Twenty eight years ago on Saturday, Michael Stoute waved his magic wand to win the Epsom Derby for Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail, and he once again enchanted racing fans when he sent out Dream Of Dreams to win the coveted Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1), the showpiece race on the final day’s racing at Royal Ascot 2021.
It was a huge training performance by any stretch of the imagination given the fact that Dream Of Dreams was attempting to win the six-furlong sprint at the third time of asking and at the age of seven.
However, three was very much the magic number as big-race rider Ryan Moore rode an absolute blinder aboard the son of sprint star Dream Ahead to finish a length ahead of Glen Shiel and James Doyle with Art Power a further three quarters of a length back in third for former champion jockey Silvestre D’Souza.
“Michael’s been great to me throughout my whole career,” Ryan Moore told ITV Racing paying tribute to Stoute, Royal Ascot’s winning-most trainer with 82 victories.
Stoute, who won the Epsom Classic in 2003 with Kris Kin, said of Dream Of Dreams: “He certainly deserved it. He’s a very untypical sprinter. It’s a great thrill, great work done by all the team and delighted for them. He’s always been a good finisher, I’m pleased for him, he certainly deserved it, as the last two years he’s been beaten a head.”
Dream Of Dreams’ was beaten a head by Godolphin’s Blue Point in 2019 and Hello Youmzain in 2020.
Reflecting on his record at Royal Ascot, Stoute, who won the Jubilee Stakes in 1985 with Dafayna, said: “Any winner here is a great thrill.”
Meanwhile Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby saddled the first two home in the Jersey Stakes with Creative Force and a hard-working James Doyle just getting the measure of stable companion Native Crown, the mount of William Buick.
Celebrating his first winner at the meetin, Doyle said: “It’s been a long week, we’ve hit the crossbar a couple of times. I was quietly confident with this horse. Everything that was unfolding was perfect for him. The ground was no problem, the draw was the only worry. He’s a brave horse and he did it by himself from two and a half or three furlongs out.”
French-born trainer David Menuisier, who is based at the historic West Sussex training facility of Coombelands, celebrated his first Royal Ascot success when Wonderful Tonight and William Buick won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, one of the key trials for races like the King George and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe,
Buick said: “I won the Fillies’ and Mares’ race on Champions Day last year and I rode her like a real stayer because she had won the Royallieu — the mile and six race on Arc weekend — making plenty of use of her. Today I thought it’s her first start of the year and we took a lead after a couple of furlongs. She really took me by surprise when she quickened up. She’s a very very classy filly.”
