Royal Hunt Cup Heritage Handicap

DARK Vision, winner of the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in 2018, bounced back to form today when landing the ultra-competitive Royal Hunt Cup.

Running in the famous blue silks of Godolphin, Dark Vision was a 46th Royal Ascot win for trainer Mark Johnston and a 24th for jockey William Buick. Returned at 15/2, Dark Vision was delivered to challenge entering the final furlong of the mile contest and went on to score by a length and a quarter from Montatham (8/1).

Mark Johnston said: "If you remember this horse winning as a two-year-old at Goodwood, he made that look pretty easy as well, but he's been nothing but a frustration since he changed hands, so I feel great for Sheikh Mohammed, who bought the horse as a two-year-old and who has had nothing but disappointment until today. It is a drop in class to handicap company, but the best of handicaps, and he's done it so well.

"We were the unlucky ones on the far side with Cardsharp, so we have suffered from this draw, so we did expect it would be faster this side. Vale Of Kent's run a tremendous race up front, as they've gone hard all the way. William (Buick) said he just left the horse alone, he needed a bit of luck in running because he was a bit short of room to get through, but he's been working brilliantly at home so we were not surprised by it - it's just been a frustration waiting for it to come.

"Remember, he is a Group 2 winner already. He has come down enough to get into handicaps; whether he goes back up to group races, we will leave that for the handicappers to decide for us.

No atmosphere

"It is very, very different. You can't say there's any great atmosphere, but at the same time I've been wondering about the logic of having so many runners when the prize-money is so low and the racing is still so competitive, but it's still great to get one on the board. I am sure in the future being able to say you had a winner at Royal Ascot ‘Behind Closed Doors’, like having a winner at Royal Ascot at York, is going to be a great thing for the history books."

Johnston was asked about Nayef Road, his runner in tomorrow's Group 1 Gold Cup: "We have seen Stradivarius defeated this year, but over a very different trip. If Stradivarius turns up in the form of last year, then he is going to be very difficult to beat. At the same time, he is not going to go on forever, and when he does give way to a younger horse, Nayef Road is that type of horse - a St Leger-placed horse (finished third), as was Double Trigger. I have always said you can't look past St Leger form when you are looking for these top stayers, so he's got all the credentials, but he's there against the old pretender, who is very hard to beat."

Buick success

William Buick said: "Dark Vision was bought by connections to be a good horse and now he has rewarded them with a Royal Ascot win.

"He travelled through the race beautifully today. I was tracking the right horses and it was just all about getting the split at the right time. When he got that split, he quickened up very well. It was a strongly run race and everything fell in place for him.

"We got a glimpse from Dark Vision as to what we saw from him as a two-year-old. He ran very well at Newcastle and off that run, you could see he was getting back to his best. Today we saw the true horse that he is.

"It is not ideal at all not having spectators. But it is great to be racing and it is fantastic racing at Royal Ascot, as it always is. It is very well organised and very responsible. We can't wait for the normality to come back and the crowds to come back."

Sir Busker and Oisin Murphy (white cap) winning the Silver Royal Hunt Cup from Salayel (yellow) \ Healy Racing

Sir Busker triumphs for Knight's first Royal Ascot win

Silver Royal Hunt Cup Handicap

WILLIAM Knight saddled his first Royal Ascot winner when Sir Busker (12/1) was partnered to a three-quarter length success by champion jockey Oisin Murphy in Wednesday's opening race, the Silver Royal Hunt Cup.

The Silver Royal Hunt Cup, a special contest for 2020, is for horses who failed to make the cut for the Royal Hunt Cup Heritage Handicap.

Knight, who made the move to Newmarket in May having previously been based in West Sussex said: "Just unbelievable. To be honest with you, we had high hopes for this lad at the end of last year coming into this year, but at Christmas time (a move to) Newmarket wasn't even on the radar. It is a great facility that we are in in Newmarket, and it's just lovely to have started off so well and to have my first Royal Ascot winner is the icing on the cake.

“It is such a shame that we can't enjoy it all with the owners, Kennet Valley, because they are such a lovely group of people. I'm sure there would have been a good booze-up in the car park afterwards, but we will have to wait and get home to do that.

"I was quite confident when I saw Oisin had him settled early on. I think it took us through last year to work out how the horse needs to be ridden. If you put him into the race too early, he will be too keen. It suits him on this course to be ridden that way - it is a hold up track here, the mile, isn't it, in these big handicaps anyway.

"It was important to run him at Newcastle on the first day back (June 1st). He is a big burly horse and to get that blow into him there really brought him on.

"That was my first runner from the new yard, and my father died that morning, so he means quite a lot to me, this horse.

"My wife comes from Newmarket, and I spent five years there as assistant to Ed Dunlop, and it is great to be back. Emily (wife]) and I say we have been self-isolating for 14 years!"

Off the pace

Oisin Murphy said: "I just rode him off the pace and was told to essentially ride him like Jamie Spencer. Everything worked out well in the end.

"There wasn't the roar of the crowd that we love and dream about, but it's amazing. Royal Ascot is very important so to get on the scoresheet is very important.

"I was drawn high, but most of my rivals including the favourite Ouzo and Frankie on Alternative Fact were drawn high. They ride Ascot better than anyone, so I wanted to follow those riders.

"I've got no doubt guys, let's not create bias today - the GoingStick tells us the fastest ground is on the far side, but you can't race on your own and you have to go where the good horses are.

"I have had a luckless few days in the build-up to this and obviously your confidence is up and down. I have been trying to believe in myself nonetheless and I'm just pleased to get one on the board with good chances particularly on Friday and Saturday."

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