Dubai: Tadhg O'Shea, who has rapidly established himself as one of Ireland's leading riders, bagged his first Royal Ascot winner when he produced Quqba with a strong late run to win the Group 2 Jersey Stakes on Wednesday.
The winner supplied owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, with back-to-back wins in the seven furlong contest for three-year-old fillies.
O'Shea judged the pace to perfection as he got up close to home to edge out Deposer by half a length.
Ashram, ridden by Frankie Dettori for the Dubai-based Godolphin operation, was three and a quarter lengths back in third.
O'Shea told BBC television: "This is the first of many Royal Ascot winners for me, hopefully. He's a lovely horse and a pleasure to ride. He was spot on for today, he is a very tough horse and he deserved that.
"It's always nice to pick up spare rides but for Richard it was a hard situation. Infiraad has been nothing but impressive on the track and at home this year.
"My fellow was a little bit underrated, but it's fortunate it's worked out for me."
Dettori had no complaints about Ashram's performance and said: "I was pleased with Ashram. He ran very well and seven furlongs or a mile suits him."
Meanwhile French raider Vision D'Etat delivered a perfectly timed challenge under Olivier Peslier to land a thrilling race for the Prince of Wales's Stakes, the feature race on the second day of the Royal meeting.
The 2008 French Derby winner was tucked in on the rails at the rear of the field as the eight runners swung into the straight.
But Peslier pounced on last year's Epsom Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer in the last 100 metres to win the coveted Group One prize by half a length at odds of 4-1.
Tartan Bearer, the 6-4 favourite ridden by Ryan Moore, was followed home a head behind by the second French challenger Never on Sunday (7-2).
Trainer Eric Libaud, who has had winners in Dubai and Hong Kong as well as France, said: "Of all the winners I've had in the world this is the most special, the most beautiful."
Peslier, riding the colt for the first time, won high praise for his consummate horsemanship.
He said: "The trainer told me it was best to leave it late. That was perfect for me."
Vision D'Etat, a creditable fifth in last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, was promptly quoted at odds of 10-1 for this year's renewal in October.
His victory gave another international flourish to the royal meeting after runners from Australia, the US and Ireland all enjoyed success on day one.
Earlier, Richard Hills picked the wrong one of his father Barry's two runners in the opening Jersey Stakes, opting for the 5-1 favourite Infiraad who finished last of 16.
