Royal Ascot: Baaeed, Nature Strip and Coroebus win on opening day
- Published
Nature Strip, trained in Australia by Chris Waller, was ridden by Kiwi James McDonald
Baaeed, Nature Strip and Coroebus were the big winners on a thrilling opening day at Royal Ascot.
Australian sprinter Nature Strip surged clear to take the King's Stand Stakes from Twilight Calls after American rival Golden Pal was slowly away.
"He's an absolute freak of a horse," said winning jockey James McDonald.
Baaeed extended his unbeaten run to eight in the Queen Anne Stakes, while 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus landed the St James's Palace Stakes.
The world's top-rated horse Baaeed got the meeting off to a brilliant start with a classy win in the Queen Anne Stakes.
The four-year-old, with Jim Crowley riding for trainer William Haggas, beat Real World by one and three quarter lengths.
Baaeed, sent off as the 1-6 favourite, justified his short odds.
"It doesn't get any easier than that. Everything went like clockwork," said Crowley.
Sheikha Hissa al Maktoum, who assumed control of owners Shadwell's operation after her father Sheikh Hamdan died last year, was at Ascot for the victory.
"We all feel pressure when he runs. I promised myself that I will enjoy it whatever happens, because I don't know when I will see a horse like this again," she said.
Baaeed won from Real World, with Order Of Australia in third
King's Lynn, owned by the Queen, was seventh in a dramatic King's Stand Stakes.
The 96-year-old monarch has been experiencing mobility problems and did not attend on Tuesday, but may be there on another day, in what is her Platinum Jubilee year.
Golden Pal was the 15-8 favourite, but missed the break while Mondammej failed to enter the stalls and Khaadem unseated his jockey after the gates opened.
Nature Strip (9-4), the first Australian-trained victor at Royal Ascot since Black Caviar in 2012, won by four and a half lengths from Twilight Calls with 200-1 shot Acklam Express and Mooneista close up in third and fourth respectively.
"It's pretty special to bring a horse all this way and compete against the best in the world and to win the way he did. It was breathtaking," said Chris Waller, who also trained record-breaking mare Winx.
Waller said he would decide later in the week if Nature Strip would now run in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, for which he has another contender in Home Affairs.
Jockey William Buick briefly looked boxed in on 10-11 favourite Coroebus, for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, in the St James's Palace Stakes but found the gap in time.
Lusail was second, with My Prospero third and Maljoom coming with a late burst to finish a close-up fourth after being denied a clear run.
Haggas stood by Maljoom's "distraught" jockey Cieren Fallon, saying: "It is a horse race and he finished very well and he would have won in probably two strides - but he didn't. There you are."
Appleby said Coroebus could run against Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next month.
"I'm sure a clash with Baaeed is something that we'd all need to discuss, but (Godolphin boss) Sheikh Mohammed never shies away from a challenge," added Appleby.
Coroebus held off Lusail by a head, with a further short head to My Prospero and Maljoom a neck back in fourth
Hollie Doyle won the Coventry Stakes on 8-1 chance Bradsell, trained by Archie Watson.
It was a third Royal Ascot victory for Doyle, making her the meeting's most successful female rider, and provided some compensation for Watson after stablemate Dragon Symbol was demoted from first in last year's Commonwealth Cup.
Danny Tudhope completed a 356-1 double with victory on Get Shirty (16-1), trained by David O'Meara, in the concluding Copper Horse Stakes.
The jockey earlier won the Wolferton Stakes for Saeed bin Suroor with 20-1 chance Dubai Future, but fellow Godolphin runner Star Safari, trained by Charlie Appleby, suffered a fatal injury in the race.
Apprentice Callum Hutchinson, a son of former jump jockey Wayne, landed the Ascot Stakes on Chester Cup runner-up Coltrane (14-1) for trainer Andrew Balding.
What's on Wednesday?
Sir Michael Stoute, fresh from his sixth Derby success thanks to Desert Crown, saddles impressive Sandown victor Bay Bridge in the Prince of Wales's Stakes.
Japan will hope for a first Royal Ascot winner with Shahryar, whose owners also have Grenadier Guards in Saturday's Platinum Jubilee Stakes.