Coach Aidan O’Brien’s dominance of the Royal Ascot juvenile contests continued with Charles Darwin’s dominant victory within the June 19 Norfolk Stakes.
The No Nay By no means colt was despatched off odds-on and was briefly challenged by American Sandal’s Tune and longshot Ameeq, however he exerted his class over the pair to tug clear underneath Ryan Moore by 2 1/4 lengths over a Godolphin’s rallying juvenile Clever Method.
“He’s a really, very quick horse,” O’Brien mentioned. “He’s massive and mature and has an excellent thoughts, so he’s very thrilling. We had been truly hoping he would get a lead — he’s very fast and he’d be comfortable to get a lead.
“Ryan clearly does his personal factor all the time; when the gates open, he decides, and he was very pleased with him. He mentioned he powered to the road. We couldn’t be happier.”
Royal Ascot protection courtesy of Racing Publish
The spectacular victory resulted in Charles Darwin changing into the primary favourite to land the five-furlong contest since South Central’s success in 2008, and he enhanced the glowing fame of Ballydoyle juveniles at this week’s assembly following on from wins by stablemate Gstaad within the Group 2 Coventry Stakes and True Love within the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.
The win was the third success in 4 begins for Charles Darwin, who equally led from begin to end when hanging on his second begin at Navan and once more at Naas final month. Charles Darwin races for the Coolmore-affiliated Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg.
“He’s very skilled and has an excellent angle,” Moore mentioned of Charles Darwin. “He jumped in a short time, confirmed good pace. I used to be simply making an attempt to manage him the very best I may. They got here to me about two and a half furlongs out, and I requested him to go, and he picked up nicely.”
Sandal’s Tune, who received the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park final month in his solely different begin, held third underneath Australian rider James McDonald, crushed three lengths. The George Weaver-trained chestnut son of Mendelssohn, bred in Kentucky by Hunter Valley Farm and Tony Hegarty and owned by Wathnan Racing, threatened down the middle of the course and checked in three-quarters of a size behind runner-up Clever Method.
Case Clay, the US racing supervisor to Wathnan Racing, felt Sandal’s Tune gave a “valiant effort.”
“He was crushed by a really, excellent horse, however we’re very pleased with the trouble,” he mentioned. “We’re going to take him again to the U.S. and we’re going to attempt to get to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Dash, with a race or two perhaps in between.”
With the Norfolk a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenger Sequence, Charles Darwin earned a paid, automated berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Dash Oct. 31 at Del Mar.—Catherine Macrae/Racing Publish
Persistence is usually in brief provide in a high-pressure trade with massive spending and even larger expectations, however these behind the massively progressive Ombudsman had been handsomely rewarded for theirs when he produced a blistering flip of foot to energy away from Anmaat within the June 18 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
William Buick settled Godolphin’s 4-year-old on the rear of the sector in a fiercely run contest, with the early fractions set by the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Steady and favored Los Angeles, and it appeared as if he may not get a transparent passage, blocked by a wall of runners within the straight.
Nevertheless, his jockey was very happy to bide his time, conscious of the uncooked pace his associate possesses, and when the hole appeared, Ombudsman responded instantly earlier than coming residence in a outstanding flash of royal blue to win going away with the tantalizing promise of extra to return.
“He’d have been a really unfortunate loser, wouldn’t he?” Buick mentioned. “I used to be searching for room and needed to swap him a few instances, however he received with a bit in hand.”
Buick is by now all too conversant in the fickle nature of elite sport, however there was nonetheless a way this was a welcome victory after a difficult begin to the week with defeats for the likes of Ruling Courtroom and Notable Speech.
“This place tames lions,” he added. “It’s so particular to win right here as a result of it’s so powerful.”
Ombudsman was actually getting into the lion’s den on his first begin on the highest stage. Godolphin’s son of Evening of Thunder was unraced at 2 however greater than made up for misplaced time final season, profitable all 4 begins, together with a Group 3, earlier than shedding his unbeaten document when second in final month’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes.
It has not been a standard journey to the highest however, very like Buick having to attend for the proper second to strike, it’s one characterised by endurance.
“I feel it’s all right down to the proprietor,” mentioned joint-trainer John Gosden, who was introduced with a saddle fabric after recording his seventieth Royal Ascot winner.
“After we purchased him with Anthony Stroud, I mentioned, ‘He’s immature, give me an opportunity with him,’ and he advised me to take so long as you want. He didn’t race at 2 however at 3 we introduced him out. Now he’s absolutely grown and developed, and since Sheikh Mohammed has been affected person, he’s been rewarded.”
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem Sequence and supplied Ombudsman with paid, automated entry into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar. — Jonathan Harding/Racing Publish
The progressive American Affair produced a robust efficiency to carry off Frost At Daybreak and strike within the King Charles III Stakes for Scottish coach Jim Goldie June 17.
Frost At Daybreak, a 4-year-old daughter of Frosted bred in Kentucky by Rabbah Bloodstock, was the primary to interrupt away from the pack when approaching the ultimate phases, nevertheless it was Paul Mulrennan and American Affair who stayed on the strongest to land the top-level contest.
For Goldie, who has been coaching since 1995, it was a primary Royal Ascot and Group 1 winner, whereas it was Mulrennan’s first victory on the royal assembly since Dandino landed the King George V Handicap in 2010.
Chatting with ITV Racing, Goldie mentioned: “I’ve skilled the household for 2 generations so it’s very candy. This horse’s grandfather had his day right here so we’re fairly fortunate that we are able to breed horses like that.
“I knew he was most likely one of many quickest horses within the race, nevertheless it’s the way you management that. We’ve come down a day early and bought him relaxed and all of it fell into place. It means quite a bit.”
The victory earned American Affair paid, automated entry into the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash Nov. 1 at Del Mar.—Liam Headd/Racing Publish
Docklands bounced again to go one higher and trigger a 14-1 shock as he narrowly denied Rosallion within the Queen Anne Stakes June 17 to open the Royal Ascot assembly in thrilling trend.
Educated by Harry Eustace and ridden by Mark Zahra, final yr’s Queen Anne runner-up battled it out to the road alongside Rosallion and got here out on the fitting facet of a photograph end, regardless of his jockey dropping his whip. The opening contest sparked into life with two furlongs remaining as Lead Artist, Dancing Gemini, and Quddwah led because the tempo picked up, however Docklands, who completed 2 1/4 lengths behind Charyn 12 months in the past, and Rosallion each hit the accelerator button and charged to the road.
Though Zahra parted methods along with his whip, he did simply sufficient to carry off the 5-2 favourite by a nostril, with 100-1 shot Cairo the closest challenger again in third for Alice Haynes.
“It’s fairly candy, however I’ve misplaced my voice,” Eustace mentioned. “I believed it was powerful to observe and a photograph end is hard, however he deserves to be on this as a result of he’s an absolute legend for us. If ever there’s a observe the place you desire a specialist, it’s right here. It’s the very best racing.
“The work and the trouble of everybody again house is the rationale we’re nonetheless right here, and I can’t thank them sufficient. He’s an absolute star. He loves being a racehorse and he’s very aggressive.”
The victory earned Docklands paid, automated entry into the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile introduced by Completely Disabled Jockeys Fund Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
In his European debut, Carl Spackler raced prominently early underneath James McDonald however pale to sixth. A 3-time grade 1 winner in North America for coach Chad Brown, in Could Carl Spackler was offered privately to Yulong Investments (Australia).—Liam Headd/Racing Publish
