Limestone Prevails In Queen's Vase Thriller

Continuing the purple patch of Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle, the progressive Limestone (New Bay) edged the photo at the end of Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.

One for the St Leger candidates, the mile-and-three-quarter contest lacked a clear-cut candidate this year and it was only in the dying strides that the colt who races for Valmont, Al Shaqab and Ballylinch Stud put his name on the honour roll ahead of Godolphin's Del Maro (Camelot). The official margin was a nose, with the long-time leader and outsider Ranga Tang (Lope De Vega) only beaten a length in third at 40-1.

Well-placed from the outset by McMonagle, the 100-30 second favourite who had taken the same Yeats Stakes last month as had last year's Queen's Vase winner Carmers was flat-footed for a spell straightening for home but came home strongly and had the bobber in his favour from the late-thrusting Godolphin colt. “They caught me for pace off the bend, but I knew he'd come home strong in the last furlong,” the jockey said. “He is a very relaxed type and he's very tough when it comes to the grind. We were confident he'd get the trip good and he's an improving horse, so the sky's the limit.”

Beaten in maidens by Ballydoyle's Endorsement and Benvenuto Cellini last summer, Limestone is subsequently unbeaten in four after this and Joseph O'Brien may be thinking of a Doncaster Classic later in the season. “Dylan gave him a fantastic ride. He got a great spot and control of the race, which is what we intended to do because we felt our best attribute was a little bit of speed,” he said. “I think the sky is the limit for him in terms of a middle-distance or staying horse. He has got better with every race and has an outstanding pedigree.”

Del Maro's trainer Charlie Appleby said, “He is a nice staying type. You will have to treat him as a potential St Leger horse, yes. You could question how much he tries on some of his runs, but he has tried there. The one thing we do not tend to have too many of is stayers, so I will have to start training him like one.”

CLOSE! Limestone wins the Queen's Vase in a thriller! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/2O1jmdPnpN

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2026

Pedigree Notes
Limestone's Stakes-winning dam Modernstone (Duke Of Marmalade), who was also third in the Dowager Stakes, produced as her first foal Galileo's Zetland Stakes winner and Irish Derby runner-up Lone Eagle. The second dam Post Modern (Nureyev) is an unraced sister to the Oaks heroine Reams Of Verse and half to the high-class Elmaamul from the excellent Juddmonte family of the multiple top-level winner Midday (Oasis Dream) et al. Modernstone's two-year-old filly is by Night Of Thunder, while she also has a yearling full-sister to the winner.