Rest of the card

THURSDAY at Royal Ascot saw the card conclude with a trio of handicaps, starting with the Britannia for three-year-olds over the straight mile.

The race went to the Marcus Tregoning-trained Perotto (Oisin Murphy) at 18/1, and the trainer deserves plenty of credit for getting this previously very keen sort to settle well enough to stay a mile at the first attempt.

A promising, but headstrong juvenile, the son of New Bay is bred to stay, but he was kept to sprint trips as a juvenile, winning a nursery at Sandown.

Unlucky Liffey

Perotto has settled down this year, and won over seven furlongs at Goodwood on his previous start. He progressed at this longer trip, and should do better yet.

Liffey River was second for Joseph O’Brien and Shane Crosse, looking unlucky as he rattled home having been stopped in his run a furlong out. Compensation shouldn’t be long in coming.

Surefire scores

It’s been a frustrating week – Love aside – for Aidan O’Brien, and the crossbar was rattled again as one-time Derby fancy Sir Lamorak couldn’t quite get to market rival Surefire (Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch) in the closing stages of the King George V Handicap.

The winner was carrying the famous Juddmonte colours and was providing a fitting conclusion to the career of Teddy Grimthorpe (cousin of the winning trainer), the late Khalid Abdullah’s longtime racing manager.

It was also the winning jockey’s first Royal Ascot success, and both he and the trainer hope that Surefire can progress into a St Leger candidate in the autumn.

The Buckingham Palace Handicap has enjoyed a welcome return to this fixture, having been moved to accommodate the Commonwealth Cup before the permanent addition of extra races last year.

Quin’s Princess

A 28-strong field lined up for this year’s edition.It was the only filly in the race, Highfield Princess who scored at 18/1 to give Jason Hart his first winner at the meeting, and was a fourth Royal Ascot success for winning trainer John Quinn.

Highfield Princess was a rare winner on the straight track this week who made most of the running, and the winning rider explained that he sent her on as she pulled her way to the head of affairs, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

She was clear a furlong out and held on from Danyah (Owen Burrows/Dane O’Neill) by a length and a quarter.

A mention must be given to Ascot warrior Raising Sand, who only finished sixth, but won the race on the far side of the track under the increasingly impressive Saffie Osborne, riding for her father.