday’s Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Rossa Ryan for trainer Clive Cox, the colt made relentless progress entering the final furlong and stayed on powerfully to draw three and a half lengths clear of runner-up El Floridita in a one-two for the Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion. There was a further neck back to Mussab (Ten Sovereigns) in third place. “He won at Salisbury and that was exciting but we were only scratching the surface and since then, he’s just surprised me the way he’s gone with older horses; he’s been amazing and he’s just really, really special,” Cox, who was registering his tenth Royal Ascot winner, said. “I would say this horse is pretty special. His auntie, Heartache, won the Queen Mary for us and that was a special day but this fellow’s the next level. He’ll go to six furlongs, I don’t think that’s a problem. Reckless Abandon went from here to the Robert Papin which was five and a half in the old days but that is six now. The five furlong options tend to dry up a little bit; I think he’ll get six quite cosily. He’s just so talented and so fast. His work at home, I thought the guys riding the lead horses were getting it wrong a few times but clearly not. I think six will be within his compass very easily, he’s just a really, really nice horse.” A half-brother to winner Hello Sweetheart (Frankel), Orthodox is the third foal out of the Listed-placed winner Heartwarming (Showcasing), herself a sister to Group-placed winner Unbreak My Heart and a half-sister to Group 2 scorer Heartache (Kyllachy). Havana Grey stood the 2026 northern hemisphere breeding season for a private fee.
Giavellotto lands huge hard-fought Hardwicke success
The Marco Botti-trained Giavellotto (7 h Mastercraftsman – Gerika by Galileo) claimed one of the biggest wins of his career at Royal Ascot on Saturday when toughing out success in the Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f).
In what was a Group 1 contest in all but name, the seven-year-old entire battled gamely inside the final furlong and a half to grab classy mare Kalpana (Study Of Man) on the line by a short-head.
“I’m delighted – about time I got on the scoresheet,” Murphy, who was bagging his first win of the week, said.
“I’ve tried not to pity myself all week; this is just horses running round a field, obviously on a big occasion, but there are far greater things happening in the world. Try to keep a sense of perspective.
“I did think we’d get there. We went even enough, and the last half-furlong here is the slowest, so I felt that if I left my stick down until late, we might win. He’s a very honest horse and loves fast ground. That’s his set-up – a mile and a half, fast ground and plenty of argy-bargy.”
Having finished first and second in the last two runnings of the Hong Kong Vase (Gr 1, 2400m) in December, Botti revealed that a trip back for that race would be the plan.
“When he got upsides I thought we were not going to win because the filly [Kalpana] just keeps finding, but he’s an incredible horse,” Botti said. “He’s taken us around the world, and then to win at Royal Ascot – you can’t ask any more than that. He’s an unbelievable horse.
“The quality of the Hardwicke Stakes is such that we knew it was going to be Group 1 level, but he’s never let us down. He was a bit warm beforehand, but that’s just him. He winds himself up a little bit beforehand but in the race he’s always given his best. He’s tough.
“I don’t think we’ll be back for the King George because later in the season we want to go back to Hong Kong. We haven’t actually entered him, because we want to keep him fresh. He likes travelling, and that I think will be the priority.”
There was a further length and three-quarters back to another classy operator, Resolute Racing’s Goliath (Adlerflug), in third place, who was challenging inside the final furlong before his rider Mickael Barzalona lost a stirrup and narrowly avoided being unshipped.
“I was trying to come beside Oisin easily because my horse likes to feel he is comfortable and when I tried to put my feet backwards to squeeze him with my heels, my stirrup just got blocked with my girth, my feet were backwards and I lost my iron on the right side,” Barzalona said.
“It’s nobody’s fault, I couldn’t imagine it was going to happen at that point of the race, I wasn’t moving on him.”
Incredible week for J-Mac as he lands third winner aboard Lost Boys
James McDonald has had a real week to remember at Royal Ascot as he rode his third winner of the five-day extravaganza aboard the David Menuisier-trained Lost Boys (Night Of Thunder). The son of Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) came home with a strong late finish to deny Amadeus Mozart (Wootton Bassett) by a half-length with a further three-quarters of a length back to the Australian Bloodstock-owned Perisher (Australia) in third place. The win added to McDonald’s wins aboard Map Of Stars (Sea The Stars) in the Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) on Tuesday and Opportunity (Frankel) in Friday’s Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (1m 4f). “It was a pretty messy, stop-start race. I never got a really good pitch until heading out of Swinley Bottom and then he relaxed well to his credit,” McDonald said. “For a young and immature horse, he’s got a bundle of talent; he’s a very good horse. I think so [that he’s a Group horse]. He gave me a really nice feel, probably the feel of the week; I’ve ridden some really nice horses this week for Wathnan and he might be the best of them. I’m still hurting from that [Joliestar’s defeat] but we’re lucky to be here, we’re lucky to be competing and riding really nice horses for Wathnan. It’s a bit like popping a balloon; everyone is up and about and as soon as they cross the line, the balloon has just gone but that’s racing, you can’t win every time. You come here to the other side of the world, Chris Waller and his team did a marvellous job and so proud of the connections for having a go and Chris for bearing it, albeit it’s heartbreaking, that’s what competition is all about. I’m in one of the best positions of all time, I’m very grateful for it. To be riding under James Doyle this week has been special, I’ve had a great week for Wathnan and to come over for Chris Waller who is my greatest supporter has meant the world to me.”
Thesecretadversary lands biggest career success in Jersey Stakes
Having notched up his maiden Royal Ascot winner on Thursday when Nola Soul (Justify) landed the Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f), trainer Fozzy Stack doubled his tally at the royal meeting when Thesecretadversary (3 c St Mark’s Basilica – Too Soon To Panic by Gleneagles) scored in Saturday’s Jersey Stakes (Gr 3, 7f). Ridden by Seamie Heffernan, who was also aboard Nola Soul, the colt hit the front inside the final two furlongs and was made to battle to deny late challenger Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner) by a neck – winning as a 20-1 shot. There was a further four and a half lengths back to Morris Dancer (Palace Pier) in third. “He put in a huge performance in two Classics when things didn’t go his way and he had a three-pound penalty,” Stack said. “It wasn’t a surprise to me, it was a surprise how much he drifted actually. Ninety per cent of the horses in the fields here are good horses so they just need to turn up on the day and everything to go right. It’s lovely to get one [winner], two is unbelievable and I’m so pleased for Mrs Rupert and the Magnier family, they’ve been great supporters, we go back a long way with the two of them; it’s great you know.”
Improving Double Rush lands the Wokingham
Double Rush (Blue Point) made it three consecutive handicap wins on Saturday when narrowly landing the Wokingham Stakes (6f) at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Shane Foley for trainer Andrew Balding, the four-year-old son of Blue Point (Shamardal) kept on well down the centre of the track to hold on from the fast-finishing Completely Random (Havana Grey) by a head. There was a further length back to Soldier’s Tree (Soldier’s Call) in third. “Charlie [Hills] really rated him and he said to me when he came to us, he thought he was really good and he’s right, he’s a very good horse,” Balding said. “He’s a top man isn’t he? It happens, I feel sorry for him but it’s very much our gain. Shane gave him a peach of a ride and I’d like to think there’s more to come, exciting horse. He’s got the class to travel and it’s not easy to win these big handicaps with high weights but he’s done it really well.” Double Rush runs in the silks of Yuesheng Zhang’s Ace Stud and was bred by Yulong.
Illinois bounces back to take out Queen Alexandra Stakes
Having finished runner-up in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f), the Aidan O’Brien-trained Illinois (Galileo) bounced back from a lacklustre performance in the Coronation Cup (Gr 1, 1m 4f) on June 6 to take out Saturday’s Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 5.5f) – the final race of the week at Royal Ascot. Ridden by Ryan Moore, who again finished the week as the top jockey, for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who also finished the royal meeting as leading trainer, the five-year-old entire stayed on well down the far-side rail to deny late finisher French Master (Frankel) by a neck. There was a further two and three-quarter lengths back to Mr Hollywood (Iquitos) in third.
Parr receives 20-day ban for Tuesday’s Overpass ride
Jockey Josh Parr has been handed a 20-day suspension and fined £1,250 after breaching the UK whip rules at Royal Ascot this week. Parr rode Overpass (Vancouver) to finish third in Tuesday’s King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 5f), and was found “to have used his whip three times above the permitted level of six from approximately one and a half furlongs out”. The suspension was doubled to 20 days on account of the King Charles being a Class 1 race, with Parr ruled out from July 3-11 inclusive and July 13-23 inclusive.