The Aidan O'Brien trained outsider Sioux Nation won the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot under Ryan Moore. Check out our race report, reaction from connections and free video replay.
14.30 Royal Ascot - Norfolk Stakes
1st Sioux Nation 14/1
2nd Santry 13/2 joint-favourite
3rd Cardsharp 8/1
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Report
Sioux Nation provided his sire Scat Daddy with a third Royal Ascot winner and his jockey Ryan Moore with a third of the week in the Norfolk Stakes.
The majority of the field headed towards the stands' side, where most of the action unfolded on the first two days, with American raider McErin taking them along.
Four, including the winner, stayed to the far side and Moore later revealed that he thought that group was always ahead as they filled three of the first five places.
McErin was soon swamped by the pack as first Cardsharp and then Santry, trained in Yorkshire by Declan Carroll, burst through to the lead.
The latter went clear on the stands' rail but Sioux Nation had done the same on the other side of the course and as they passed the line, it was clear that the Aidan O'Brien trained colt had done enough.
The winning margin was half a length with Cardsharp a further length and a half adrift in third.
Reaction
Aidan O'Brien: : "Scat Daddy is an incredible stallion - the pace that they have make them very different. It's pure, raw speed and this horse has that as well. He's a massive horse, a big, powerful horse and to be doing this at this time of his career is incredible, really.
"He was travelling very well and I think he was trying to stall getting there, Ryan, but he paced it brilliantly. To get cover like he did with only three horses was brilliant.
"Ryan looked very comfortable and he was travelling very well. He gave him a marvellous ride and paced it brilliantly. He's a horse everyone always loved."
Ryan Moore: "To be fair, the ground is probably even everywhere. I wouldn't read too much into the track or the draw, it's just where the pace was on the first couple of days. The pace was the other side today and that's the difference.
"This is a very good colt. When I rode him first time - you can see how big he is - he just needed the run. He's had ground go against him since and on good, fast ground today, he always travelled like the winner. He needs fast ground.
"He was a bit lonely there on his own, but he's a very good colt."
Declan Carroll: "He won his race on his side and has probably not seen the other horse on the other side of the track. We're very proud of him and he's a great horse.
"He handled the quicker conditions well. We were confident he would. He might get an entry in the Nunthorpe (York), but we'll go back and have a chat with Jim (Crowley, jockey).
"He will go further - he's not just a five-furlong horse. He might be a Middle Park horse later in the season."
Jim Crowley: "I am bloody pissed off! If the other horse had been my side, we'd have won. My horse just gets to the front and thinks he's done enough. He always had everything beat on the stands' side, unfortunately he had nothing to battle with. He's a very good horse and he handled the ground well."
The Mark Johnston-trained Cardsharp was doing his best work at the finish in third. The trainer's son and assistant, Charlie, said: "He ran a super race. After he got beat here on his second start, we thought after that he definitely wanted six furlongs.
"But he showed so much speed when he won at Beverley, we decided to re-route him and drop him back to five. Watching that now, maybe we should have run him over six in the Coventry on Tuesday, but he ran a great race.
"He got a little bit outpaced from halfway and got a bump from the American horse, but then he stayed on grand to the line. He's got plenty of options going forward. The July Stakes (Newmarket) would have to come under consideration, but there's also the Molecomb at Goodwood."
