Day 5 at Royal Ascot serves up a cracker

Race 1 — Silver Wokingham Handicap (3yo+) 6f, 19 ran: Chiefofchiefs enjoyed being dropped back in trip to six furlongs for the first time in his career to win the Silver Wokingham Handicap, the first of eight races on a top-class final day’s racing at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. Having run mostly over distances from seven furlongs to a mile, trainer Charlie Fellows opted to try the seven year old over a shorter trip and it paid off handsomely. With William Buick riding a second winner of the week, Chiefofchiefs scored by a 1 ¼ from Burmese Waltz, with Nahaarr a head away in third. Fellowes, who was notching win number two at this year’s meeting, said: “I’ve called him every name under the sun thinking he wasn’t putting everything in, yet actually it’s all been my fault. All’s well that ends well.”

Race 2 — Queen Mary Stakes (2yo), 5f 18 ran: A first Royal Ascot winner for American handler Wesley Ward at this year’s meeting and yet another for the unstoppable Frankie Dettori in the Queen Mary Stakes aboard Campanelle. “That ones for you Wesley” Frankie shouts out as he performs his trademark flying dismount. Overall an 11th Royal Ascot winner Ward, a regular visitor to the UK over the years. The daughter of Kodiac stoically held-off the William Haggas-trained Sacred with Caroline Dale running on to finish third at long odds of 100-1.

Race 3 — Coventry Stakes (2yo) 6f, 15 ran: Trainer Clive Cox drops a bombshell in the Coventry, the best two-year-old race at the Royal meeting, with 150/1 outsider Nando Parrado, who made history as the biggest priced winner in the event’s history. With Adam Kirby in the saddle the winner finished strongly and comfortably held off Qaadeer, who was bidding to give Jim Crowley another winner of the week. The previous highest priced winners at Royal Ascot were Fox Chapel (1990) and Flashmans Papers (100/1). Obviously the track and the ground today helped him and it’s no fluke,” said Kirby. “He’s won it from the front end and toughed it out.”

Race 4 — Coronation Stakes (3yo) 1m, 7 ran: Frankie Dettori added another Royal Ascot Group 1 victory to his arsenal of trophies when teaming up with the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpine Star to win the Coronation Stakes in emphatic fashion. Trainer Graham Motion’s American raider Sharing ran on for Oisin Murphy to claim second, while the 2-1 favourite Quadrilateral finished third. Sharing won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last season. It was remarkably a first Coronation Stakes victory for Dettori who said: “This was missing and Royal Ascot means a lot to me. I’ve been riding here for 30 years and in the Coronation Stakes for whatever reason I never managed to get on the right horse.

Race 5 — St James’s Palace Stakes (3yo) 1m, 7 ran: Pinatubo, Godolphin’s superstar of 2019, suffered a second successive defeat when succumbing to Palace Pier in the St James’s Palace Stakes. A great training performance by the master John Gosden and a typically confident ride by Frankie Dettori combined to end Pinatubo’s hopes of redemption following his 2,000 Guineas loss earlier this month. It was a sixth win for Dettori at this year’s Royal meeting to help his tie Jim Crowley at the top of the table with six winners apiece.

Race 6 — Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4yo+) 6f, 10 ran: Kevin Stott scored the biggest win of his career aboard the New Zealand-owned Hello Youmzain to land a thrilling renewal of the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stales, and deny Frankie Dettori aboard the favourite Sceptical a fourth win of the final day. Dream of Dream was ran on for third. It was a first Royal Ascot winner for Stott who chose a career on the turf after he was deemed top small to play professional football, having had a trial for Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager. Scandinavia-born Stott is based in Yorkshire with Kevin Ryan but is used regularly by veteran Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Surour.

Race 7 — Wokingham Stakes (3yo+) 6f, 22 ran: What a day for Kevin Stott at Royal Ascot. Less than 35 minutes after riding his first even winner at the meeting, the Danish rider booted home a second in the form of Hey Jonesy in a thrilling two-horse finish to the Workingham Stakes. Stott and Hey Jonesy looked to have the race won in the last 50 metres but James Doyle rode an absolute blinder aboard Summerghand to take the verdict to the photo-finish judge. “I’m absolutely delighted,” said Stott. “I can’t put into words what today means to me. It’s amazing. There’s no crowd here but it doesn’t change it — it’s still Royal Ascot.” Hey Jonesy finished second last in the Buckingham Palace on the opening day but looked a totally different horse on Saturday.

Race 8 — Queen Alexandra Stakes (4yo+) 2m 5.5f, 9 ran: Jockey Tom Marquand left it until the last to score his first winner at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting, when striking a winning partnership aboard Who Dares Wins in a thrilling Queen Alexndra Stakes. Run over 2 miles and five ½ furlong the race is the longest run in Britain and is known to produce some top class finishes as was the case on Saturday. The winner scored by a neck from The Grand Visir, ridden by Richard Kingscote, with Mukha Magic back in third.