Excelebration's Barney Roy Powers to St James's Palace Triumph

   Godolphin's Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) played second fiddle to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last month's G1 2000 Guineas after annexing April's G3 Greenham S. at Newbury and, after skipping an early re-match with his Newmarket conqueror in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, rejoined battle to exact revenge on that rival in Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot. Ridden with a degree of patience in fourth as first Lancaster Bomber (War Front) and then Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) set the tone, the 5-2 second choice inched forward under pressure off the home turn to challenge wide approaching the final eighth and would not be denied under a forceful drive in the closing stages to deny the tenacious Lancaster Bomber by a length, with Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) a head adrift in third. Churchill was unable to feature at the business end and the 1-2 favourite was 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth. “I thought he was off the bridle a little early, but we have a lot of confidence in this horse and I'm delighted,” said winning trainer Richard Hannon Jr, whose father Richard Sr took this contest with Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) in 2010. “We think he's a good horse, I was confident he'd run his race and all we wanted to do was to give him a chance to prove that, which I don't think he did in the Guineas.”

Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
ST JAMES'S PALACE S.-G1, £400,000, ASC, 6-20, 3yo, c, 7f 213yT, 1:37.22 (NTR), g/f.
1–&BARNEY ROY (GB), 126, c, 3, by Excelebration (Ire)
1st Dam: Alina (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cheyenne Star (Ire), by Mujahid
3rd Dam: Charita (Ire), by Lycius
(30,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; £70,000 Ylg '15 DNPRM). O-Godolphin; B-Eliza Park International Pty Ltd (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-James Doyle. £226,840. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $477,626. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lancaster Bomber, 126, c, 3, War Front–Sun Shower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Sun Shower Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £86,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]3–Thunder Snow (Ire), 126, c, 3, Helmet (Aus)–Eastern Joy (GB), by Dubai Destination. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor. £43,040.
Margins: 1, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 2.50, 12.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Churchill (Ire), Forest Ranger (Ire), Rivet (Ire), Mr Scaramanga (GB), Peace Envoy (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
   Expanding further on his stable star's lone defeat, Hannon added, “We felt he was unlucky in the Guineas and I was frustrated afterwards because he was a little inexperienced and that was what beat him. He nodded going into the dip, lost his stride and I thought he had broken down. To his credit, he quickened up against horses that were already quickening. I felt that a flatter track here, without any undulations, would play to his strengths. James [Doyle] came down and rode him around a right-hand bend at Kempton last week, he worked brilliantly and it's all paid off.” Looking ahead, with the possibility of stepping up in trip, he continued, “I'm sure our horse will get further. He's in the [July 8 G1] Eclipse S. [at Sandown] and the [Oct. 1 G1] Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe [at Chantilly]. He takes time to pick up and he's very relaxed, but a horse having just his fourth race beating a Guineas winner is very good. We'll take him home, see how he is and talk to Sheikh Mohammed. He's done nothing wrong over a mile, but he will get further. You don't get a second crack at the Guineas, but the season rolls on and he'll have a few chances along the way. We brought him here as a fresh horse, so didn't go to the Irish Guineas or anywhere else. That was what Sheikh Mohammed wanted and he was dead right.”
   With Godolphin resurgent in the wake of recent tribulations, Thunder Snow continued on his path to redemption after his storied misfire in the GI Kentucky Derby and backed up his G1 Irish 2000 Guineas second with a highly creditable third here. “I'm happy with him and he ran really well,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “I think he would be better with easier ground, but I'm happy with the way he ran.”
   Ballydoyle, on the other hand, enjoyed mixed fortunes on the day with Lancaster Bomber keeping on in determined fashion for second, having raced prominently throughout. “The lad ran well and he loved the [good-to-firm] ground,” opined rider Donnacha O'Brien. Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), however, was unable to latch on when it mattered and the odds-on favourite could not deliver a telling blow as had been the case at Newmarket and The Curragh. Trainer Aidan O'Brien was not downcast in defeat and reflected, “He ran very well and that looked like it was his form. He ran a very solid race, I don't think the ground was an issue and I don't have any plans for him.” Ryan Moore's insight shed little light on the defeat and added, “He was never comfortable and I'm not sure why.”
   Barney Roy is the sole performer out of Alina (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a daughter of G3 Ridgewood Pearl S. and G3 Brownstown S. victress Cheyenne Star (Ire) (Mujahid). The next dam Charita (Ire) (Lycius), who is kin to G2 Premio Emilio Turati scorer and G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua runner-up Stanott (Ire) (Mukaddamah), won the Listed Garnet S. and is the granddam of G1 Haydock Sprint Cup, G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 George Ryder S. victor Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}), from the family of champions Capote (Seattle Slew) and Exceller (Vaguely Noble). Alina has also produced a yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire) and a filly foal by Kodiac (Ire).