Almeraq snatches G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee victory
Japanese challenger Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) was narrowly denied in last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and suffered heartbreak again as Shadwell's homebred William Haggas trainee Almeraq (Dark Angel) swooped fast and late to claim a career high on Group 1 debut in a pulsating renewal of the six-furlong feature.
Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 25-1 chance moved to within range of the leaders entering the final furlong and delivered a stunning late burst of speed to deny Satono Reve by a pixel in a four-way photograph.
Chris Waller trainee and 15-8 favourite Joliestar (Zoustar) held every chance in the dying embers and finished a short-head back in third. Overpass (Vancouver) finished thirteenth.
Almeraq becomes the fourth winner of the race for Dark Angel, who was also responsible for Lethal Force and dual winner Khaadem, the latter finishing 14th in this year's edition.
Chris Waller said of Joliestar, “I am just delighted that she turned up. She performed very well and fought out a great finish, which was typical of the week. We have seen some great finishes. Unfortunately, that was one of them and we just missed out, but it was just an honour to be here."
"It was important coming into the race to make sure that she brought her Australian form here and stood it up, and she really did that. We did not win today, but she has certainly got her admirers and that is what international racing is all about. I thought we had to ask her a little bit earlier than I would have liked. It would have been nice to have put a length on them, so I knew it was going to be tough the last 400 metres. She was brave, and it was literally just the last 20 or 30 yards. It was a great run.”
Norfolk 1-2 for Havana Grey as Orthodox excels
The Stateside raiders put it up to their European counterparts in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win And You're In” qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, but had to give best in the closing stages as Clive Cox trainee Orthodox (Havana Grey) surged on by inside the final furlong to lead home an exacta for his Whitsbury Manor Stud-based sire.
Urged forward approaching the quarter-mile pole, the well-backed 9-2 chance powered clear to defeat 150-1 outsider El Floridita (Havana Grey) by 3 1/2 lengths.
The once-raced maiden Mussab (Ten Sovereigns), a 66-1 chance, emerged from the chasing pack to claim third, a neck adrift, nearing the line.
Giavellotto denies Kalpana in stirring Hardwicke
There was plenty to excite the Ascot crowds at the end of Saturday's G2 Hardwicke Stakes, with Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman) denying Kalpana (Study Of Man) in a driving finish.
Something of a forgotten horse coming in off four defeats, Scuderia La Tesa and Vaibhav Shah's veteran star of Marco Botti's yard had nevertheless won a Hong Kong Vase in 2024 and beaten the Juddmonte mare in last year's September Stakes and remained a threat. Delivered with perfect timing by Oisin Murphy, the 9-1 shot reeled in the 9-4 favourite to prevail by a short head and end his rider's barren spell at Royal Ascot 2026.
There was extra drama in the already-thrilling finale, as Christophe Soumillon lost his irons when alongside the front pair on Goliath (Adlerflug) and ended up 1 3/4 lengths away in third.
“It's about time I got on the scoresheet this week,” Murphy said. “I had tried to keep a sense of perspective and not pity myself, as there are plenty of worse things happening in the world. The last half furlong here is the slowest and I thought 'if I leave my stick down until late I might win'–that's his set-up, fast ground, a mile and a half with plenty of argy-bargy.”
St Mark's Basilica's Thesecretadversary too strong In the Jersey
Making a mockery of the belief that there was a stands'-rail bias at Royal Ascot this week, Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica) won a renewal of Saturday's G3 Jersey Stakes that played out completely on the far side.
Sent off at a large 20-1 after two below-par efforts in the Newmarket and Curragh Guineas, Cayton Park Stud and Susan Magnier's homebred put his best foot forward dropped back to seven furlongs to deny compatriot Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner) by a neck in a pulsating finish.
Third was Morris Dancer (Palace Pier), 4 1/2 lengths away.
“He was too keen and fresh in the English Guineas and then got boxed in in the Irish Guineas and should have been placed in both,” jockey Seamie Heffernan said of the flashy chestnut, who was defying a three-pound penalty for his Ballylinch Stud Guineas Trial win in April to provide Fozzy Stack with his second winner of the week.
"After that, Fozzy said it's the Jersey straight up, even with the penalty and he's probably got more pace than we'd seen. Definitely, coming back to seven helped him and he could come back another furlong.”
