Royal Ascot: Battaash lands King's Stand Stakes as Jim Crowley stars with day one treble
Star sprinter Battaash made it third time lucky as he finally landed the King’s Stand Stakes to light up the opening day of Royal Ascot.
The six-year-old had finished second in each of the last two renewals of the race but justified odds-on favouritism to land Tuesday’s feature for trainer Charlie Hills and jockey Jim Crowley, who rode a brilliant treble on the day.
Earlier on, Circus Maximus had won the first Group One of the behind-closed-doors meeting, edging out Terebellum in a thrilling finish as Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore got the better of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori in a battle of two heavyweight trainer-jockey partnerships.
The latter duo were soon on the board, however, as Frankly Darling put up a superb performance to win the Ribblesdale Stakes by just shy of two lengths and catapult herself towards the head of the Oaks market ahead of the Epsom classic at the start of July. The win was Gosden’s 50 at the royal meeting and he was presented with a commemorative saddle cloth by Dettori to mark the occasion.
Royal Ascot: Before and During Coronavirus
1/6
The day’s other Epsom trial, however, produced a surprise winner as Pyledriver entered the Derby picture with an 18/1 victory in the King Edward VII Stakes for William Muir and Martin Dwyer, with O’Brien’s odds-on favourite Mogul disappointing.
Crowley’s showpiece success on Battaash came in-between triumphs on Motakhayyel in the revived Buckingham Palace Stakes and Nazeef, who just got up to win the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes from Agincourt.
The Alan King-trained Couer De Lion won the final race of the day, the Ascot Stakes, narrowly beating Nicky Henderson’s Verdana Blue as the National Hunt trainers made their mark on Flat racing’s biggest stage.
1.15pm: Golden Gates Handicap
4.10pm: Britannia Handicap
4.40pm: Sandringham Handicap
Copper Horse Handicap result
- Fujaira Prince 3/1 f
- Selino 8/1
- Almania 12/1
Fujaira Prince goes for home from three out and opens up a big lead to win superbly!
Shalene goes wide down the back and races on to contest the lead as they turn for home...
Hochfeld pressing on on the front end by a couple of lengths to the grey Fujaira Prince...
Onto our final race of the day, the Copper Horse Handicap. It looks a wide open contest, as all these big-field handicaps are.
James Doyle says it's "what dreams are made of" to ride a royal winner at the royal meeting.
Windsor Castle Stakes result
- Tactical 7/2f
- Yazaman 20/1
- Muker 40/1
