Royal Ascot day two review: Mostahdaf slams Prince of Wales's rivals

Most impressive for Gosdens

John and Thady Gosden joined the Royal Ascot party as the Clarehaven yard registered its first winner at this year's meeting when Mostahdaf slammed his Prince of Wales's Stakes rivals.

The race was billed as a tightly-knit, competitive Group 1 contest but the Shadwell Estate-owned son of Frankel, sent off at 10/1, proved that all wrong with a clear-cut victory in the hands of Jim Crowley.

Luxembourg took the field along just ahead of American raider Classic Causeway, with Adayar third in front of My Prospero and Bay Bridge, with the eventual winner anchored at the back of the six-runner pack.

Ryan Moore kicked for home on Luxembourg turning into the straight and it soon became clear his main market rivals were all struggling to bridge the gap, but Crowley was still sitting sweetly on Mostahdaf, who powered down the outside to hit the front with a furlong and a half to travel.

He kept pouring it on at the head of affairs and had four lengths in hand over Aidan O'Brien's 2/1 favourite at the line, with Adayar back in third.

The victory gave John Gosden his third victory in the past 10 years in the 10-furlong contest and his fifth overall, but his first in conjunction with son Thady.

Sky Bet reacted by cutting Mostahadaf to 5/1 from 33/1 for the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park next month, with Paddy Power and Betfair offering 8/1 (from 33s).

“I was expecting him to pick up well in the straight, but not to make them look like they were standing still,” Gosden said.

“In fairness to him, he did it in Riyadh. He won the Neom Cup in that style, he just flew away. When the ground dries up he’s a brilliant horse. The amount he quickened did surprise me, but not the fact that he loved the ground and was in top form.

“We were going to run him in the Brigadier Gerard, but he hadn’t quite recovered from his Middle Eastern campaign. If you check the form book, he took on a certain Japanese horse in the Sheema Classic (Equinox) and a mile and a half is beyond him, he’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but he put it up to them and gave it his best go.

“To that extent he’s back to a mile and a quarter, but what a horse that horse is. ”

On immediate plans, Gosden said: “I always find the Eclipse comes too close. I’d wait for the Juddmonte International; that would be the race for me. He likes to run fresh – too many nights out on the town, we don’t bounce like we used to. I think the Juddmonte International should be the big target.”

Paying tribute to Sheikha Hissa, who became head of the Shadwell operation following the death of her father, Sheikh Hamdan, Gosden said: “She’s done amazingly – she’s rationalised the whole programme after her father died, bringing it all together.

“She’s here with her husband today – she’s recently married – and it’s a great achievement to put this together; Baaeed last year and this horse now, possibly worthy of going to stud as a stallion, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Rogue winner in Duke Of Cambridge

Rogue Millennium thrived for the drop in trip to a mile in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot.

The four-year-old had only ever competed at 10 furlongs or further previously but she showed she had the boot for a mile after showing a swift turn of foot to overhaul long-time leader Random Harvest under Danny Tudhope.

It was a first Royal Ascot success for Tom Clover as his filly held Random Harvest, who was given a terrific ride on the front end by Saffie Osborne, by a neck.

The 100/30 favourite Prosperous Voyage finished third.

Pinching himself at recording a first career win at the meeting, Clover said: “It takes some explaining and it hasn’t sunk in to be honest. You dream about this all year round. She cost 35 grand so it’s unbelievable and it’s what we all do it for. I love the filly and I love training for the Rogues – it’s the most wonderful feeling.

“I brought her back in trip because she’s been travelling so strong, look at the Middleton at York, she got outstayed there. In her work at home she’d been travelling really well behind six- and seven-furlong horses. Going back to a mile helps with the broodmare hat on too with black type in mind.

“I backed her today, I was quietly confident, she was in great form and while we hadn’t had a great year – we’ve had too many seconds – luckily a bit of luck went our way today.

“We now have a Group One filly on our hands. I’d say we’d keep her against fillies. I didn’t put her in the Falmouth as that is a sharp mile so we may to go to Deauville.

“(The) Rogues were very sporting about supplementing her. We either came here or went for the Hoppings which she was second in last year so this would look a lot better on her page. Danny got it spot on, he’s a class jockey and his record here speaks for itself. This place makes careers – I can now say I’m a Royal Ascot-winning trainer.”

Irish eyes smiling for Harrington

Villanova Queen defied odds of 25/1 when making a winning handicap debut in the Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap, providing trainer Jessica Harrington with a welcome winner on the Royal Ascot stage.

Held up early on, the daughter of Mastercraftsman still only had a couple of rivals behind her when coming widest of all turning into the home straight, but she produced a fine burst of speed under Colin Keane to ultimately gun down Don't Tell Claire, who had hit the front approaching the furlong marker but was made to settle for second at 22/1.

The well-backed Tarrabb was third at 13/2 having had a rough trip around the inside, while two more Irish-trainer runners, namely Adelaise (7/1) and Terwanthere (5/1), were fourth and fifth respectively.

Winning rider Keane was breaking his Ascot duck at the 51st time of asking, while it was a significant winner for 76-year-old Harrington, who recently stated that the horses had been acting as her 'therapy' as she continues her treatment for breast cancer.

Keane said: “It has been a while coming, but it's unfortunate for Shane Foley, who is injured and couldn't ride. I am very grateful to Mrs Harrington for giving me the ride. It is a weight off your shoulders – this is the biggest stage in racing and I've been coming here year in and year out trying to get one. It is very satisfying.

"The race was very straightforward for me. Mrs Harrington said 'ride her wherever she relaxes - if there's a lot of pace early doors let her find her feet'. It was very congested at the bottom of the straight, and another thing she said was 'keep her smooth, challenge wide and have one good run' and it worked.”

Harrington’s daughter and assistant, Kate, said: “That was exciting, I thought she had a good chance dropping back from Group and Listed company into a handicap. Albeit her run the last day, if you go back and look at it, she didn’t get the clearest of runs and the time before that the ground was a bit soft in Leopardstown.

“It’s a real credit to the owners, it’s taken a while to get this filly back to what we knew she was before the Irish Guineas last year where she picked up a bit of an injury. It’s just great to her back and show that faith in her, she had a very good run last year behind Homeless Songs in the Guineas trial and we knew this was in her. It’s great now she’s back on track and I’d say onwards and upwards for the rest of the season.”

She added: “Mum’s at Nicky’s (Henderson). She had the sale on Monday and was here yesterday so she’s just taken one day off, she’s back for the next few days. She’ll be celebrating, she’ll have the champagne on ice. There’ll be nothing left!”

Of the runner-up, a proud Claire Kubler said: “It was an incredible run from her, she’s an absolute superstar and we all love her to bits. I thought she might win two out. Then she even got back up to be second as she looked like she might be swallowed up.

“She seems to run well at all the big tracks which is really fortunate, it makes our life easy. It’s back to the drawing board and revisit the options.”

Crimson comes to the fore in Queen Mary

Crimson Advocate won the opening Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot for American trainer George Weaver and jockey Jonny Velazquez.

The daughter of Nyquist showed speed to lead the pack early and she barely saw another rival until being joined close home by William Haggas' Relief Rally.

It looked like Haggas had won it when Tom Marquand ranged upsides near the line, but Crimson Advocate nosed her out on the bob in a thrilling finish that required a photo.

The stands' side held sway and 11/4 favourite Beautiful Diamond finished third, with Juniper Berries fourth, Got To Love A Grey fifth and Flora Of Bermuda sixth.

Weaver said: “My wife is a tremendous horsewoman, she knows more about horses than I’ll ever know.

“She took a fall, she had a dramatic brain injury and it was a very scary time, it’s been a tough year for all of us. It’s a miracle. It’s almost a year ago it happened. At some points we didn’t know if she’d live or have any quality of life. This is her first trip away from home since.”

Velazquez – who was riding his fourth Royal Ascot winner – said: “I knew she was going to be fast, it was all about if she handled the turf here. It’s a little bit better than yesterday, it was a bit soft for the Americans yesterday, but she handled it very well and held on.

“It’s very hard when they come from America, there’s also the second hill close home they have to handle. On firmer ground it just helps them and that’s what happened today.

“She’s so nice, she handled everything nicely, in fact she was so calm I had to take her away from the others to wake her up a bit! She was a little too quiet, but behind the gates she was very nice.

“She was going so well and in hindsight I almost messed up the race by going too soon. I should have waited longer with the second hill in mind, but she handled it.

“That’s the first time I’ve ridden her, I knew she’d be pretty fast. Every year I try to come back here to get another winner, now I’ve got one it feels great, I’ll be coming for as long as I can.”

He added: “It’s great for George and his wife. A year ago she had a really bad accident and they didn’t think she would walk again so for her to be here is amazing.”

A philosophical Haggas did not have a lot to add to the obvious.

“We were in front before and after the line, but not on. There you go, that’s the way it is, she’s run a great race and made up a lot of ground in the last furlong. She’s run a fine race,” he said.

Hendrix strikes a chord in Hunt Cup

Jimi Hendrix hit the right note at Royal Ascot to lead home a memorable one-two in the Royal Hunt Cup for trainer Ralph Beckett and owners Chelsea Thoroughbreds.

A maximum field of 30 went to post for what was as always a fiercely-competitive handicap and at the business end it was the Beckett duo on opposite sides of the track that had the contest at their mercy.

Eventual 25/1 runner-up Sonny Liston was travelling menacingly on the stands side in the hands of Ryan Moore and burst clear of his group to mount his challenge inside the final furlong, but he was unable to land a knockout blow as Rossa Ryan notched his second Royal Ascot winner when leading home those on the far side on the 22/1 scorer.

Beckett said: “What a performance. I actually gave Ryan the choice of the two. It’s great to get Sonny Liston back, he has to be ridden like that, we think.

“I always thought the winner had a day like this in him. He won the Spring Cup nicely enough, but ran poorly on the Rowley Mile last time out. I think we’ll avoid the Rowley Mile for now. I thought he’d win the Cambridgeshire last year, but that doesn’t matter now because he’s won today.

“You couldn’t make it up the same syndicate own the first two, they are very happy.

“It’s been a tough week up to now, it hasn’t been going great but to win a Hunt Cup takes a bit of doing, to finish first and second is very satisfying, and it’s great for Rossa, he gave him a peach.”

Big Evs king of the Castle

Mick Appleby registered his first Royal Ascot victory when Big Evs stormed to glory in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

It was also only a second winner at the Royal meeting for jockey Jason Hart who had the once-raced son of Blue Point always to the fore in the five-furlong Listed event.

Although only second on debut at Redcar, he took a huge step forward on this occasion and appeared to have plenty in the tank as Hart asked his mount to make his bid for home passing the two-furlong pole.

He soon displayed both a phenomenal turn of foot and strong staying power as he drew clear of his pursuers in the closing stages, with the 20/1 winner finishing three lengths clear of the 100/30 Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Johannes Brahms and Ollie Sangster’s first Royal Ascot runner Inquisitively a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Appleby said: “He’s won really well. He worked with Annaf (third in Tuesday’s King’s Stand) so we knew he was good. We really fancied him today, to be honest.

“Well done to all the team at home as they are working hard all week so I can come and enjoy it here.

“I’m not really surprised he’s won like that because he’s got so much speed, I’ve never had a two-year-old as quick as him.

“I’m not really sure where we go now, they will be big targets though so we’ll just see where we go with him.”

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