15.40 Royal Ascot - King's Stand Stakes
1st Lady Aurelia 7/2
2nd Profitable 14/1
3rd Marsha 11/4 favourite
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Report
A brilliant winner of the Queen Mary Stakes 12 months ago, Lady Aurelia repeated that performance to record a runaway success in the King's Stand Stakes.
The three-year-old hadn't convinced everyone since last year's success but American trainer Wesley Ward revealed that she had impressed Ryan Moore in a gallop at the track last week.
Ridden by Johnny Velazquez due to Frankie Dettori's absence, Lady Aurelia was slightly isolated towards the stands' side in the early stages of the race but the experienced pilot moved her towards the centre of the track and front runners Take Cover and Just Glamorous.
Always travelling strongly, the pack began to close but she quickened again when Velazquez asked her to go and win the race and she left them trailing in her wake with last year's winner Profitable leading the remainder home.
Lady Aurelia was just a hundredth of a second away from breaking a third course record in as many races.
Reaction
Wesley Ward: "Very excited. She's a very special filly. This is a Group One against the fastest sprinters in the world and to duplicate what she did last year and come back and do it again - she's a once in a lifetime horse.
"She's amazing and she loves it over here. We can look forward to a really big summer, the Breeders' Cup - her owners are so excited, it's wonderful for American racing.
"I'm going to sit down with the owners. The Nunthorpe (at York) is where I'd like to go with her next. We'll get her home and get her back and hopefully she runs like she did today. I'm very, very excited.
"The only thing is I feel so bad for my man Frankie. He should have been up today. I'm very happy for Johnny, but I feel really bad for Frankie. If you're watching Frankie, you're with us.
"The owners are sportsmen and sportswomen and as long as she's healthy and happy and sound, I would say she'll continue on (next year).
"I'll be begging them to do so, anyway."
Johnny Velazquez: "It's unfortunate for Frankie and a bad situation for him, but she was spectacular. I gave her a little break in the first half of the race and then when I asked her to run she responded, that doesn't always happen.
"Wes does a great job and he has a great team."
Clive Cox said of Profitable: "I'm very pleased and very proud of the performance, I knew he'd come forward from his first run and he clearly has. He's shown he's a class performer.
"If he'd been drawn among it a little bit more he might have been carried into the race a bit further, but I'm not disappointed, I'm over the moon with the run."
Sir Mark Prescott said of Marsha: "She's been beaten a short head by last year's winner, but Lady Aurelia is Lady Aurelia, she just never came back.
"We know how fast our filly is as she tanks through her races, but she was off the bridle at halfway.
"We can't just wait for the Abbaye, she'll have to earn her corn somewhere.
"I think Goodwood doesn't suit her quite as well, but if she's in good nick she could go there. She's in the Sapphire in Ireland as well, so she'll go somewhere soon."
