'Incredible' Bedtime Story routs Royal Ascot rivals
Bedtime Story won by the biggest distance of the week at Royal Ascot
- Published
Bedtime Story routed her rivals to record an extraordinary victory for jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O’Brien at Royal Ascot.
The 11-8 favourite, a daughter of the legendary Frankel and Mecca’s Angel, surged clear to win by nine and a half lengths from runner-up Pentle Bay.
It was a sixth win of the week for Moore and O’Brien as the filly replaced stablemate Fairy Godmother as favourite (3-1) for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
“You can't get better than that. They don't win like that here. I'm speechless really,” said joint owner Derrick Smith.
Fellow owner Michael Tabor added: “To win by nine or 10 lengths is incredible.”
Khaadem secured the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second year running.
The eight-year-old, trained by Charlie Hills, landed the race at odds of 80-1 last year and was sent off 14-1 this time under Oisin Murphy.
He was the first back-to-back winner since Right Boy won 65 years ago, when the race was known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes.
- Published21 June
- Published20 June
Emotional Shepherd triumphs on Isle Of Jura
Shepherd was claiming his first winner at the meeting
Jockey Callum Shepherd punched the air with delight and fought back tears after winning the Hardwicke Stakes on 16-1 chance Isle Of Jura, trained by George Scott for Bahrain-based owners Victorious Racing.
It was a first Royal Ascot victory for the jockey and trainer, who won the Bahrain Triple Crown with Isle Of Jura earlier in the year.
The winning rider’s friend and colleague Stefano Cherchi died after a race fall in Australia in April
Shepherd was controversially replaced as rider on Ambiente Friendly, external for the Derby at Epsom earlier this month, with Rab Havlin going on to finish second in the big race.
“All the emotions have been coming out. The last six weeks have been quite difficult and that feels really special,” said Shepherd.
Desert Hero, who gave King Charles his first Royal Ascot winner in the King George V Stakes a year ago, started slowly and finished eighth of the nine runners.
Hand Of God wins on Maradona anniversary
Maradona scored twice in Argentina's 2-1 1986 World Cup win over England in Mexico
A racehorse called Hand Of God was among the Royal Ascot winners – exactly 38 years after Diego Maradona’s controversial World Cup goal for Argentina against England.
The 9-4 favourite, ridden by William Buick for trainer Harry Charlton, took the Golden Gate Stakes.
Maradona credited the ‘Hand of God’ after punching in his first goal in the victory on 22 June, 1986.
A fourth win of the week for owners Wathnan Racing, funded by the Emir of Qatar, came courtesy of Haatem in the Jersey Stakes.
James Doyle was aboard the 7-2 winner, who had finished runner-up to his Richard Hannon stablemate Rosallion – another victor at Ascot this week – in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Unequal Love (12-1) finally gave trainer William Haggas a winner at the 2024 meeting as he took the Wokingham Handicap under Tom Marquand by half a length from Dark Trooper.
There was a 66,000 sell-out crowd on the final day, with Moore ending the week top jockey for an 11th time while O’Brien secured his 13th leading trainer title.
O’Brien’s son Joseph saddled the final winner of the fixture - the 2-1 favourite Uxmal was guided home in the Alexandra Stakes by Dylan Browne McMonagle.