Reports, reaction and free video replays from day four of Royal Ascot where Venetian Sun won the Albany.
Sun has Bloom dreaming of Classic glory
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club chairman Tony Bloom is dreaming of Classic glory next season with Venetian Sun who shone brightest of them all to maintain her unbeaten record in the Albany Stakes.
Arriving on the back of a novice success over five furlongs at Carlisle, the Karl Burke-trained daughter of Starman added to that victory in impressive fashion to run out a ready winner of the Group Three. Despite being drawn in the apparently unfavoured stall one, the 7/1 chance, who Bloom owns in partnership with Ian McAleavy, managed to work her way into a handy position under Clifford Lee to give herself every chance of success on her first start over six furlongs.
Once the button was pressed inside the final quarter of a mile, Venetian Sun quickly put daylight between herself and her rivals. Although eventual runner-up Awaken tried to make late inroads it was not enough with Lee keeping his mount going all the way to the line, scoring by a length-and-a-half.
Bloom said: “The last six weeks her work at home has been outstanding so we came with confidence. We got the worst draw and things didn’t necessarily go right for her in the race, but she won easily. We are super confident for the future and she is an amazing horse. We ended up getting a better price because of the draw, but obviously we weren’t happy with it as a lot of things needed to go right from it today, but fortunately everything did go right and we won.”
Following the race Venetian Sun was cut from 50/1 into 25/1 for next year’s Betfred 1000 Guineas by Sky Bet and Paddy Power and connections will now work back from the Newmarket Classic.
Bloom added: “We have had just had a Royal Ascot winner so maybe I’m a bit biased, but hopefully she can become a 1000 Guineas horse. It is different (to big moments on the football pitch), but every moment like this is one to cherish.”
While Bloom is excited about what the future holds for Venetian Sun, equally enthusiastic about what lies in store was her Group One-winning handler.
Burke said: “I think she is a very special filly. The work she has done at home I’ve not had a two year old filly do work like it. She is kicking older Group horses out the way at home. I worked her with a good old work horse about a month ago and I had to work her with another good horse that I knew was reliable and she did the same to him. I’m talking 110 rated horses. We think she is very special.”
Diamond dazzles this time in Duke Of Edinburgh
Willie Mullins watched on with delight after Ethical Diamond fulfilled his year-long plan with a resolute success in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.
12 months ago the Closutton handler was left wondering what could have been for the talented dual-purpose performer in the mile-and-a-half handicap.
On that occasion the son of Awtaad could only finish fourth as the well-backed 7/4 favourite, but those kept faith with the five-year-old were rewarded for their perseverance.
Once again Ethical Diamond was sent sent off market leader, this time at 3/1, to strike gold at the Royal meeting, and there was no mistake.
Sporting a hood for the first time on the level, the H O S Syndicate-owned gelding, who was last sighted finishing down the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr in April, appeared to hold all the aces under Ryan Moore entering the home straight.
Although taking time to hit top gear, once in full flight Ethical Diamond moved past eventual runner-up Mutaawid inside the final two furlongs before being driven out to score by two lengths.
Mullins said: “I thought he might have been a bit far back. Ryan said he got a bump, and he got a bit keen, but he got him settled again. He was going well enough turning for home to go where he wanted to go unlike last year when the stalls opened and he ran too free and things didn’t work out for him.
“He still ran incredibly well that day to finish fourth, so I thought if we could get things right this year he had a real live chance, and it worked out that way. After the disaster that was last year (this race was always on the agenda). I gave Ryan (Moore) a year to put it right. There is a big one over hurdles in him too, but at the moment we will concentrate on flat racing.”
A tilt at the Sky Bet Ebor, for which he was given an 8/1 quote by the sponsors, was nominated as a potential target in Britain, while the trainer wouldn’t be averse to taking him to Australia for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
Mullins added: “We will give him a little break when we get him home. We would have to look at York as that is normally where we go from here. The Ebor would possibly look like the race. We would love to (go to Australia), but he has to get qualified. If we can get him qualified that would be wonderful.
“My first thought coming down was that route (going for the Ebor), but you might be better off going down another route and get him Group placed as that might be easier. I think he would handle a trip to Australia He only wears a hood in his races because he is keen, but I think he would have no trouble going to Australia.”
Shoemark on target as Never wins Sandringham
Kieran Shoemark served a timely reminder of his riding qualities after putting a tough time behind him with victory aboard Never Let Go in the Sandringham Stakes.
Having lost the role as number one rider to John and Thady Gosden last month, the Group One-winning rider then had the anguish of losing the French 1000 Guineas in the stewards’ room aboard Shes Perfect at Longchamp.
However, the 29-year-old showed he is more than capable on the big stage if given the right ammunition when steering the daughter of No Nay Never, who was one of two runners in the race for Ed Walker, to glory in the mile prize.
Getting a nice tow into the race on the far side, the 22/1 chance burst through inside the final furlong to sweep past long-time leader Tabiti and eventual runner-up Cajole on the far side before going on to prevail by a length to open her account for the year.
Shoemark said: “Throughout the race I had my left eye on what was happening on the stands side and I thought we were very well positioned. Colin Keane set a nice gallop leading our side, and clearly she is a very progressive filly as I was never in doubt.
“I was possibly quite hard on her because we are at Royal Ascot so I had to make sure I got the job done, but it was quite smooth in the end.
“It means so much to the owner/breeders Rockcliffe Stud and I’m thrilled for them and I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity by Ed Walker and the owners. I had never seen, or ridden, the filly before so it was great to get the leg up and I'm glad I delivered for them.
“You want to be winning on this stage. It has been a tricky six weeks or so and I was very fortunate to get put onto the map by John and Thady Gosden, but things didn’t work out.
“It is my job to remain at the top. I’ve had a few battles in the last six weeks, but I’ve remained positive throughout and here I am.
“I feel very privileged and humbled. I’ve put in the work, and I’m not afraid of hard work, and since I lost the job I’ve grafted very hard and I’ve been getting lots of rides. I’ve been a busy jockey the last six weeks, but I want to ride at the top and be at the top.”
As for Lambourn handler Walker, he would normally be cursing a 12lbs hike in the weights for a defeat, which is what Never Let Go received after finishing second in a Listed event, but he was more than happy to take the hit on this occasion.
Walker said: “I could hardly see what was going on watching two horses, but it looked like they went an even gallop. I think Kieran has given her an absolute peach of a ride as he has been very patient and used her up at the right time.
“She is a filly that we have believed in and we thought this race would be ideal for her. We were not getting in the race at one stage as she didn’t win at Wetherby or Haydock and I thought we weren’t going to get in, but I was desperate to run her here.
“We went for a Listed race and she got some black type and she went up in the weights, but I was thrilled with that. The family get better with time and she is very raw and unfurnished. I think she can go back up in trip as she relaxes well and is straightforward."
Promising Amiloc remains unbeaten
Amiloc justified 11/8 favouritism for trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Rossa Ryan in the King Edward VII Stakes.
The unbeaten son of Postponed was tackling a mile and a half for the first time in his life and saw the trip out well, taking it up from the front-running Galveston soon after passing the furlong marker and holding the staying-on 11/4 second-favourite Zahrann three-quarters of a length at bay.
Aidan O'Brien's Galveston stuck to his task in third at 20/1.
Winning jockey Rossa Ryan told ITV Racing: “He travelled great and he did really well because he hated the ground – it was too lively for him.
“He’s tough, hardy, and it’s great for his owner [Vimy Ackroyd] who has been a big supporter of racing and of me, too.
“It was a plan well executed. He’s had a busy enough spring and a hard race there, but he’s done nothing wrong yet.”
A relieved Beckett said: “It has been a tough first three days. The last couple of races they have run better, but I never really fancied him today, even though we went off 11/8, because of the ground. Rossa was excellent on him today.
“The consensus was we had to run as he is a gelding. The owner didn’t want to sell him so he had to run. He was looking for the line through the last half-a-furlong because of the ground not because of anything else. His class has got him through it.
“He is a hardy beggar as he wasn’t enjoying the ground, but he was always going to run to the line as he has got a good ticker as they say.”
A return to the Berkshire track next month for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes could be on the agenda for Amiloc, which he was trimmed into 10/1 by Paddy Power.
However, Beckett hinted that he could also send the Group Two scorer on his travels later on in the year.
He added: “I don’t think we will run on this ground again so plans will be dictated by that. He is in the King George. If the ground is right then why not look at the King George? There are lots of stuff that will suit him. I could see him turning up in a Breeders’ Cup Turf for example as that would really suit him.
“I think he can win at the highest level as you can put him anywhere. As you saw today he is very adaptable and that is his strong point."
Adrestia storms the Palace
Adrestia showed she had speed to burn after scorching a winning path down the famous Berkshire track in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes.
After finishing third on her comeback at Windsor 11 days ago the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained daughter of Havana Grey produced a power packed display to go two places better under Oisin Murphy.
While most of the winners throughout the day had come from low draws the KHK Racing Ltd-owned filly bucked that trend when bouncing out of stall 24 before making the best of her way home under the three-time champion jockey.
Once sent on it was a case of catch me if you can, but despite the best efforts of the four-timer seeking topweight Hammer The Hammer, the 10/1 chance had too many gears with the fleet footed filly crossing the line a length to the good of her nearest rival.
Simon Crisford said: “She is a super filly that has great finishing gears. We fancied her going into the race and I like the way she finished off well. The race at Windsor was the perfect comeback run for this race.
“We had this race on the calendar for her since the spring, but she has just taking a little while to come to hand and open up like a flower.
“I was fine until until twenty minutes before the race Ed said all the winners are coming from the other side of the track and he said we are screwed as the draw has changed, but I said what will be will be. The filly is good and I knew she had eight or nine pounds in hand.
“We ran her in Listed company last year and she deserves to be at that level. The filly will now be advancing in a black-type direction. I think five furlongs is a good trip for her.
“A stiff five like this is great and she wants it rattling quick. She is good.”
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