Crimson Advocate pictured after winning at Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot Wednesday reports and replays: Crimson Advocate strikes

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed June 18, 2025 · 1M ago

Reports, reaction and free video replays from day two of Royal Ascot where Crimson Advocate won the Duke Of Cambridge.

Crimson Advocate registered a second Royal Ascot success when her powerful late surge lifted the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.

Successful in the 2023 Queen Mary Stakes for American trainer George Weaver, she was subsequently bought by Wathnan Racing and transferred to John and Thady Gosden.

Gradually she’s found her feet for the new team and this length-and-three-quarters defeat of 5/4 favourite Cinderella’s Dream saw Paddy Power and Sky Bet cut her to 7/1 from 16s for the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket next month.

She was a third winner of the week for both her trainers and owners, and a first for Australian-based jockey James McDonald.

Fallen Angel also ran a cracker for the Wathnan team in third.

McDonald told ITV Racing: “I’m delighted – she gave me a beautiful ride. We got the last crack at them and she was really, really strong. It’s a pleasure to ride a winner for the Wathnan group and I’m very thankful.

“It makes the job for James [Doyle, Wathnan’s retained rider] so hard having to choose between nice horses all the time; I’m honoured to be wearing the silks. It’s so special to be riding here – it's a real thrill, one of the best racing carnivals in the world - very elegant and meaningful.”

Full of praise for the winning rider, John Gosden said: "We knew Crimson Advocate would run a big race, although I didn’t expect her to go by those three fillies. Running Lion won it last year, the second and third are Group 1 fillies. I said to James, ‘just settle her’. He did a beautiful job. She was in really great hands."

On Crimson Advocate's reinvention as a miler, Gosden added: “We settled her, gave her a long time off and she ran really well in the Snowdrop, finishing strongly. Rab [Havlin] settled her at Goodwood the other day, got up and won. Full marks to Rab and everyone, and Thady, who have been devoting their time to settling her. She sat in last and blew them away. I am absolutely thrilled. I have to say this one was not much to do with me.”

Richard Brown, racing manager for Wathnan Racing, said: “The idea for James to ride came together a few weeks ago and it’s been great to give him a winner. We feel a bit sorry for James [Doyle] but this is his ride whenever he’s ready to come back.

“I worried that when John Gosden told me that she was showing no speed at home and that we would have to go up in trip that we were in trouble, but we weren't in the end. We are fortunate that our horses are with some of the top trainers in Europe – John and the team have done a great job with her – it's nothing short of extraordinary, really.

“It’s a huge team effort – a lot of work goes into it – and it’s a hard place to have winners. We would have been delighted with one winner; anything else now would be a massive bonus.”

Billy Lee celebrates on Carmers after winning the Queen's Vase

Twomey off the mark with Carmers

Paddy Twomey saddled his first Royal Ascot winner as Carmers (9/2) landed the Queen’s Vase.

The trainer is operating at a remarkable 40% strike-rate in Ireland this season and his golden spell continued on this side of the Irish Sea with the son of Wootton Bassett running out a determined winner.

He was in front passing the two-furlong pole and stayed there under a strong Billy Lee drive.

Further (20/1) and Rahiebb (9/1) were the late closers in second and third but could never land a telling blow, the winner, who is 12/1 from 33s with Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the Betfred St Leger, staying on to score by three-quarters-of-a-length.

A delighted Twomey said: “It’s fantastic, we appreciate being sent good horses. It’s a great day as the horse was named in honour of the late husband of Fiona [Carmichael, the winning owner].

“Billy looked comfortable when the bell rang and I thought we had a good chance then. We think staying is the horse’s game. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and he will have an entry in the St Leger at Doncaster.”

Before returning to the winners' enclosure, Lee told ITV Racing: “The race went to plan all the way; we jumped well and had a good position When Harry [Davies, jockey of Spinning Wheel] came around me I let him start rolling from five out as it takes a little while to get him going and I knew he’d keep responding.

“He was pricking his ears going to the line. He’s so laid back at home – he wouldn’t cast out with the dog at home! I love coming here – it's the pinnacle of the sport – and it’s great for the Irish jockeys to be riding winners here. There are plenty of good jockeys back at home.”

Furthur’s trainer Andrew Balding said: “We are thrilled. It is a really fun syndicate that we’ve got together, and he wasn’t an expensive horse. He has given us a huge amount of enjoyment. Hopefully, there’s more to come as well. We might look at the Bahrain Trophy if he comes out of this all right. He stays well and might be a Leger horse later in the year.”

Roger Varian said of Rahiebb, said: “He has run a really good race. A horse to look forward to, hopefully for the next year or two in that staying division. He’s still a baby and didn’t behave great in the prelims, just showing a bit of immaturity.

“He was slow from the gates and the draw in ten made it difficult. He hasn’t quite got a clear passage, he didn’t really get stopped, but he didn’t quite get an open runway. I still thought he would win with two to run. Then he was sort of wandering off a straight line. I think when you throw everything into the mix, he’s a nice horse who performed very well. A bit frustrating we didn’t quite bring it home, but a nice one for the future.”

True Love was different class in the Queen Mary

Love blooms for Ballydoyle team

Aidan O’Brien made it two from two in the juvenile races this week as True Love ran out a ready winner of this year's Queen Mary.

In a race run at a fierce pace, Ryan Moore’s partner was never stronger than at the line, beginning her winning run a furlong-and-a-half out.

Soon in front, the daughter of No Nay Never, who had finished second to stablemate and subsequent Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad on her previous start at Naas, drew a length-and-a-quarter clear of 100/1 outsider Flowerhead.

Lennilu (11/2) and Cardiff By The Sea (11/1) filled the placings, but the race was marred a fatal injury sustained by Harry’s Girl during the contest.

Moore told ITV Racing: “She’s a tall, scopey girl and will be better suited when she goes up to six furlongs.

“She looked a bit different to her rivals – she's a No Nay Never and they tend to be quick and strong.

“She was beaten by a smart filly on debut and then the colt [Gstaad] that beat her won yesterday so the form was all there.”

O’Brien added: “She had two very good runs and all of the lads have done a good job with her - Ryan gave her a beautiful ride.

“She’s a big, mature, strong filly - like a four-year-old really - and we think she will be better when she steps up in trip. She's something to look forward to."

Ryan Moore celebrates Queen Mary success with True Love

Co-owner Michael Tabor was pleased with the success and looking further ahead with the family too.

"We were pretty confident – Aidan has always said that she’s very, very fast but she probably needs a bit further. The great thing is that her mother is in foal to City of Troy and her sister is in foal to Wootton Bassett.”

Flowerhead’s trainer Charlie Clover said: “You come into every race wanting to win but, at 100/1, you have to check reality and see what's possible, even though we always liked the filly at home.

“We are only a very small team, so to see her run such a big race like that is huge for us. And to have the backing of Amo is a massive boost to my career. I only started training in December, so going to a Group Two with a two-year-old felt a little bit far-fetched. We can think about the bigger picture now."

Strong favourite My Cloud wins Hunt Cup at 3/1

The progressive My Cloud came with a strong run near the stand rail to get up close home and justify his starting price of just 3/1 in the 30-runner Hunt Cup.

My Cloud, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa for Roger Varian and owner KHK Racing, got the verdict by three-quarters of a length from 11/1 shot Bullet Point, who led them home on the far side of the track. Bopedro (50/1) was third, Greek Order (22/1) was fourth and Urban Lion (25/1) was fifth .

My Cloud, a wide-margin winner of a Newcastle novice on his third and final start last season, had won his first two starts in handicap company this season and had plenty of supporters in his bid to complete the four-timer.

He was produced to lead the stand-side group approaching the final half-furlong, and he strode out powerfully to get the overall verdict.

De Sousa told ITV Racing: “It’s a very important win for me and I was just so pleased to sit on a nice horse like him.

“You have to keep an eye on the whole field in a race like this but he put me in the right position in every furlong – I had to keep reining him back.

“He’s such a nice horse and he deserved this - he will go places."

My Cloud strides out powerfully to win the Hunt Cup

Winning trainer Roger Varian added: “That was really satisfying as we’ve had this race in mind for a long time.

“He only really got racing at the end of last year and it’s been a great effort from the team at home.

“The owner has had to be patient with the horse and now he is getting rewarded.

“I was at pains to tell Silvestre not to be in a rush with him as races on the straight mile tend to develop late on.

“We have to hope that he will keep on progressing but that was a mighty performance from an inexperienced horse. We’d like to think that he will be a Group horse with his pedigree but that will have taken quite a bit out of him.”

Balding and Murphy on the board with Miss Information

Miss Information won the Kensington Palace Stakes to provide rider Oisin Murphy and trainer Andrew Balding with a first winner at this year's Royal Ascot.

Miss Information, an 11/1 shot, was tackling a mile for the first time and was ridden patiently in the larger group towards the centre of the course, but she picked up well to overhaul Snellen (25/1) and kept on to win by a length.

Cheshire Dancer (20/1) was a head behind the runner-up in third, while Muddy Mooy (33/1) was a further three-quarters of a length back in fourth.

Balding said: “Miss Information has been a star. She had no luck at Epsom last time – she got shuffled back and didn’t really enjoy herself – but fast ground is what she wants. She just about got a mile. It was a very good ride.

“These owners get so much enjoyment out of it, and I’m so pleased for them. They have a stud and she will make a lovely broodmare. We will try and get some black type for her at some stage.”

Murphy said: “Andrew told me to sit prominently and save a bit, but I was concerned that Miss Information wouldn’t save a bit if I allowed her to break, so I did my own thing. She relaxed and they raced in front of her; she doesn’t get a mile, really, so it was important to save and save, and it worked out well.

“She trained well, but at Epsom the other day she suffered interference, and I was concerned – although Andrew said she was great after the race – how she was after that event, bearing in mind it was only two weeks ago. They did a great job getting here and it is great to get on the scoresheet."

Hurricane whistles home in Windsor Castle

Havana Hurricane won the Windsor Castle Stakes by a clear margin after a late burst saw the 7/1 shot carried home under jockey Charles Bishop.

Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, the son of Havana Grey was getting back to winning ways after a finishing second to Maximized in the Woodcote over six furlongs at Epsom’s Derby meeting.

And he did so with aplomb, travelling sweetly towards the back of the far side group in the Listed contest before making his move to challenge the prominently-ridden and well-backed Rogue Legend (4/1), who was bidding to complete a hat-trick and provide trainer Paddy Twomey with a second winner on the day.

A furlong out he still had five or six horses in front of him, but Bishop kept his cool and brought the Goodwood novice winner with a beautifully-timed run to collect by a couple of lengths from 20/1 chance Dickensian, who stayed on well for second up the middle of the course.

Rogue Legend had to settle for a share of third, the grey dead-heating for that spot with 7/1 shot Azizam.

Johnson Houghton said: “I said to the owners, win lose or draw, he cost you 9,000 guineas. You have made more than that already and you’re here to play. We have had a great day, but I think Havana Hurricane is pretty special. He won really easily.

“Tom [Clemmit, groom] is in charge of the bottom yard, which is where all the two-year-old colts are, and he does this horse and has done a great job with him. The horse is pretty laidback, pretty easy, but my staff do a great job and they've done a great job with him.

"Charlie got slated for his ride at Epsom, unfairly, and he gave him an absolute corker; he waited and was incredibly patient. I could not be more proud of my jockey."

Bishop said: “Havana Hurricane is a lovely horse. He did not stay six furlongs at Epsom. I was very confident coming here today, which is a very strange thing to say coming to Ascot.

“He is a smart horse and quickened up very well. I felt he was the best horse in the race at Epsom and, if he had got home, he would have won. With a stiff five here, the race was made for him. You’ve got to get a bit of luck in running, and I did.

“Eve is magic to ride for. She has a lot of trust in me and leaves me to ride on feel. I can't thank her enough – three Royal Ascot winners. One is the sort of thing you dream of, so to have three is incredible. I have waited a few years for this one.

“Eve is magic at buying these horses and training them. She does all the hard work, while I just do the steering. It is a lovely job to have. That one is for Fulke [Johnson Houghton]. He was amazing to all of us and this one is for him."