Our man at the track with his take on Friday's action at Royal Ascot when Aidan O'Brien regained family bragging rights.
An afternoon at Royal Ascot that had a bit of everything.
The sight of Youtuber CSI, sorry KSI, being mobbed for selfies as Frankie Dettori sailed untroubled up an adjacent escalator, head down on his phone.
Of a giant-killer in the opening Albany Stakes when Libertango overcame significant traffic problems to run down the Ballydoyle banker Sun Goddess. You watch it again and wonder how far she’d have won by with a clear passage.
And note George Boughey was saddling the third winner of what might just be a very significant week in his burgeoning career.
Venetian Sun delivers in the Commonwealth Cup, but only just, fending off Spicy Marg in a desperate finish with Division third. A one, two, three for the one-two-three in the Sandy Lane. Well, all of the right horses, if not necessarily in the right order.
A little boost for Haydock Park who haven’t raced since that day.
In temperatures tipping 30 degrees, you find yourself leaning against a rail next to Willie Mullins. He’s on his phone as a queue forms for selfies. I presumed they were for WPM so walked away.
Tony Bloom seeks permission to take the Commonwealth Cup from the presentation stage to pose for photos with it. It’s granted.
I think the winner has the speed for five. So does Karl Burke. But we’ll never find out.
“It was mooted, and talked about, but thinking ahead of her next career, she’s probably worth more if she looks like she can go seven rather than five, so I doubt it,” he admits.
“I think she has the speed for a Nunthorpe or a race like that, but I don’t think it will happen.”
