Today’s card at Royal Ascot poses all the intrigue and anticipation of a delicately poised second day of a Boxing Day Ashes test and a true great of the cricket game is honoured in the Queen’s Vase (Gr 2, 1m 6f), race two on the card at 12.05am (AEST).  The JP McManus-owned Benaud, aptly sired... Read More

71 for Dark Angel The Andrew Balding-trained Berkshire Shadow (2 c ex Angel Vision by Oasis Dream) flew home up the stands’ side rail to land the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) under Oisin Murphy yesterday. The colt, who was bought by Balding for 40,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 last year, won on debut... Read More

Palace Pier (Kingman) showed why he is rated the best miler in the world as the red-hot favourite ran out a convincing winner of the opening race of the royal meeting, the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m). The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old was winning for the second successive year at Royal Ascot, having... Read More

Poetic Flare (3 c Dawn Approach – Maria Lee by Rock Of Gibraltar) produced a sublime performance in the St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) yesterday to follow in the hoofprints of his sire and become the 15th horse to complete the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m)-St James’s Palace double.  The Jim Bolger-trained colt... Read More

Last year’s July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) winner Oxted (5 g Mayson – Charlotte Rosina by Choisir) powered home best of all to claim a frenetic running of the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) as reigning champion Battaash (Dark Angel) weakened to finish fourth.  The result delivered a first Royal Ascot winner for both... Read More

From subfertile to sire sensation: how Starspangledbanner has defied the odds It has been 11 years since Starspangledbanner (Choisir) burst onto the European scene with a dazzling display of brazen speed in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot. That was, of course, after a highly successful time in his native Australia,... Read More