St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)

FRANKIE Dettori once again played the part of irresistible force on the final day of Royal Ascot as the jockey brought up a 150/1 treble when guiding John Gosden’s Palace Pier to victory in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes.

The son of Kingman, unbeaten now in four starts, joined battle with 2000 Guineas place-getters Pinatubo (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) and Wichita (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) inside the final furlong and it was the 4/1 chance who found most, staying on powerfully to score by a length from Pinatubo, with Wichita another head away in third.

Victory here brought Dettori’s score for the week to six, and that was enough with places considered to rob Jim Crowley of riding honours for the week, while it also represented the rider’s 73rd winner in total at Royal Ascot, bringing him level with Pat Eddery’s old record. Asked what that achievement meant to him, Dettori replied: “I sat next to Pat for 15 years – he was one of my heroes. I used to nickname him ‘God’, and to equal him gives me great satisfaction, God bless him.”

Palace Pier missed the Guineas as Gosden felt it would be “madness” to run him at Newmarket on the back of a novice win, but waiting for Ascot meant he was able to take in a prep at Newcastle which put him right, and he was again impressive here, as he has been on all his starts.

He was seen to maximum effect, with his main rivals battling towards the inner as he swept through off a strong pace, but he couldn’t be considered fortunate, and is simply a stronger stayer at the trip than the high-class pair he beat. Pinatubo battled well for second but both Buick and Appleby felt he didn’t quite last out the stiff mile after arguably travelling best, and he will head to Goodwood for the Sussex Stakes, where the sharper track will suit him better. Wichita ran to his Guineas form, and needs no excuses, while the others were effectively outclassed.

Of the impressive winner, John Gosden added: “The race panned out well. Frankie said he wanted to ride Palace Pier a little cold as he knew there would be a searching pace. It got a little rough and Frankie avoided all of that.

“He swept round the outside and I think that he demonstrated superior stamina, which he also showed at Newcastle, when he was really strong in the last furlong. It is no fluke. He is a really talented horse and he will go for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, which his father Kingman won.”

Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)

KEVIN Ryan’s Hello Youmzain landed his second Group 1 sprint when taking the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, handing jockey Kevin Stott a first Royal Ascot winner on what would quickly become a red-letter day for the jockey.

The four-year-old Kodiac colt was purchased by Cambridge Stud and Haras d’Etreham from Jaber Abdullah last autumn, having won the Haydock Park Sprint Cup. He will shuttle between France and New Zealand when taking up stallion duties for his new owners, and this was the perfect start for their collaboration.

Hello Youmzain, third in the Commonwealth Cup a year ago, led early and wrested back the lead inside the final quarter mile, but had to dig deep to repel the persistent challenge of Sceptical (Denis Hogan/Frankie Dettori) and the late thrust of Dream Of Dreams (Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore). The latter flew home from a seemingly impossible position to get within a head of Blue Point in this race 12 months ago, and produced a carbon copy of that effort, right down to the distance beaten.

Sceptical, who was sent of favourite after landing the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Naas, travelled best of all, but couldn’t find any extra in the closing yards, and was a neck behind Dream Of Dreams at the line.

This was a solid effort on his first try at group level, and given this was just his sixth start in a career which is less than eight months old. Owner James McAuley led him up, and was inches away from achieving his dream with the horse he bought himself at Goffs last August for just £2,800.

McAuley chose this race rather than the King’s Stand for the son of the 2009 Queen Mary winner Jealous Again, as it gave the gelding longer to recover from his Naas win, but on this evidence, he will prove at least as good back at five furlongs.