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The battle for Royal Ascot’s inaugural Leading Owner Award was set for a thrilling conclusion coming into the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot.
At the start of the day, Godolphin held the advantage with six winners while Coolmore had a tally of four. Godolphin’s royal blue silks were to be carried in every race on this day with a total of 11 challengers across the card, while Coolmore had four chances for a return visit to the winner’s enclosure.
The QIPCO Leading Jockey Award was also in close contention, with Ryan Moore (pictured top) and William Buick leading the way with five and four wins respectively. Both were fully booked in all six races with Moore on the favourite Limato for the day’s feature race, the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
The well-supported 11/8 favourite September provided Aidan O’Brien with his fifth victory of the week at Royal Ascot and 60th winner of the Royal Meeting with a smooth success in the Listed Chesham Stakes.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, registering his sixth win this week, the two-year-old daughter of Deep Impact kept on powerfully in the closing stages and displayed a potent turn of foot to score by two and a quarter-lengths with the long-time leader Nyaleti (10/1) battling on resolutely to finish second.
Aidan O’Brien added a sixth win in this Royal Meeting, with Idaho’s victory in the one mile four furlong G2 Hardwicke Stakes. The success sealed victory in the 2017 QIPCO Royal Ascot trainers’ title for the Ballydoyle trainer.
Of Idaho, O’Brien said: “He is a full-brother to Highland Reel, he has a fabulous pedigree and we’ve always loved him.
“Look we are delighted – he is by Galileo and they never know when to stop improving and trying. Seamie gave him a peach of a ride.
The James Fanshawe-trained The Tin Man (9/2) gained his second success at G1 level with a thrilling victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Ridden by Tom Queally, the five-year-old son of Equiano was held up early on in the six-furlong event but having thread a passage towards the far-side rail at the two furlong pole, the imposing gelding stayed on tenaciously despite drifting left, to score by a neck from the fast-finishing Tasleet (7/1), trained by William Haggas in second, with Henry Candy’s well-supported 2/1 favourite Limato a further three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Out Do has not won a race for two years, but the eight-year-old son of Exceed And Excel put that behind him when scorching to a half-length success in the Wokingham Handicap under jockey Daniel Tudhope and for trainer David O’Meara.
The horse, a 25/1 chance, has overcome serious injury to get to Royal Ascot and even this week very nearly found himself running at Chelmsford rather than at the Royal Meeting.
The curtain came down on Royal Ascot with a thrilling finish to decide the Queen Alexandra Stakes.
The Mark Johnston-trained Oriental Fox (10/1), winner of this race in 2015 and fourth in 2016, returned to the Berkshire track to take the spoils with Joe Fanning in the saddle once again.
The nine-year-old gelding, owned by Markus Graff, ground it out in the final furlong of this extended two mile five furlong contest to beat the Willie Mullins-trained Thomas Hobson (2/1 favourite) one and a quarter lengths in second and Aidan O’Brien’s US Army Ranger a further one and three quarter lengths back in third.
Royal Ascot 2017 winners – Saturday 24th June
- Listed Chesham Stakes – SEPTEMBER (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 2-8-12 Ryan Moore 11/8 Fav
- Listed Wolferton Handicap – SNOANO (M J Macleod) Tim Easterby 5-9-00 David Allan 25/1
- G2 Hardwicke Stakes – IDAHO (Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier) Aidan O’Brien IRE 4-9-01 Seamie Heffernan 9/2
- G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes – THE TIN MAN (Fred Archer Racing – Ormonde) James Fanshawe 5-9-03 Tom Queally 9/2
- Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) – OUT DO (Evan Sutherland) David O’Meara 8-8-13 Daniel Tudhope 25/1
- Queen Alexandra Stakes – ORIENTAL FOX (Markus Graff) Mark Johnston 9-9-05 Joe Fanning 10/1
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RACHEL GROOM is Eclipse Magazine’s Photography Editor. Known for her ‘street’ photography she is also an in-house documenter of racing activities at a training yard in Epsom and loves a big day out at the races. You can see more of her work at www.rachelgroom.com
