'Incredible' Bedtime Story routs Royal Ascot rivals
- Published
Bedtime Story routed her rivals to record an extraordinary victory for jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O鈥橞rien at Royal Ascot.
The 11-8 favourite, a daughter of the legendary Frankel and Mecca鈥檚 Angel, surged clear to win by nine and a half lengths from runner-up Pentle Bay.
It was a sixth win of the week for Moore and O鈥橞rien as the filly replaced stablemate Fairy Godmother as favourite (3-1) for next year鈥檚 1,000 Guineas.
鈥淵ou can't get better than that. They don't win like that here. I'm speechless really,鈥 said joint owner Derrick Smith.
Fellow owner Michael Tabor added: 鈥淭o win by nine or 10 lengths is incredible.鈥
Khaadem secured the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second year running.
The eight-year-old, trained by Charlie Hills, landed the race at odds of 80-1 last year and was sent off 14-1 this time under Oisin Murphy.
He was the first back-to-back winner since Right Boy won 65 years ago, when the race was known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes.
- Published21 June
- Published20 June
Emotional Shepherd triumphs on Isle Of Jura
Jockey Callum Shepherd punched the air with delight and fought back tears after winning the Hardwicke Stakes on 16-1 chance Isle Of Jura, trained by George Scott for Bahrain-based owners Victorious Racing.
It was a first Royal Ascot victory for the jockey and trainer, who won the Bahrain Triple Crown with Isle Of Jura earlier in the year.
The winning rider鈥檚 friend and colleague Stefano Cherchi died after a race fall in Australia in April
Shepherd was controversially for the Derby at Epsom earlier this month, with Rab Havlin going on to finish second in the big race.
鈥淎ll the emotions have been coming out. The last six weeks have been quite difficult and that feels really special,鈥 said Shepherd.
Desert Hero, who gave King Charles his first Royal Ascot winner in the King George V Stakes a year ago, started slowly and finished eighth of the nine runners.
Hand Of God wins on Maradona anniversary
A racehorse called Hand Of God was among the Royal Ascot winners 鈥 exactly 38 years after Diego Maradona鈥檚 controversial World Cup goal for Argentina against England.
The 9-4 favourite, ridden by William Buick for trainer Harry Charlton, took the Golden Gate Stakes.
Maradona credited the 鈥楬and of God鈥 after punching in his first goal in the victory on 22 June, 1986.
A fourth win of the week for owners Wathnan Racing, funded by the Emir of Qatar, came courtesy of Haatem in the Jersey Stakes.
James Doyle was aboard the 7-2 winner, who had finished runner-up to his Richard Hannon stablemate Rosallion 鈥 another victor at Ascot this week 鈥 in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Unequal Love (12-1) finally gave trainer William Haggas a winner at the 2024 meeting as he took the Wokingham Handicap under Tom Marquand by half a length from Dark Trooper.
There was a 66,000 sell-out crowd on the final day, with Moore ending the week top jockey for an 11th time while O鈥橞rien secured his 13th leading trainer title.
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 son Joseph saddled the final winner of the fixture - the 2-1 favourite Uxmal was guided home in the Alexandra Stakes by Dylan Browne McMonagle.