Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)

THE betting suggested that the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee rested between Australia and Hong Kong, but while the foreign contingent performed with tremendous credit, the race ended in a surprise home win, with 25/1 shot Almeraq (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) getting the best of a four-way finish with Satono Reve (Noriyuki Hori/Ryan Moore) and Joliestar (Chris Waller/James McDonald).

French raider Stolen Kiss was fourth with the quartet separated by a nose, a short head and a head in a finish worthy of the grand stage.

Almeraq took a heavy fall at York last season - one that still leaves his regular rider Jim Crowley on the sidelines - but made a winning comeback in the Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury to show that he suffers no lingering effects from that trauma, and he was as game as a pebble as he edged out 2025 runner-up Satono Reve near the line, with the winning trainer quick to pay tribute to connections of the placed horses for their sportsmanship.

Delighted

Haggas said: “It would have been lovely to celebrate a Japanese winner, but I’m delighted to have won. It is terrific that these people come across the world to race here and support our biggest calendar. I’m sorry they didn’t win, but I’m delighted to beat them, but long may it continue that they come over from Australia and Japan.”

Of the winner, he added: “He had a fall at York last year, when poor Jim got injured and Trevor Whelan got injured. It took a long time to come back, and it has been gently, gently this spring.

“He was pretty shook up after York. It is quite hard to fall in a race like that, at that speed, but we gave him a lot of time, and this has proved why we did that. Hopefully it is now onwards and upwards, as he is fine now.

“He is a beautiful horse, and we have always loved him. He is a big, strong, powerful horse. I think he will get better as he is pretty lightly raced. I thought this ground might be a bit quick for him, as he has got big feet [and] he was just terribly impressive on slow ground at Ayr.

“We have Elmonjed in the same ownership for Shadwell for [the July Cup]. I’m thrilled for Shadwell, as I’ve been involved with them for quite some time now. To get a Group 1 winner on the biggest stage for Shadwell is terrific.”

Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)

THE Group 2 Norfolk Stakes was a strongly-run contest and, just under two furlongs out, the lead was held jointly by a trio of runners from the Wesley Ward stable, but none of them could keep up the fierce pace, which saw Orthodox (Clive Cox/Rossa Ryan) storm home for a three-and-a-half-length win over outsiders El Floridita (Nigel Tinkler/Rowan Scott) and Mussab (Richard and Peter Fahey/Colin Keane), with that pair separated by a neck at the finish.

The 9/2 winner was impressive on debut at Salisbury and improved on that first impression with an explosive performance that marks him down as a contender for top juvenile honours at six furlongs, with options at the minimum trip limited for two-year-olds, as winning trainer Clive Cox referenced when talking about future plans for the son of Havana Grey.

Cox said: “Orthodox won at Salisbury and that was exciting, but we were only scratching the surface. Since then, he has surprised me with the way he has gone with older horses. He has been amazing and is just really, really special.

“He will go six furlongs, I do not think that is a problem. Reckless Abandon went from here to the Robert Papin, which was five and a half furlongs in the old days, but is six now.

Really nice horse

“The five-furlong options tend to dry up a little bit and I think he will get six quite cosily. His work at home - I thought the guys riding the lead horses were getting it wrong, but clearly not. He is just a really, really nice horse.

“He was really raw the first time we went to Salisbury, but he has come forward so well since then. I am proud of everyone, especially the horse. He has got a wonderful mind and, please God, we can continue the journey. I have trained members of the family - Heartache [who won the Queen Mary and Flying Childers] and Heartwarming. They were good fillies, but he is next level.”

Globetrotter Giavellotto gains due reward

Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)

THE Hardwicke Stakes - a Group 1 in Group 2 clothing - produced a finish to rival any at the meeting, as elder statesman Giavellotto (Marco Botti/Oisin Murphy) got up late to foil race favourite Kalpana (Andrew Balding/Colin Keane) by a short head, with the unlucky Goliath (Francis-Henri Graffard/Christophe Soumillon) another length and three-quarters away, but holding every chance when ‘Soumi’ lost his off-side iron with 50 yards to run, and almost unshipped as a result.

Sent off at 9/1, having been weak in the market, Giavellotto showed all his old ability remains intact and quickened well from a stalking position to hit the front close home, and matched his performance when beating Kalpana in the September Stakes at Kempton last year, while he also fared better of the pair in the ‘Arc’, won by Daryz the following month.

His enthusiasm is obvious to even an inexperienced race-reader and his victory proved popular with the Ascot crowd, as well as with his rider, who was gaining a first win of what had been a frustrating week.

Incredible horse

Botti said: “When Giavellotto got upsides, I thought we are not going to win, because the filly just keeps finding, but he is an incredible horse. He has taken us around the world, and then to win at Royal Ascot - you cannot ask any more than that. He is an unbelievable horse.

“The quality of the Hardwicke Stakes is such that we knew it was going to be Group 1 level, but he has never let us down. He was a bit warm beforehand, but that is just him. He winds himself up a little bit beforehand, but in the race he has always given his best. He is tough.

“I do not think we will be back for the King George, because later in the season we want to go back to Hong Kong.

“We have not actually entered him, because we want to keep him fresh. He likes travelling and that, I think, will be the priority.”

Jersey Stakes (Group 3)

AIDAN and Joseph O’Brien may have stolen the main headlines, but few trainers can match the achievement of Fozzy Stack on the week, and the Master of Thomastown Castle can be justifiably proud of a 100% success rate at the fixture, with Thesecretadversary (Seamie Heffernan) adding to Nola Soul’s Chesham win by landing the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at a generous 20/1.

Runner-up in the Chesham himself 12 months ago, Thesecretaversary had shaped well in the Guineas at Newmarket and the Curragh, but appreciated the drop to seven furlongs and the ease in grade to score by a neck from Take Charge Star (Johnny Murtagh/Ben Coen), with the pair four and a half lengths clear of the rest, headed by Morris Dancer (John and Thady Gosden/Benoit de La Sayette).

On a week when there was much talk about the fairness or unfairness of the draw on the straight course, it should be noted that three of the first four home were drawn in the three lowest stalls, and those who bet against the draw trends were rewarded with a £22,126 tricast dividend for a £1 stake.

Rest of the Card

THIS represented the last of Royal Ascot’s group races, but there was more to cheer on the final day, with the Wokingham going to a horse in Double Rush (Andrew Balding/Shane Foley), who has progressed at such a rate of knots in the last year that he will surely wave goodbye to handicaps after giving weight and a beating to the vast majority of his rivals. He was a popular order in the ring and started at an SP of 5/1.

Another likely to be making the jump from handicaps to pattern races is Lost Boys (David Menuisier/James McDonald), who overcame a troubled passage to land the Golden Gates Handicap from a mark of 96, beating Amadeus Mozart (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) by half a length.

The 2/1 favourite looked in all sorts of trouble from the home turn, but eventually extricated himself for a narrow win.

That concluded a satisfying week for Wathnan Racing, who ended the week with four winners, two seconds and three thirds, placing them comfortably second behind Coolmore in the leading owner table.

Coolmore

No discussion of Ascot can pass without mention of Coolmore, who ended the meeting, as expected, winning the leading owner award with eight winners, five seconds and a third, with the final winner coming courtesy of Illinois (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) in the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

A disappointment at Epsom in the Coronation Cup, where he was on pacemaking duty. Illinois was right back in the groove here, leading two furlongs out and digging deep to repel French Master (John and Thady Gosden/James Doyle) by a neck to justify favouritism at 7/4.

With Coolmore so dominant, it follows that both Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore were out in front in the trainer and jockey awards, and that is the case, with both leading the way with seven winners apiece.

One of Ryan’s winners was on Enceladus for Joseph O’Brien, who had his best Ascot with five winners and a second place in the trainers’ table, while Wayne Lordan was on the Ballydoyle winner that Ryan missed (Coventry winner Great Barrier Reef).

DAY FIVE COMMENT:

Soumillon will need to do some

impressive talk

ROYAL Ascot got the grandstand finish it deserved on Saturday, with old heroes back for more adulations and new stars emerging amongst the younger generations.

In this age of playing contemporary music to greet winners, it’s just a shame that Almeraq didn’t swagger back in to the strains of Tubthumping by Chumbawumba (I get knocked down, but I get up again; you’re never gonna keep me down), after coming back from an horrific fall at York in September to produce a career best in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. It produced a great reception from the Ascot faithful and was undoubtedly the moment of the day on Saturday, if not the week, in terms of how racing can exert a powerful emotional pull.

If Almeraq is Rocky then Giavellotto is my idea of Roberto Duran - tough as stone, durable and still top-class when his contemporaries have retired to a life of easy leisure.

The seven-year-old - like Duran - has competed in different divisions, but he’s found his niche at a mile and a half and he typically put it all on the line to shade the Hardwicke in a stirring tussle with Kalpana and Goliath.

A thoroughly likeable horse on every conceivable level, Giavellotto’s the kind of competitor we need more of in the sport and it was a pleasure to see him soak up the adulation with proud trainer Marco Botti.

Double Rush made up for Andrew Balding’s disappointment over Kalpana and, in winning the Wokingham in a time only marginally slower than the ‘Jubilee’, but with an extra 4lb on his back, he has pretty much booked his ticket to return here in October for the British Champions Sprint, although elevation to Group 1 company could come as soon as the July Cup at Newmarket next month.

Balding, decent chap that he is, made a point of thanking previous handler Charlie Hills for doing much of the important work with Double Rush; in an age when headlines focus on excessive consumption and loutish behaviour at sporting gatherings, such a display of gentlemanly conduct is a timely reminder of the nobler traditions of Royal Ascot.

Controversial points

There was a share of controversy at Ascot, with complaints about the draw, Christophe Soumillion’s contested ban for team tactics in the St James’s Palace and the objection by the Clerk of the Scales that was overruled after Bacio’s win in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes.

I find that a good rule of thumb when working out how well a controversial decision has been handled is to ask two questions.

What - specifically - could they have done differently? How much more or less angry would people be in that scenario?

In terms of the three most contentious issues, those in authority could have determined that there were no team tactics in the Gstaad incident with the result that anger would have been manifestly greater.

Team tactics are what people perceived at the time and, while the ride may be defensible, Soumillon needed to do some impressive talking and yesterday’s independent appeal hearing was the correct setting for that.

They could have selectively watered to offset a draw bias, but biases are very delicate things and throwing down 3mm of water could easily have switched the bias from one side to another.

At least knowing there is some advantage to the stands’ side means punters can bet with the benefit of that knowledge. Saying “we’ve fixed it” only for the same bias to prevail or a new one to spring up, still has people wailing about a bias, but now it’s one they can’t even predict. Tough decision, but correct, imo.

The rules

Finally, they could have disqualified Bacio because the rules say if you weigh in over 2lb light that’s it - you’re out.

What actually happened is that the stewards were able to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Bacio carried the correct weight in the race, and disqualifying horses for infringements that they are palpably innocent of is clearly the wrong thing to do.

Imagine the uproar if the best-backed horse of the day was disqualified for carrying the wrong weight, even though it had been established that he had done no such thing.

The “rules are rules” brigade need to remember why rules exist and that they are meant to be fair to all, however arbitrary they may sometimes appear.

In this case, no rule was broken, but a procedure was merely repeated. It would have been manifestly unfair to disqualify Bacio given the sequence of events on the day and the stewards again made a difficult decision and got it absolutely right.