American Affair, who was quietly fancied in the betting, starting 11/1, showed much-improved form to edge out Frost At Dawn (28/1) in the King Charles III Stakes.
He has been a revelation in handicaps this season and displayed an excellent attitude to record a first victory in Group 1 company and also give trainer Jim Goldie a first winner at Royal Ascot.
American Affair travelled well into the race, his jockey moving him into position two furlongs out before being produced with his challenge entering the final furlong. It was a good duel between him and the runner-up in the closing stages but American Affair always looked like holding on once hitting the front.
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Regional (9/1), who finished runner-up to Asfoora in this race 12 months ago, again finished placed, filling third position.
The Ed Walker-trained Mgheera, who had beaten American Affair in the Temple Stakes at Haydock, was withdrawn at the start after losing a shoe.
Mulrennan buoyed by another Royal Ascot success
Winning jockey Paul Mulrennan told ITV Racing: “It all went pretty smoothly and we got a lovely tow into the race.
“We put a hood on him there on the way down to the start – and tweaked a few little things today - as things didn’t go right at Haydock.
“We knew he was ‘A1’ after Haydock and it’s great to have a winner down here – it's extra special – I'm a bit older and wiser now!”
Winning trainer Jim Goldie added: “I’ve trained the family for three generations – it's very sweet. We’re lucky that we can breed horses like that.
“He’s getting faster – he won over seven furlongs at Wetherby but since we went back to five furlongs he has just got better and better.
“I was pretty confident that he could do it today – he's always had the talent – and I knew he was one of the fastest horses in the race.
“We did a few things differently and it all fell into place.”
Gstaad too strong in Coventry Stakes
Gstaad won the Coventry Stakes to give Aidan O'Brien a record eleventh success in the race.
Gstaad, the 7/2 favourite, raced in the near-side group for the first half of the race until they began to fan out entering the last two furlongs. Ryan Moore took him to the centre of the track and he immediately picked up, taking the lead inside the final furlong.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMoore didn't have to be hard on Gstaad, pushing him out under a mainly hands-and-heels ride to comfortably score by three lengths. He was chased home by a couple of outsiders with Do Or Do Dont (80/1) finishing second and Coppull (66/1) third.
The well-supported Andab (5/1) finished fourth.
Winning jockey Ryan Moore told ITV Racing: “He was very impressive. We travelled well there and got to the front a long way home and he just kept on going.
“He’s a tall horse and improving from week to week.”
Aidan O’Brien added: “We are absolutely delighted – he's a lovely horse.
“We always thought that he was lovely – he didn’t get out for a while but Chris [Hayes] loved him on debut.
“He’s not slow, but he looks like he will definitely get seven furlongs and he kept going there.”
Irish dominate in Ascot Stakes
Irish trainers were responsible for the first four home in the Ascot Stakes as Ascending led home Nurburgring, Comfort Zone and Leinster.
Ascending, trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Billy Lee, won at 20/1. Joseph O'Brien trained the next three home with the runner-up returning at 16/1, the third at 33/1 and the fourth at 25/1.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsAscending, a winner of a Flat handicap at Cork on his reappearance last month, travelled in mid-division, made ground around the outside on the approach to the turn and, crucially in a messy race, got a clear shot at things in the straight.
He edged his way to the front on the approach to the final furlong and proved game when challenged to win by a neck.
Lee said: “If you weren’t travelling, you get thrown into the middle of the track; it’s just the fact that Ascending was going so easily and took me into the race that I was able to keep things smooth.
“Ascending was fifth in the Triumph Hurdle, but he lost his form a bit over jumps and they came back to the Flat, and I was lucky to get on him when he won at Dundalk. He won really well and I thought it was a good performance in Cork over his minimum trip. I was confident off that run that, if he did get the trip, he would be very competitive. It was a good performance from the horse and Henry had him spot-on."
De Bromhead said: “Ascending is a star. He was bought to go hurdling and ran very well over hurdles, but I think he never really loved it, so I said we’d try going back on the Flat. David Roach, who works for me, said, ‘there’s a good one in this lad on the Flat’, so we started going that route."
Haatem lands Wolferton
James Doyle was thrilled to get Wathnan Racing off the mark at Royal Ascot 2025 as 8/1 chance Haatem won the Wolferton Stakes from the well-backed Galen (13/2), Wathnan's 4/1 favourite King's Gambit running on into third ahead of Enfjaar (5/1).
Richard Hannon's four-year-old won the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs last summer before picking up an injury. On his third start of the current campaign and stepping up to 10 furlongs for the first time, Haatem briefly looked short of room on turning into the straight at Galen got first run at the two-furlong marker.
However, Haatem showed a bright turn of foot to bridge the gap and hit the front with half a furlong to travel and scored by three-quarters of a length.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsDoyle said on ITV Racing: "First and foremost, well done to Richard Hannon and his team. He had a nasty enough injury last year and in his first couple of runs this year you're thinking he's just not quite there, but he's such a big boy and he's taken that time to really get on his proper A-game.
"Last time in France I was thinking shall we try and take on the big boys in the Queen Anne or come and boss a race like this and he was the quality in the race today. He was turned out absolutely superbly and he showed his class.
"That was a good performance, the first time trying this trip. I didn't want to get shuffled too far back so I wanted to jump but then he over-raced all the way down the hill, so he can certainly do better than he has today but he'll need to in order to take on the big ones in the Group 1s."
Speaking of his relief at winning a race on day one of the meeting, he added: "Every Royal Ascot meeting is very high pressure, when you work for Wathnan Racing, who really target this meeting, you do feel it, of course you do. We know how hard it is, you can never count your chickens at a meeting like this. To get one on the first day is brilliant."
Hannon said: “Haatem is an amazing horse. He has been a pleasure to be a part of, for me, for old connections, new connections, and James loves him. He is just one of those horses who is the reason you own and train horses – it’s for ones like that.
“He cost 27,000 guineas – there’s a lot of people out there who could afford a share in him – and that’s the best thing about racing, is that these horses are accessible. And it’s important that they win some of these big races at the big meetings.
“He worked in the week – the best bit of work he’s done all year. And I said I don’t know if we’re doing the right thing by putting him up to a mile and a quarter, maybe we should have stayed at a mile. James said he loved it and he was a bit eager early, which he was bound to be. Going back to a mile is not out of the question, but he will probably turn up in the Eclipse.”
French Master a cut above rivals in Copper Horse
French Master stormed down the outside to win the Copper Horse Stakes, providing James Doyle and owners Wathnan Racing with a double following Haatem's victory in the preceding Wolferton Stakes.
French Master, the 5/2 favourite, was also completing a double for trainers John & Thady Gosden who landed the St James's Palace Stakes with Field of Gold.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsFrench Master, who was wearing blinkers and running in the colours of Wathnan Racing for the first time, still had plenty to do turning for home, but he produced an impressive surge to hit the front half a furlong out and ultimately scored decisively by two and a half lengths from 13/2 shot Caballo de Mar.
Samui (20/1) was a further half length back in third, with Barnso (14/1) completing the frame a short head behind.
Doyle said: "There was a bit of give and take there - we had to try to find our mutual ground. He didn't help me out early on but he certainly helped me from two furlongs out to the winning line.
"I was too far back, they were going no gallop. He walked out of the gate - they can do that sometimes with the blinkers on first time - and he's quite sleepy, he walks around banging into rails and things. But when he gets on the track he's usually pretty good at the business end. By God did he pick up off the turn."
When put to him by ITV's Matt Chapman that French Master was a promising handicapper, John Gosden said: "He's a bit more than that, I think. [Former owner and breeder] Philippa Cooper had Gregory before who won the Vase here and was a good Cup horse, and I think this horse might go that way."
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