Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap)

KIZLYAR (25/1) led home a 1-2 for Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes, following a sustained battle with stablemate Defiantly over the final two furlongs.

O’Brien fielded a seven-strong team, with one of the biggest-priced runners in his squad coming out on top.

Kizlyar led narrowly a furlong out and kept finding more to give his rider Joey Sheridan a first Royal Ascot success. Defiantly (25/1) went down by a head, with Tim Toe (8/1) third for last year’s winning trainer Henry de Bromhead.

The Willie Mullins-trained favourite in the royal colours Reaching High (13/8) proved a big disappointment under Ryan Moore, finishing 20th and last.

Joseph O’Brien said of his winner: “Kizlyar is off the back of a good win last time. We didn’t get into the Fred Winter, unfortunately.

“This was obviously the next target for him, and I’m delighted to win such a good race with him.”

The trainer added: “I am so delighted for Margaret and her family - they lost Dr Andrew Heffernan, Margaret’s husband, a few months ago, and I feel like Kizlyar had a little extra push in the final 100 yards.

“He might be one to go abroad with - we’ll see what the handicapper does and go from there.”

Special

Margaret Heffernan, who set up the HOS Syndicate for her grandchildren, said: “Today is special, because I lost my husband Andrew 12 weeks ago and this was his week.

“The idea of the syndicate with the grandchildren was really his; he believed in it and he believed in Joseph so much.

“I’ve been in horses all my life, but never had the luck like we’ve had since the syndicate started, and it’s fantastic for the grandchildren. We had two winners last year at Ascot, but this year is obviously very special and we have more grandchildren than ever here.

“Some of them had never come racing before and it’s brought us all together. They’re at different stages of their lives, all parts of the world, and they’re all here today.”

Sheridan said: “I didn’t know if I had won. My right arm got caught up with James Doyle on Defiantly, and I thought Defiantly had come back at me. But I knew this lad would stick his head out, so when I got my right arm back out of a tangle with James, I just put it down. In fairness to him, he was so genuine.

“It just means everything - my first win at Royal Ascot. I only started riding for Joseph O’Brien last year and it’s what kept me in Ireland, really. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s given me.”

Wolferton Stakes (Listed)

WITH Group 1 form to his credit, Map Of Stars (13/2) relished the drop back in grade as he landed the Listed Wolferton Stakes, giving Australia-based rider James McDonald another Royal winner.

Wearing first-time cheekpieces, the five-year-old produced a strong burst out wide to run down Wimbledon Hawkeye and score by half a length with Dividend almost two lengths further back in third.

Runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Ganay last season, Map Of Stars had finished fourth behind Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: “It was fantastic. The horse travelled really relaxed and, when he’s like that, he has an amazing turn of foot. This horse has let us down a few times, but when he’s on one of his good days, he is a great horse.

“I said to Richard Brown, ‘I have a lovely listed race in the middle of France if you want to bring him back into the winner’s enclosure’, and he said, ‘No chance, you’re coming to Ascot’. I think he was right!”

McDonald said: “He gave me an exceptional feeling and just kept building. James [Doyle] said to put the cheekpieces on and he was much better.

Richard Brown of winning owner Wathnan Racing added: “That was very exciting to watch. He gave him a great ride. This is massive - our first winner of the meeting. We can breathe now!”

Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap)

DAIQUIRI Bay (6/1) confirmed Newmarket form with fellow four-year-old Gamrai (9/2), as the duo fought out the finish to the concluding Copper Horse Stakes.

Alan King’s improving winner had finished a length in front of Gamrai on the Rowley Mile in early May and was able to confirm that form on 2lb worse terms with a head verdict under Rossa Ryan. Paddy The Squire (22/1) stayed on well from off the pace to finish third.

King said: “That was good. I’ve got my jump jockey on the phone - I think he wants to know if this horse is going hurdling!

“Rossa is a master. We had a bad draw [12] today and were much further back than we wanted to be, about 12th going into the first bend. But the horse has really improved. He’ll go jumping. I think he could be quite exciting.

“This is a special place. My old boss David Nicholson brought me here 30 years ago and I think I’ve only missed one, when it was at York. Great place. I adore it.”

Ryan said: “Brilliant. I have got more enjoyment out of this lad winning today than I have out of all the rest of them. There is one man [Alan King], who has been right in my corner all the time.

“I wanted to be a bit handier. I jumped well, but I couldn’t go the gallop and couldn’t get in.

“He’s a horse who’s coming of age and I’m just delighted for the man who trains him. He’s been very good to me and this was one I really wanted to tick off for him.

“My parents don’t come over much but, when they do, we go for lunch with Alan and he’s become a very good family friend on top of it all.”

FOLLOWING the St James’s Palace Stakes, an enquiry was held to consider interference shortly after the start involving Gstaad, Bow Echo, Talk Of New York and Power Blue. Ryan Moore was suspended for three days for careless riding for allowing Gstaad to edge left-handed without correction.

An enquiry was also held to consider whether Christophe Soumillon, the rider of Puerto Rico, unplaced, rode in a manner to benefit Gstaad, second, ridden by Ryan Moore, and in doing so, caused minimal interference to Power Blue.

Soumillon was suspended for eight days for riding his mount in such a way that intended to give an advantage to another horse from the same stable, in that he moved his mount away from the rail thereby ensuring a clear run for Gstaad on his inside.

An enquiry was held after the Ascot Stakes and James Doyle was suspended for two days for careless riding for allowing his mount Defiantly to shift left-handed under a left-handed drive and without sufficient correction causing Kizlyar to be taken off its intended line.

An enquiry was held after the Copper Horse Stakes, which saw Oisin Murphy suspended for four days for careless riding for allowing his mount Gamrai in second, to shift left-handed under a right-hand drive.

Getreadytorumble lunged and reared as the stalls opened for the King Charles III Stakes, losing all chance, but was deemed to be a runner.

1 – First Royal Ascot winner for Joey Sheridan

3 – Royal Ascot winners for Billy Loughnane

5 – Royal Ascot winners for Joseph O’Brien

6 – Royal Ascot winners for Rossa Ryan and Wayne Lordan

7 – All of Tuesday winners were by Irish standing sires

50/1 – Ten Bob Tony became the third long-priced winner of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes after two 33/1 shots in the last eight years

93 – Royal Ascot winner for Ryan Moore

98 – Royal Ascot winners for Aidan O’Brien

The crowd figure for day one of Royal Ascot was 46,924, up 3% on 45,551 last year.