Zhui Feng, trained by Amanda Perrett and ridden by Martin Dwyer, won the highly competitive Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday at 25/1 by half a length from Blair House by making all the running.

Owned by John Connolly and Odile Griffith, and ridden by Martin Harley, Zhui Feng (25/1) and most of the field came up the stands' side before he clinched victory by half a length from Godolphin's Blair House (16/1). In third, beaten a further neck, was Tashweeq (66/1), while Ballet Concerto (20/1) took fourth.

Perrett said: "He loves the track and the ground, was very brave from the front, and we had a great draw [26] - and it was a great front-running ride. John and Odile are very patient people and thoroughly deserved this win.

"In the Victoria Cup [his previous start] he ran a blinder, but had to come across a long way to get to the front, but today with the draw it was fine.

"It's been a long time since Give The Slip won [the 2000 King George V Handicap], and it's marvellous to have a horse good enough to run here, let alone be a winner."

Her husband, Mark, said: "I was hopeful rather than confident - how can you be confident in these big handicaps? But he's been in fantastic form and just needed a bit of luck in running."

It is six years since Dwyer rode a winner at the Royal Meeting (Manassas for Brian Meehan in the Buckingham Palace Handicap) and the seventh Royal Ascot success of his career.

Dwyer said: "He's a tough horse; he's pretty good and he ran well in the Victoria Cup [over course and distance in May; Zhui Feng finished third].

"It's very unusual this year - in the mile handicaps there are no front-runners. It was a carbon copy of the Victoria Cup - nothing wants to make the running, everything is held up. A horse like him who is allowed to dominate and use his stride, he had plenty left in the tank, where in previous years there are lots of horses trying for the lead.

"He's been crying out for the firm ground and I knew beforehand I had a really good shot at it. In these big mile handicaps it is difficult to make all, but I knew we'd get a relatively easy lead as no one wanted to make it and he's got a big stride. Ian Balding [the former Kingsclere trainer, to whom Dwyer was apprenticed] always taught me that if you get to the front, you've got to go up the rail.

"It's the hardest meeting in the world to have winners at and it's a great feeling to have one."

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