Dubai: Coroebus joined a select group of colts to win both the G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes with a tenacious victory in the mile showpiece at Royal Ascot, the opening day of the five-day Royal Ascot festival in Berkshire on Tuesday.
The Charlie Appleby-trained three-year-old, who had shown a potent turn of foot when beating Native Trail in the Newmarket Classic, found plenty of cover on the inside rail as he raced freely behind Lusail, My Prospero and Aikhal.
Coroebus continued to track the leaders into the straight but William Buick was forced to wait for a gap to appear passing the two-furlong marker.
Seeing off challenges
A seam on the inside rail presented itself soon after as Aikhal faded and Lusail edged out, with Coroebus quickening strongly to grab the lead approaching the final furlong.
The Godolphin homebred bravely found more in front, seeing off a host of challenges in the closing strides for a head verdict over Lusail. My Prospero took third, a further shorthead in arrears, with less than a length separating the first five home.
Charlie Appleby told Godolphin website: “It was a tough and gritty performance from Coroebus. We knew coming into today that it will be a different style of race. Full credit to the rest of the field, they deserve to be here and I just wish the pace had been stronger. William just said Coroebus was taking him on the whole way round. Thankfully, the turn allowed him to have a breather.
Class and determination
“I felt it was class and determination which got us over the line there. Going forward, we’ll have discussions, but I think the Sussex Stakes is an option along with the Prix Jacques Le Marois. Wherever we go, there is pace there.
“It is going to be a big learning curve for him today. I was delighted with how he took it in the preliminaries — he has never been more than 20 minutes up the road out of Newmarket and those challenges have been put upon him and he has ticked the boxes.”
William Buick added: “You have to enjoy these good horses. I’m very privileged to get on these good horses, but at the same time, it is a case of getting the job done. “It was one of those races where it was tricky. I had a good draw, but a good draw can turn into a bad draw very quickly. Coroebus travels extremely strong and you just want him to drop his head. In the straight, I had to go for the rail and there was enough room.
“I had two options. I could have come back a stride and gone around them which I was prepared to do, but when Pat Dobbs [on Lusail] went on and didn’t go to the fence, it was a very natural place for me to go. He was brave, has a good turn of foot and a will to win. He has everything you could ask for in a racehorse.
“The St James’s Palace is always confirmation of a top three-year-old miler. Of his generation, he and Native Trail are the best around.”
Unbeaten record
Godolphin’s Real World produced another admirable display at Royal Ascot as he went down by a length and three-quarters to Baaeed in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Last year’s Royal Hunt Cup winner, who had chased home the same horse in the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on his previous start, broke well and soon raced in a close second as Order Of Australia led the seven runners.
Order Of Australia tacked over to the stands’ rail after the first three furlongs, leaving Real World to lead a group of three that included Baaeed and Lights On down the centre of the course.
Real World took up the overall running at the halfway point and kicked for home as the field reconverged entering the final quarter-mile.
Baaeed soon covered the move and reeled in the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained five-year-old over a furlong from home before quickening clear to maintain his unbeaten record.
Better horse
Real World hit the line strongly under Daniel Tudhope to finish a clear second, with four lengths back to the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia.
Bin Suroor said: “Baaeed is a different class, it is the same result as at Newbury in the Lockinge. Real World ran well, he was just beaten by a better horse. He is getting closer, but not close enough!
“I am thinking about a mile and a quarter, maybe the Eclipse in two weeks. I would be keen to run him, but I need to see how he comes back from here. Maybe also the Juddmonte Stakes after.”
Daniel Tudhope added: “Real World is probably the best miler I have ridden, and then we have to bump into Baaeed! He has done nothing wrong and I am pretty sure that his G1 is just around the corner.”
