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Lillie Langtry (striped cap) defeats Gile Na Greine (left) in the Coronation

LILLIELANGTRY finally got Ballydoyle on the board at Royal Ascot 2010 with victory in the Group 1 highlight of the fourth day.The 7-2 favourite, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, overhauled the pacesetting Gile Na Greine to score by a length and a quarter in an Irish one-two. Jacqueline Quest was two and a quarter lengths back in third.Recording her first Group 1 success, Lillie Langtry was a welcome winner in a frustrating week for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who had been winnerless in the first 20 races of the meeting and had been narrowly denied a big-race victory the previous day when Age Of Aquarius was pipped by Rite Of Passage in the Gold Cup.O’Brien, who went on to complete a double when Mikhail Glinka won the Queen’s Vase, said: “We always thought she was a very good filly last year. She had a little injury at the back end of last year and it is a credit to everybody for getting her back.

“She has the option to step up to a mile and quarter [in the Pretty Polly] or the fillies’ race at Goodwood [

Nassau]. There are two options and we’ll have to sit down and discuss whether she stays at a mile or steps up to a mile and a quarter.”Gile Na Greine, a 25-1 shot, was quickly into the lead and she took a clear advantage coming off the home turn under an enterprising ride by Kevin Manning.Murtagh had the move covered, having moved out on the turn, and Lillie Langtry was clearly the best filly in the run to the line.The winning jockey said: “Perfect run, fourth or fifth on the inside there, save ground on the bend. Came out on the straight, you need to be travelling, you need good horses. I thought she was by far our best filly last year.”Lillie Langtry, a fast-finishing fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on her seasonal debut, reversed form with two of the fillies who finished in front of her at the Curragh.Jacqueline Quest, sent off at 6-1 in her attempt to gain compensation for her demotion in the 1,000 Guineas at

Newmarket, followed the winner through but was unable to make ground inside the final furlong. 

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JOHNNY MURTAGH heads into the final day of Royal Ascot no longer the 66-1 shot he was at the start of racing on Friday in the chase for the Arora Hotels top jockey competition.An unconsidered outsider after drawing a blank on the first three days, Murtagh stormed into contention with a double on Lillie Langtry and Mikhail Glinka and is now 5-1 for the title with Stan James.Ballydoyle’s stable jockey is one behind Richard Hughes and Frankie Dettori, who were both on target again on Friday to move on to three winners apiece.Ryan Moore is on two winners but shades favouritism at 6-4 with Stan James, with Hughes 13-8 and Dettori 4-1.Moore and Murtagh have the highest number of second places (four) among the jockeys in contention for the title and that factor will come into the equation if two or more riders finish level on winners.After his luckless start to the week, Murtagh is hopeful of a strong finish on Saturday as he goes his third successive Royal Ascot title and fifth in all.“My agent said on Friday morning I still had a chance as I had some good rides on the last two days,” said Murtagh.Leading Royal

Ascot Jockey

JOCKEY	WINS	2nds	3rds
Richard Hughes	3	2	0
Frankie Dettori	3	0	3
Ryan Moore	2	4	4
Johnny Murtagh	2	4	0
Michael Hills	2	1	0

LeadingRoyal Ascot Trainer

TRAINER	WINS	2nds	3rds
Richard Hannon	3	5	0
Aidan O’Brien	2	2	0
Barry Hills	2	1	0
Saeed Bin Suroor	2	0	2

 Courtesy: www.racingpost.com

Frankie Dettori  recorded his third win at Royal Ascot 2010 when his mount, Monterosso, ran away with the King Edward VII Stakes.The Mark Johnston-trained colt, a 7-2 chance, saw the 1m4f trip out extremely well to defeat Arctic Cosmos two and a quarter lengths much to the delight of his jockey. Monterosso was immediately given a 10-1 quote for the St Leger with William Hill behind the Godolphin-owned 9-2 favourite Rewilding.Dettori is himself now 13-8 favourite to be top jockey at this year’s meeting with Stan James having joined Richard Hughes at the top of the leaderboard with three wins apiece.Grinning from ear to ear afterwards, he told reporters: “I really liked him. On stepping up in distance he keeps on improving. Good credit to the stallion Dubawi who has done tremendously wellthis year.”For

Johnston this was a second success in the race after Boscobel’s victory three years ago. The trainer had also successfully teamed up with owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum to win the Jersey Stakes with Rainfall.Mulling over future plans for his three-year-old, the Middleham trainer said: “Frankie told me he had the speed for a mile but the aptitude for a mile and a half.  Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed asked me my opinion where we should go after the race and I said we should be thinking about Group 1s.“Off the top of my head, he doesn’t have an entry in a Group 1 so we would have to supplement him. The Irish Derby is a possibility but that comes quite soon and we would have to see how he is.”John Gosden will be aiming Arctic Cosmos at Doncaster following this run. After his charge took second spot two and a quarter lengths ahead of Buzzword in third, he said:  “That was a huge run. We’ll go away and train him for the St Leger.” 

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Treadwell,  a 14-1 shot, came with a storming late run to win the Buckingham Palace Stakes by half a length from Himalya.Imperial Guest finished a neck back in third under Seb Sanders and Hajoum was fourth. Both were sent off as 50-1 shots.The 30-runner field split early in the contest. Penny’s Gift led a group on the far side while the stands’ side pace was set by Castles In The Air and Everymanforhimself, drawn one and two respectively.

The Richard Fahey-trained Castles In The Air lost some momentum when tracking towards the centre of the course. Yet as the field approached the furlong marker, the stands’ side group looked to have maintained their advantage as Ryan Moore, hugging the rail, sent 7-1 shot Himalya for home.

But the Jamie Osbourne-trained Treadwell, on the far side, was already scything through fading rivals and jockey Fergus Sweeny delivered his mount to head of the field in the dying strides of the race.

An emotional Osborne said: “I’ve had a quiet enough couple of years and it’s been well publicised the problems I’ve had, but it’s onwards and upwards now.” 

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Memory, ridden by Richard Hughes and trained by Richard Hannon, is as short as 16-1 for next year’s 1,000 Guineas after scoring an impressive win in the opening race of day four at Royal Ascot.In a contest dominated  by horses drawn on the stands’ side, Memory was slowly away but came with a late rattle to pip Margot Did by a head, with American challenger Tiz My Time two and a half lengths back in third. The first three were drawn ten, three and eight respectively.The 15-2 winner came into the race as one of the least experienced in the 22-runner field, having won her only previous start at Goodwood, and her performance was packed with promise.She has been installed 16-1 favourite for the 1,000

Guineas with Blue Square and is 20-1 with William Hill.Hannon said: “This filly never hits the gate and never has done. There is no real point in buzzing her up to jump the gate. You might as well let her do her own thing.“Once she gets rolling she’s a pretty decent filly. She does her own thing, which is good enough.”After her slow start, Memory was settled in the stands-side group, which was led by Tiz My Time, as the field split in two. Margot Did looked poised for victory after taking over inside the final furlong, but Hughes timed his run to perfection to get up close home.After landing his third winner of the week, Hughes said: “At Goodwood I jumped and she landed on fours and wouldn’t go, so I just sat on her and she came good.  She did exactly the same thing today.

“She’ll get a mile standing on her head. She needed every yard of the six [furlongs] today. The filly I beat was going exceptionally well at the two and I managed to get in behind her and in the end I outstayed her.”Michael Bell, trainer of the runner-up, said: “It’s gutting to lose in the short term but in the long term we are sitting on a nice filly.”

Hayley Turner, who rode Margot Did, was given a one-day suspension for using her whip with excessive frequency. Jimmy Quinn, who rode Emma’s Gift into fifth, was banned for three days for careless riding.

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Jacqueline Quest (centre) seeks compensation after her Guineas demotion 

THERE would be few more popular winners at Royal Ascot on Friday than Jacqueline Quest, who bids to win the Coronation Stakes. 

First past the post in the StanJames.com 1,000 Guineas, she was demoted to second by the

Newmarket stewards for interference to Special Duty, who was awarded the race.The filly is trained by Henry Cecil for owner Noel Martin, who named her after his late wife.Martin was paralysed from the neck down since becoming the victim of a racially motivated attack by neo-Nazis in

Germany 14 years ago.Cecil said: “Jacqueline Quest has been very well since

Newmarket. I think she is an improving filly and a better filly than the one who ran at

Newmarket, but whether she is good enough we’ll have to wait and see.”While Special Duty is absent many of the fillies who finished behind her at

Newmarket take her on again. Gile Na Greine was beaten just a nose and a head into third with Sent From Heaven only a half length further back in fourth.Music Show, who was badly drawn at Newmarket and finished sixth, then came out and finished third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, one place behind another of Friday’s runners, Anna Salai, and two in front of Lillie Langtry, who is also in the line-up.Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Music Show’s owner Jaber Abdullah, said: “She has been in very good form since the Curragh and has improved a bit, certainly in her coat and condition. Mick [Channon] is very bullish about her.”The form of Workforce’s

Derby win gets its first test when three of the 11 colts who finished behind him at Epsom take their chance in the King Edward VII Stakes.Chief among that number will be the Aidan O’Brien-trained

Derby runner-up At First Sight, who will be out to prove his b0ld front-running performance at 100-1 that day was no fluke.Buzzword finished eighth at Epsom when he was stepped up to this 1m4f trip for the first time, while Bullet Train, winnerof the Derby Trial at Lingfield the time before was not given too hard a time after failing to act on the track. 

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Dermot Weld broke Aidan O’Brien’s stranglehold on the Gr 1 Gold Cup after Rite Of Passage shattered the track record as he wore down Age Of Aquarius in an epic duel.
The 20-1 winner provided the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer with his first victory in the famous race and denied O’Brien a fifth consecutive success following the memorable exploits of Yeats. Turning for home, Johnny Murtagh appeared to hold all the aces on Age Of Aquarius, sent off an uneasy 8-1 chance, but as stamina came into play, dual-purpose star Rite Of Passage relished every yard of the 2m4f trip and mastered his rival close to the line under a great Pat Smullen ride.Weld said: “This has been the plan for a long time. I was second with my two previous runners - Vinnie Roe and Vintage Crop - and it’s always a race I have wanted to win. I left the tactics to Pat, he’s a world class rider and got it spot on.”Asked if Rite Of Passage would be aimed at the Melbourne Gold Cup, Weld added: “I think we already have the favourite for that race, Profound Beauty, who beat Age Of Aquarius at Leopardstown. I have the race in mind for Rite Of Passage as well but it’s a long way off.”

William Hill made him a 10-1 chance for that race and 5-1 to win the 2011 Gold Cup.Akmal, adopting his usual front-running tactics, set an even pace, with Aga Of Aquarius and Rite Of Passage always prominent and Kasbah Bliss and Manifest held up at the back.As the field charged down Swinley Bottom for the second time, Akmal began to get swamped and was passsed by Age Of Aquariusas Manifest made eyecatching progress through the pack.Murtagh attempted to draw the sting from his rivals as he kicked a couple of lengths clear at the top of the straight, but Smullen tracked the leader, while Ask and Manifest started to toil.The race developed into a two-horse battle and although Age Of Aquarius stuck to his guns, he was always going to struggle against Rite Of Passage, a winner on his two previous starts on the Flat including the November Handicap at Leopardstown and third in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his last run.Smullen added: “The race went to plan and we got a dream run up the inner and that allowed us to save plenty of ground. When I asked he quickened like the good horse we knew he was.”Jockey Tom Queally reported Manifest losta shoe and Ryan Moore said the ground was too quick for 11-4 favourite Ask.The stewards’ handed Pat Smullen a four day ban for careless riding (July 1-2 and 4-5), while Johnny Murtagh received a three day suspension for excessive useof the whip (July 1-2 and 4). 

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Hibaayeb gave Frankie Dettori and Godolphin their second winner of Royal Ascot with a clear-cut victory in the Ribblesdale Stakes. 

The 4-1 joint-favourite showed a devastating turn of foot when asked to quicken with over a furlong to run and she recorded a three and three-quarter length win over Eldalil and Gallic Star. Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: “She was really disappointing in the

Guineas, but bounced back in the Prix Saint-Alary and then we had to decide if we should go for the Oaks.“We just thought she would appreciate the longer break and that certainly seems to be the case.”A good early pace was set by Acquainted and Middle Club, while Dettori sat in a beautiful position just off the leaders on Hibaayeb, and her performance delighted the jockey.He said: “She’s relished the extra trip and everything was perfect. The pressure was taken off with a winner yesterday and I’m obviously overjoyed to get a second.”Eldalil’s trainer Sir Michael Stoute said: “She obviously showed she stayed. She got the distance very well and it opens up plenty of options. She’s one for the future.”Mick Channon was very happy with third-placed Gallic Star. He said: “She ran a good race and I thought she would. She was a good filly last year and a decent one this.“Like so many fillies she has taken a long time to come to herself. She got in a bit of trouble but would never have beaten the winner.”The three-year-old was Godolphin’s fifth victory in the Ribblesdale Stakes, which they also won last year with Flying Cloud.Courtesy: www.racingpost.com

 

FRANKIE DETTORI got off the mark at Royal Ascot 2010 when winning the Royal Hunt Cup on 28-1 shot Invisible Man.The jockey, who admitted to being rather relieved, said: “We got lucky today and we’ve had a winner at Royal Ascot. It takes the pressure off. You want to get on the board as quick as you can.“We’ve still got three days and hopefully we’ll have another couple. “Dettori was at his best, holding his mount up before overhauling long-time leader St Moritz inside the final furlong and then battling gamely to hold off the flying Riggins, who couldn’t quite reel in the Godolphin-owned four-year-old.Invisible Man’s winning time of 1m37.16s was the second course record of the day.The race was dominated by the high numbers, with the first four home coming from stalls 23, 22, 32 and 29. The field split into two with the majority heading to the far rail, but those who came up the middle-to-stands’ side had little chance.The middle group had several fancied horses, including Mull Of Killough and the favourite Dandy Boy, who posed the biggest threat from those who came down that side but still made little impact.Invisible Man was held up at the back of those who raced up the far side with

St Moritz setting the pace under Joe Fanning. Fanning looked to have seen off his rivals, but as they approached the final furlong Dettori,who had weaved his way through the field, came to challenge.

St Moritz battled gamely but the early pace took its toll and he could stay on only at one pace as Invisible Man took it up. He was made to work all the way to the line by the fast-finishing Riggins, under a powerful ride from Jimmy Fortune.Dettori’s followers had a real scare as Fortune looked like spoiling the party for the meeting’s most successful jockey, but Invisible Man found enough to repel his challenger with the first-time blinkers appearing to bring about a lot of improvement.Dettori added: “I took a chance, dropped him in and got him relaxed. He weaved his way through, but we got lucky to get all the gaps.

“When I looked up with two furlongs to go I saw that I had half the field to pass, but he just weaved his way through. He got there in the end and he didn’t realise he got there - you have to ride him that way.”

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BYWORD led home Twice Over to give owner Khalid Abdullah a Prince of Wales’s one-two and jockey Maxime Guyon his first British winner on his first ride.The four-year-old, who had chased home Queen Anne Stakes winner Golidkova on his previous start in the Prix d’Ispahan, scored by half a length for Guyon and trainer Andre Fabre. Twice Over finished well to take second, with Tazeez third. The winning jockey said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I want to thank my trainer for the opportunity toride at Royal Ascot - I can’t thank him enough. I never thought I would be riding here this early in my career.”Guyon settled Byword close to the pacesetting Tazeez. Twice Over was towards the rear along with Presvis, while Glass Harmonium, Cavalryman and Mawatheeq took up positions in the middle of the pack.

Byword was niggled byGuyon as the field turned into the straight, but the response came from the 5-2 favourite, who cut back Tazeez and went to the lead.

Back in the field, Twice Over was having difficulty squeezing out of the pack, but he started to thunder home under Tom Queally.Maxime Guyon: first British winnerHowever, the challenge came too late from Twice Over and he could not catch the leader, with Tazeez holding on for third.Fabre, who trained Manduro to land the race in 2007, said: “I knew the horse had the ability. He’s a very good horse. He matured from three to four and last year he got a virus and he’s just coming to himself.”William Hill make the winner a 14-1 chance for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but Fabre suggested a possible meeting with stablemate Lope De Vega in the Prix Jacques Le Marois.“I imagine he’ll stay at a mile and a quarter or back to a mile for something like the Marois,” the trainer said.Henry Cecil was cursing his luck after Twice Over got going too late. “He ran very well but he just couldn’t get out. He got locked in too far back.“We wanted to be handy, it was such a mess-up. I hope to go for the Champion Stakes but it’s up to Prince Khalid.”JohnGosden was delighted with Tazeez. “He ran a good race at Sandown and probably improved five pounds for that. He set an even gallop and was just beaten by the favourite and second favourite.

“He could go to

York [for the YorkStakes] and he’s in the Princess of Wales’s. Richard [Hills] says he’ll get a mile and a half.”

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