Prince of Johanne lifts Hunt Cup

Trainer Tom Dascombe admitted to being “in a dream” following Ceiling Kitty’s Queen Mary Stakes success for owner Andrew Black and jockey Richard Kingscote.

 

Dascombe has enjoyed Black’s patronage since establishing his training operation, initially in  Lambourn and continuing after he took up residence in Cheshire at a yard owned by footballer Michael Owen. This was Dascombe’s third royal meeting winner, and, having trained Brown Panther to score for Owen at the event last year, today’s victory completed a sweet double for the trainer - satisfyingly both horses were bred by their owners.

 

Dascombe also trained fourth-placed Upward Spiral (Johnny Murtagh), who was the more fancied of the pair. Following the race the trainer said: “This is all about Andrew Black, who has been an amazing supporter of me, and to have a Royal Ascot winner for him is incredible.

 

“It’s also great for Richard, who wasn’t given a choice of which filly to ride, but felt she not only had experience but was also as hard as nails. Richard is a really good jockey and a lovely lad.

 

“The other filly ran well too, but there was nothing on her side of the track to lead her - I think she is the better horse, but just not today. 

 

“The main thing is Andrew Black owns the winner, which is so important. I don’t know what we’ll do now because it really doesn’t matter. She’s a Listed winner and now a Group winner who will retire to Andrew’s stud one day, and probably sooner rather than later. We’ll have to try her over six furlongs at some point, and she wasn’t stopping today.”

 

Black, co-founder of betting exchange Betfair, bred Ceiling Kitty and offered her at public auction last year when she failed to reach her reserve. He admitted to being “almost speechless”, but said: “She is a proper home bred, whose mother I claimed for £15,000. I knew this filly was good, so put half of her up on Betfair and they gave away four, one eighth shares in her for a year. I guess I didn’t know she was this good, but at least people are getting a smart horse for their money.”

 

Trainer Michael Bell was pleased with the effort of Hoyam to finish runner-up in the Queen Mary Stakes.

 

“It was a good run and Jamie (Spencer) was impressed and said the horse would get six furlongs,” said Bell. “It’s a shame she didn’t have time for another run before today. She’s a filly with a big future and the Cherry Hinton Stakes and Princess Margaret Stakes would both be possibles. I’ll see how quickly she comes out of this.”

 

The Richard Hannon-trained Hairy Rocket finished third. “She’s only tiny and there were no excuses but she’ll win something nice before the season is out. She looks like she’ll get six furlongs and I wouldn’t mind running her in the Cherry Hinton Stakes,” said Richard Hannon junior, assistant to his father.

 

William Buick bagged his first winner of Royal Ascot 2012 with a determined ride on the John Gosden-trained Joviaility in the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes. The daughter of Cape Cross, owned by Princess Haya Of Jordan, travelled comfortably before battling on gamely to repel the challenge of Sir Henry Cecil’s Chachamaidee inside the final furlong to hold on by a neck.