Royal Ascot

A good day for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore at Royal Ascot became a whole lot better when Garden Of Eden (Saxon Warrior) ran out an authoritative winner of the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes - the middle leg of a memorable Thursday treble. Stepping up to 1m4f for the first time, Garden Of Eden relished the red-hot pace that was set by stablemate Island Hopping (Wootton Bassett). When that rival predictably dropped away entering the straight, it developed into test of who stayed best, with O'Brien's runner overcoming any stamina doubts...

Making it a clean sweep for Ballydoyle of Royal Ascot's two-year-old Group races so far this week, Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) dominated the G2 Norfolk Stakes with a powerful display. Sent off the 8-13 favourite coming off three starts and two wins in his native Ireland, the full-brother to Blackbeard was quickest away and soon in command under Ryan Moore. Challenged and briefly headed by the US raider Sandal's Song (Mendelssohn) heading to the final furlong, the bay had extra in the tank to pull away and score by 2...

Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes has a confirmed field of 16, with the big favourites set to represent four different countries in a fascinating edition of the six-furlong feature. Last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Lazzat (Territories) represents the Jerome Reynier stable and forms the spearhead of a strong French challenge alongside Topgear (Wootton Bassett), British hopes rest with last year's G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin (Shamardal) from the Kevin Ryan stable, Aidan O'Brien relies on his Australian import Storm Boy (Justify) and Japan are represented...

"I'm missing my dad, he'd have been proud," was Eve Johnson Houghton's reflection after greeting her second Windsor Castle winner, just weeks after her late father Fulke had died at the age of 84. "He'd be the first person I'd ring." On a day when Ballydoyle and Godolphin stood tall again, Royal Ascot proved it still has the potential to throw up the odd surprise for the little man and they don't come much smaller than the bargain 9,000gns Tattersalls Somerville graduate Havana Hurricane. Taking his owners to Epsom for...

Thursday, Ascot, post time: 16:20, THE GOLD CUP-G1, £650,000, 4yo/up, 19f 210y Field: Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Dubai Future (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}), Wonder Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Yashin (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). TDN Verdict: No Kyprios, but in Illinois Ballydoyle have a serious follow-up act with this trip looking within his compass. Getting better as the year progressed at three, the St Leger form is looking much better after the Coronation Cup and he...

Thriving for a searching pace made by the Ballydoyle runners, Godolphin's Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) leapt to the fore to win Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. Anchored behind by William Buick early, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 7-1 shot powered past labouring rivals and beyond the reigning Champion Stakes title-holder Anmaat (Awtaad) to score by two lengths in a show of finishing power. There was a 2 1/2-length margin back to See The Fire (Sea The Stars) in third, with the 13-8 favourite Los Angeles (Camelot) looking to have...

Wathnan Racing's Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who annexed the 2023 G2 Queen Mary Stakes for George Weaver, returned to the scene of her greatest triumph with a decisive victory in Wednesday's G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes. Her 1 3/4-length tally provided the Gosden stable with a record-extending sixth win in the one-mile contest. Crimson Advocate had previously registered a second stakes win in Goodwood's Listed Conqueror Stakes last month, her third outing and first win for John and Thady Gosden since joining from the Weaver stable, and the four-year-old landed a...

Providing owner-breeder Fiona Carmichael with the ultimate thrill on Wednesday, Carmers put another feather in Wootton Bassett's cap by breaking the 14-furlong track record in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase. Becoming the first to dip under three minutes here, the unbeaten Paddy Twomey-trained Listed Yeats Stakes winner recorded a 3/4-of-a-length success from Furthur (Waldgeist), with a head back to Rahiebb (Frankel) in third. "I knew he would stay and I knew turning in that Billy looked comfortable," Twomey said after greeting his breakthrough first Royal Ascot winner. "When the bell...

Coolmore's twice-raced maiden True Love (No Nay Never) went down fighting when runner-up to G2 Coventry-winning stablemate Gstaad in the second of two starts last month and, hammered down to clear favourite for Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary Stakes, duly delivered a first renewal for Aidan O'Brien. She also restored family honour in the five-furlong dash and eclipsed her sister Truly Enchanting's 13th last year. The race was marred by the fatal injury to the Richard Hannon-trained Harry's Girl (Harry's Angel). True Love broke swiftly from stall 25 of 25 and...

Friday's Royal Ascot confirmations have been made and the clash between the Aga Khan Studs star Zarigana (Siyouni) and Shadwell's exciting Falakeyah (New Bay) in the G1 Coronation Stakes is the highlight of the card. The former, who was awarded the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month, will attempt to establish herself at the top of the fillies' pecking order in this mile category with fellow TDN Rising Star Falakeyah dangerously unexposed coming back in trip after her scintillating win in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. Others of note...

If Tuesday's Group 1 bonanza was akin to absorbing a Mike Tyson combination, such was the ferocity of the action, Royal Ascot's day-two fixture takes a relatively measured approach to its Group 1 crescendo. The £1-million highlight of Wednesday's fayre is the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes in which a star-studded older brigade will race eight yards shy of a full 10 furlongs on the round course. The Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" race is amply supported by the undercard, which opens with a trio of Group 2 events....

Emulating his sire Kingman in style as well as bare results, Field Of Gold got the Juddmonte-Colin Keane retainer off to a flyer at the highest level in Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes. Making a mockery of the Royal Ascot rematch with his 2,000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court, the 8-11 favourite left that son of Justify and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett) trailing with his ruthless acceleration between the two and the one. Like his sire going one better than Newmarket in the G1 Irish...