GALWAY jockey Rossa Ryan scored his first Royal Ascot winner when top-weight Highland Chief (20/1) came home best in the 10-furlong Golden Gates Handicap.

This was a first Royal Ascot success for a training partnership, permitted by the BHA since the resumption of racing on June 1, with Paul and Oliver Cole being responsible for handling Highland Chief.

Paul Cole trained 21 Royal Ascot winners when solely responsible for the training licence. Highland Chief's victory was a first Royal Ascot success for jockey Rossa Ryan.

Grand Rock held a clear lead entering the straight but faded quickly in the final furlong and it was Highland Chief who stayed on to take the honours from Tritonic (Alan King/Oisin Murphy), with 7/2 favourite Global Storm (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) back in third.

Ryan said: "It has not really sunk in yet. I am a bit shocked that it has happened. I cannot thank everyone enough who has supported me to get here today. To ride a winner for the Coles and for Mrs Fitri Hay is incredible.

"I was a long way back on Highland Chief, but the plan going out was to just get this lad to relax, travel and ride him to come home. Because it was his first run of the year, he was going to be a bit fresh and unknown at this trip.

"Highland Chief travelled lovely and he was picking up turning in. When I looked up, we were getting to the two-furlong pole and I thought the bird might have flown and I was going to miss the boat.

"However, the two furlongs at Royal Ascot are the longest two furlongs anywhere and he showed that today. It is lovely, loose ground. It is soft, but it's loose so horses are getting through it - it really paid dividends to me. It might have been a different story if the ground was a bit dead and tacky, but it was lovely and loose and Highland Chief was able to quicken.

"I'm still 19 and 20 next month. This is my third season over in England, going into my fourth season you could say. It has been tremendous - I am mainly based with Richard Hannon and he has brought me through the ranks really well.

"I am just slowly, but surely building my contacts all the time. My agent Steve Croft is second to none. He is like a brother to me. I have got a lovely team of people behind me and it just has to fall into place - that's all.

"I spent a lot of summers growing up at Willie Mullins' and Enda Bolger's yards. I learnt more at Enda Bolger's than anywhere else. In my last year of pony racing we decided to take a crack at the flat if I could keep my weight right and we went from there."

Oliver Cole said: "It is fantastic, isn't it? It is history, it is brilliant. Highland Chief is a very good horse; he won at Newbury on soft ground and was only beaten a few lengths by Pinatubo. He got bashed in that race and then made another run, so he has got ability. We would always have liked the ground today - luckily the heavens have opened. We could not be happier.

"Rossa [Ryan] rode his first Group winner for us - Duke Of Hazzard - who the other day probably got a bit tired, so I think we'll see a better horse next time. It is all positive stuff."

Turner and Fellowes combine again

Later on the card, Charlie Fellowes and Hayley Turner amazingly again combined to win the Sandringham Handicap with another 33/1 shot in Onassis.

Turner, who is only one of two female jockeys to have ridden a winner at Royal Ascot along with Gay Kelleway, said: "Onassis felt really good. She had the perfect profile for the race - the same as Thanks Be last year - and Charlie [Fellowes] told me she would win it about three months ago! She took the conditions really well and took her time. She is a very nice filly and did it easily.

"I rode a very similar race to the one I rode on Thanks Be last year, and that was the plan from a similar draw. It is a very stiff, testing mile today, so I was able to tuck Onassis in and let her find her feet a bit and get settled in, and she just cruised through them. She did it really well.

I thought, it is not going to be the same [without crowds], but actually I am buzzing just as much as last time. I was just hoping everyone at home was cheering. I could hear my Nana shouting!

"It is still an Ascot winner - still the same race, same grade of horses. It is just as hard to ride winners whether anyone is here or not.

Britannia - Crowley extends brilliant week

Jim Crowley chalked up win number six of Royal Ascot 2020 as Khaloosy recorded an impressive four and a half length victory in the mile Britannia Heritage Handicap. It was also a near 35/1 double on day three for the Ascot-born jockey following the success of Molatham in the G3 Jersey Stakes.

It is also proving to be a very memorable week for trainer Roger Varian, who heads the trainer standings with four wins. Varian, previously successful today with Mountain Angel and Molatham, was enjoying a near 321/1 treble on day three.

Crowley said: "I think Roger was tight getting him here, so he has done a great job.

"We were a little bit unsure about the ground, although when he won his race at Wolverhampton, he clocked a really good time and we have always held him in high regard.

"Six winners is the stuff of dreams, and it is great they are all for my boss (owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, Crowley is his retained jockey). It is a shame he can't be here, but hopefully he is watching on the telly.