Review of the action from day one of Royal Ascot including Without Parole

Without doubt in St James's Palace

Frankel colt Without Parole brought up a day one double at Royal Ascot for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori with victory in the St James's Palace Stakes.

Heavily backed into 9/4 favouritism just before the off, the unbeaten three-year-old delivered in good style under Frankie Dettori, beating Gustav Klimt (8/1) by half a length with French challenger Wootton back in third.

Gosden said: "It was a brave performance. He had to commit early and he will have learned a lot.

"He had one run at Newcastle at the back-end (of last year) and he's done nothing but improve, but there's still a lot more to come.

"I still can't see a rib on him - he's a bit tubby."

Dettori added: "I had to move because Ryan Moore in front is very dangerous and when I got to him, I looked and thought there was over a furlong to go and I'm a sitting duck here.

"He's a proper little horse. He's a lovely horse - he's only run four times, but to do what he's done, he's got a big future."

Gosden expects further progress from his charge - but believes he is very much a top-notch performer.

He said: "He is a grand horse. There were no hiding places in that race - it was a proper Group One pace. I think he is still on the up. He is still learning and at the moment he has a bigger middle than me."

The winner was cut to 12/1 by Sky Bet for the 10-furlong Coral-Eclipse, and Gosden said: "I think he could stay at a mile or go up. He was green on the bend and Frankie said 'come on, old boy'.

"He is so lazy at home. I've never known a horse eat and sleep like it, which is a great thing in a racehorse. He will improve and get sharper and he will get a little further, too."

There was, however, a disappointing postscript to the race for Dettori, as he was banned for seven days and fined £4,300 after the stewards adjudged he had used his whip above the permitted level from approaching two furlongs out.

Without Parole's victory sets the seal on a remarkable few weeks for owner-breeder John Gunther and his daughter, Tanya. The pair bred this year's American Triple Crown winner Justify before selling him on for $500,000 as a yearling in 2016.

Despite having the accolade of producing that history-making colt, Gunther admitted this Royal Ascot victory meant so much more.

He said: "It's a dream come true. My dream was to have a horse run here, but to have one go and win a Group One - it's incredible. It means everything to me and always will. This was always the most important result to me."

Tip To Win had to settle fourth place, after being beaten only by Saxon Warrior in the 2000 Guineas.

His trainer Roger Teal said: "Things didn't go to plan. We were further back than we wanted to be. He had a lot of ground to make up and the stiff mile just found him out. It was a crazy pace early and David (Probert) slotted him in to get a bit of cover and settle him and we ended up a bit further back.

"He still ran a nice race. The winner is a seriously nice horse. We will dust ourselves off and come back punching. He's a top-class horse. He just got touched off for third in the shadow of the post. He made a big effort and it probably just cooked his goose. It was frustrating to get shoved back early on, but that's racing. We'll get over today and see what we're going to do. We might drop him back to seven, we'll see."

Godolphin make Point

Blue Point (6/1) silenced the big guns and landed the King's Stand Stakes to continue a wonderful season for Charlie Appleby and William Buick.

The race had been billed as a duel between last year's winner Lady Aurelia and Battaash (9/4) - which the latter won. He went straight to the front as the stalls opened and had the American raider beaten fully two furlongs out.

However, just as his followers began to celebrate the eventual winner loomed large and under a strong Buick drive swept by to score by a length-and-three-quarters.

Mabs Cross (20/1) ran on strongly to claim third with Lady Aurelia fading into seventh.

The success follows hot on heels of Masar's Investec Derby victory for Appleby, Buick and a resurgent Godolphin team.

Calyx brilliant in Coventry

Frankie Dettori got on the scoresheet for the week at Royal Ascot as 2/1 favourite Calyx ran out a brilliant winner of the Coventry Stakes.

The once-raced son of Kingman stormed clear of his rivals on the stands' side and was fully six lengths ahead of them inside the distance.

However the dangers were on the far side of the track but try as they might they couldn't wrest the prize from his grasp. Advertise (10/1) came through for second, a length adrift of the winner, with Sergei Profokiev (3/1) and Richard Fahey's Vange (25/1) close-up in third and fourth.

Sky Bet halved Calyx in price to 8/1 for next year's QIPCO 2000 Guineas, spokesman Michael Shinners saying: "It's early days but Calyx looks the real deal. He was impressive at Newmarket and took the step up in class in his stride here. John Gosden has another very exciting prospect on his hands."

Gosden said: "He's very talented, his father was exceptionally talented and he has all of those attributes. The high draw may not be the best, and he's had to race on his own for two furlongs with a huge crowd screaming - that's a big ordeal for him and I think he's done amazingly well to win. I'd love to give him a nice holiday now and come back for the Prix Morny."

Asked about the 2000 Guineas, Gosden said: "I don't see why not (be a Guineas horse), but I think at the moment we should see if we can win a Group One with him and then think about stepping up."

John Gosden and Frankie Dettori completed a hat-trick on the opening day of Royal Ascot as Monarchs Glen landed the Wolferton Stakes.

The formidable combination had already claimed the Coventry Stakes with 2/1 favourite Calyx and the St James's Palace Stakes with 9/4 market leader Without Parole.

Monarchs Glen, the apparent second string for owner Khalid Abdullah behind Sir Michael Stoute's 7/2 favourite Mirage Dancer, was an 8/1 shot for the 10-furlong Listed contest.

Dettori took the brave man's route against the rail before switching his mount wide of rivals inside the final two furlongs and Monarchs Glen picked up well to score by a length from 33-1 chance Euginio.

Mirage Dancer encountered trouble in running and passed the post in fifth place.

Dettori said: "I took a chance and it worked out. I didn't expect this one to win. It's been an amazing day. I missed it (the meeting) last year and I have been been making up for it.

"I love Ascot. It's been a very lucky place for me. It's a team effort, though, and John is on fire."

33/1 shock in Queen Anne

Accidental Agent was a shock winner of the Queen Anne Stakes, the first race of Royal Ascot 2018.

Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, the four-year-old was a largely unconsidered 33-1 shot for the Group One contest over the straight mile, having finished sixth behind the reopposing Rhododendron in last month's Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

With Deauville setting the fractions in front, Charles Bishop took his time aboard Accidental Agent, settling him at the very rear of the field before making his move inside the final three furlongs.

As Rhododendron weakened out of contention, Lockinge runner-up Lightning Spear looked to have every chance of going one better as the post loomed, but he was caught late on by both 20-1 shot Lord Glitters and Accidental Agent. Like Rhododendron, the well-backed 11-4 favourite Benbatl was disappointing.

An emotional Johnson Houghton - bagging her first ever Group One success - admitted she had been hoping for a place at best.

She said: "I thought I was tilting at windmills and I dreamt about being third. I thought 'my god, I'm going to be placed' - there was an awful lot of screaming going on. It's just ridiculous. I have all my cousins and brothers and my mum here - I don't think she's ever going to get over it."

Mullins on fire in Ascot Stakes

Lagostovegas provided Willie Mullins with a fourth victory in the Ascot Stakes.

Ireland's 12-times champion jumps trainer had previously struck gold in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap with Simenon (2012), Clondaw Warrior (2015) and last year's winner Thomas Hobson and this year launched a five-pronged assault.

Dual-purpose mare Lagostovegas, who was sporting a hood for the first time, travelled strongly throughout in the hands of Andrea Atzeni and finished strongly to get up and beat Karen McLintock's Dubawi Fifty by a length.

Mullins was also responsible for the third, fourth and fifth home in Stratum, Chelkar and Whiskey Sour.

He said: "I thought this mare might struggle to get the trip. I don't know what the time was, but it didn't look a very strong gallop, which played into her hands.

"Stratum was a bit wide on the track and Chelkar pulled too hard.

"This race and the Queen Alexandra on Saturday are the two races we have horses qualified to run in, so it's nice to be able to target a few horses.

"It keeps us busy during the summer and if any of these keep progressing, we'll target them at the big summer races like the Ebor.

"There's more prize-money going into staying races over here these days."

Related Royal Ascot links

• Full schedule and guide
• Royal Ascot podcast
• Royal Ascot: Super sires
• Richard Fahey: My Ascot team
• Royal Ascot banker bets
• Five clashes to savour