Wokingham Handicap

THE six-furlong cavalry charge that is the Wokingham Handicap often sees several horses in with a chance.

However, there was never going to be a particularly tight finish here as David Lanigan’s Interception, brought with a well-timed challenge under George Baker, hit the front 150 yards out and went away to win quite comfortably from French challenger Robert Le Diable, Lancelot Du Lac and Related.

Interception was quite intractable in her younger days, trying longer trips and the all-weather, while not many horses beaten at Brighton go on to Royal Ascot glory. But owner Bjorn Nielsen never lost faith, the mare made the frame in a listed race and the yard must have taken considerable heart from a good second at Haydock last time because she suddenly plummeted from 16/1 to 10/1. For Lanigan, formerly a Sir Henry Cecil stalwart, it was a first Royal Ascot success.

There was drama beforehand when the well-fancied Huntsmans Close reared on the horsewalk to the track, deposited William Buick on the turf and galloped loose before crashing through a rail.

He was withdrawn and, as a horse with eye-catching form since joining Roger Charlton, is worth waiting for - as long as last week was a one-off aberration.

Suits You foils Ballydoyle bid

Chesham Stakes

(Listed)

BRITISH and Irish racegoers had possibly lost track of trainer Eoghan O’Neill, who took the decision seven years ago to set up in France.

This may have been partially prompted by the ending of his relationship with owner John Fretwell, though O’Neill made the valid point that prize money is generally better across the Channel anyway.

He made a rare foray count in the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs when Suits You, well ridden by Cristian Demuro, found a gap and headed Sixth Sense close home before holding the powerful late surge of Ballydoyle and Ryan Moore, who was seeking his 10th winner at the meeting.

A 14/1 shot, Suits You had won on his only previous outing at Maisons-Laffitte. In a race confined to the progeny of scorers over 10 furlongs plus, he is by Mick Channon’s triple Arc runner-up Youmzain and should stay a little further. It was O’Neill’s first Royal Ascot winner and he was understandably emotional afterwards.

“It means everything,” said the former assistant to Sir Mark Prescott and John Gosden. “I’ve not had many goes here and it was great to come with a live chance.”

Suits You is owned jointly by O’Neill’s wife Melissa and London barrister Adam Solomon, who had horses with him back in the Worksop, Nottinghamshire days.

“He’s got some fantastic facilities in south Normandy, he‘s really enjoying it and all his kids are fluent in French!” he laughed.

Suits You may go for a listed race at Deauville and return for the Royal Lodge at Ascot.

Out Foxed

Queen Alexandra

Stakes

WILLIE Mullins advised caution but, as this meeting went on, so Ryan Moore became the only jockey many people wanted to back. Thus Cheltenham winner Wicklow Brave started a ridiculously short 5/4 for the closing Queen Alexandra stakes and could manage only fourth behind Mark Johnston’s runaway winner Oriental Fox.

Beaten a whisker in the Northumberland Plate in 2013 but absent since finishing sixth last year, Oriental Fox fractured a hock and went back to owner Marcus Graff’s place in Switzerland.

Far from certain he was back to his best, Johnston was merely hopeful but the seven-year-old started at 4/1, led over a furlong out and cruised away to beat Taws by seven lengths. The Plate will surely prove very tempting once again.