Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)

THE David O’Meara-trained Lord Glitters, runner-up to Accidental Agent in the Queen Anne in 2018, went one better under a cool Danny Tudhope to beat the Andrew Balding-trained Beat The Bank by a neck, bringing the trainer’s Royal Ascot tally to four.

The win was not a surprise to O’Meara: “Lord Glitters loves the track. I thought Danny gave him a lovely ride, and when he got him across and found cover, it all went well. It was one of the easiest Royal Ascot runners we’ve had to watch as he never looked in trouble. We will follow a pretty similar path with him to last year and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood is probably next up.”

Mulishness

The winning jockey had recently celebrated his 1,000th winner, and was hitting the mark at this fixture for the third consecutive year. Having been instructed to sit cold and be brave by the trainer, Tudhope carried out those instructions to the letter, and is undoubtedly one of the finest riders in Britain at present. He was typically full of praise for those who had given him the opportunity.

“David O’Meara has had a lot of faith in me,” he said. “I’ve been there a good few years and he’s stood by me through thick and thin. I’m delighted for the owners, Geoff and Sandra Turnbull, they are here today and they are great supporters.”

Eve Johnson Houghton’s Accidental Agent refused to come out of the stalls, a display of mulishness which was largely unexpected, but he is habitually slow to exit, and merely took that trait to an extreme here, a shame after he had run so well in the Lockinge on his return. That Newbury race proved a misleading guide with the front pair both running poorly there, while Lockinge one-two Mustashry and Laurens could finish only seventh and sixth respectively.

Neither ran badly, unlike Barney Roy, whose runs since a spell at stud have come in listed company, and he looks to have lost some of his edge, which is hardly surprising. Le Brivido ran to the same level as at Newbury, again finishing just behind Romanised in fifth, and it should be remembered that his standout win, in the Jersey Stakes, came at Group 3 level, and the former André Fabre entire has been hyped up beyond his ability.

The most eye-catching of the beaten horses was One Master, who made a big move to dispute the lead a furlong out, and looked sure to win only to be outstayed in the final climb. She won the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret last autumn, and has been beaten in her last four races at a mile. She will find this trip within her compass on a sharper track, and has more options at a mile, including against her own sex, if she is to find another Group 1 prize.