Royal Ascot: Docklands prevails in Queen Anne thriller
Docklands narrowly got the better of Rosallion in a thrilling climax to the Queen Anne Stakes.
A strong field of 10 runners went to post for the traditional Royal Ascot curtain-raiser, with the market dominated by the first four home in last month's Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Rosallion, who finished third at Newbury, was the 5-2 favourite to get back on the winning trail and looked set to oblige after being produced with a well-timed run by Sean Levey, but having been last out of the starting stalls before fighting his way to the front, Harry Eustace's 14-1 shot Docklands refused to bend under Australian jockey Mark Zahra and clung on by a nose.
Cairo, who was sent off a 100-1 shot, was a further length and three-quarters back in third.
Docklands chased home Charyn in this event 12 months ago – a run which persuaded Eustace to have another crack at the prize this year.
The trainer said: "I know everyone says this but I don't know if it will sink in for a bit! There were a lot of nerve-wracking moments during the race, I have to say.
"I wasn't happy with the pace early on, he did his usual thing and was a step slow and I kept cursing him. But he's an absolute star, he loves this racetrack and because they went slow, they probably got racing a bit further out.
"It's very special. When he was second here, we knew we were coming back for another go.
"At the furlong marker I thought Rosallion was really coming to us, but he was so brave in that last furlong. He has been frustrating, but only because I've felt he maybe deserved to win the odd race that he should have done, but luckily he loves this track."
Docklands is owned by the Australian group OTI Racing and had previously been ridden by Zahra when unplaced in last year's Hong Kong Mile, with Richard Kingscote partnering him in two British starts this term.
Explaining Zahra's booking, Eustace added: "It's just all come together, as racing does, it all happened well. I feel for Richard Kingscote who has been on him the last couple of times – there's no drama there, it's just that Mark has had this lined up for a little while.
"In a curious way, he got trapped in a pocket at Epsom and didn't have a hard race, and came here spot on. I'm glad he got beat at Epsom and won at Ascot.
"There were multiple Group One winners in there, the Guineas winners from last year, we were the most exposed horse probably, but he loves the track. That's a big, big plus – and he tries bloody hard!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Huge Lazzat update after Royal Ascot hero almost KO'd helpless man – as trainer admits ‘freak' mistake caused meltdown
TRAINER Jerome Reynier has issued a big update on awesome Royal Ascot winner Lazzat - who almost kicked a man's head off after the race. Lazzat had just beaten Japanese challenger Satono Reve to win the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes last Saturday 3 Winning jockey James Doyle was flung from Lazzat moments after winning the big race at Royal Ascot last Saturday Credit: The Mega Agency 3 He then came close to drop-kicking a groundsworker in the head 3 It was a terrifying near miss for the man, who fell through the railing like a drunk boxer First he dumped jockey James Doyle to the turf then galloped loose over the track. Moments later, ITV footage showed one poor helpless soul who tried to get him to calm down coming just inches from being kicked in the head. There were fears the worrying scenes could lead to Doyle being disqualified as he was unable to weigh in without his saddle - which was still strapped to Lazzat's back. But fortunately there was a happy ending for the Wathnan-owned horse, who is now back home in Reynier's French yard and doing well. Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, the trainer admitted Lazzat's meltdown was all his fault. It was Reynier who stood in front of the sprinter with the winner's cloth - and it was like waving a red rag to a bull. He said: "The horse is all good, nice and settled and he doesn't even seem tired. He's ready for more. "Me and James were laughing about it. It's my fault with the winning sheet. I came too close. I should've gone round the side. Most read in Horse Racing "But we were so happy and it was a freak (accident). "If I could have jumped on the horse with James I would have done! "But it was an amazing moment to share with all my friends on the day." Lazzat was made 5-2 favourite for the July Cup on the back of his 6f win at Ascot. But Reynier confirmed his next start will not be until August when he aims to defend his Maurice de Gheest crown in Deauville. He said: "This race will suit him well once again and obviously he will be the favourite. "On the European racing programme - he doesn'y mind the ground so the plan would be to stick with Group 1 sprinting races and Haydock and Ascot could be the next targets for him. "But we are focused on August 10 for Deauville and the Maurice de Gheest. "He is young and they often get better with age. "Maybe the best is yet to come." FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Group 1-winning Aidan O'Brien monster pulled from all summer races after Royal Ascot ‘balls up'
GROUP 1-winning monster Los Angeles has been pulled from all the big summer races - after a Royal Ascot 'balls up'. Aidan O'Brien's millionaire Tattersalls Gold Cup hero flopped completely when 13-8 fav for last week's Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. 1 Los Angeles is out of all the big races over the summer and his main aim will now be October's Arc de Triomphe Credit: PA Sweating and ridden prominently by Ryan Moore, team Ballydoyle looked to, for once, get it wrong as Los Angeles went way too quick trying to keep up with pacemaker Continuous. Advertisement Both looked on fumes up the straight and soon gave way to awesome winner Ombudsman. Los Angeles finished fifth in the end, beaten some seven lengths. O'Brien says the poor showing means he will be removed from some of the money-spinning races over the next few weeks. And he won't be seen again until near October time, with one prep run coming before a tilt at the Arc. Advertisement O'Brien told the "He had a tough, hard race and sometimes that happens when the pace is very, very strong. "He had a tough race and he won't run again until he has a prep race for the Arc. Most read in Horse Racing "He won't run in the King George - it was too tough on him and he'll need a bit of time." Advertisement Respected racing presenter Lydia Hislop described Los Angeles' Ascot run as a rare 'balls up' under Moore. She said: "Clealry there has been a setback or recalling as a result of what happened - a stayer was burst going too fast. "It sounds as though rather than just having a torrid time in the race, that it has had some sort of lingering effect, as the plan was all the top races over the summer. "They have a ring around the Arc now - but he has got to get there and it is sad news. "Los Angeles is a big favourite of mine and what has happeneed is unfortunate. Advertisement "But, as Aidan and Ryan have done, it's best to put your hands up and come clean if you balls something up - we all do it!" FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Field Of Gold, Los Angeles, More Thunder – Horses don't win for lots of reasons and I'll always say it as I see it
ON Monday there was yet another article in horse racing's trade newspaper calling on TV pundits to call out more so-called bad rides. The hypocrisy is quite something. 1 Field Of Gold has looked sensational since his 2000 Guineas defeat Credit: PA It comes on the back of ITV's Johnny Murtagh very much questioning the ride of subsequent Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane in a juvenile race at Epsom on Derby Day. Oh well. This kind of article is what is called clickbait. You write something you know people will like without putting much thought into the topic. It's 'lowest common denominator journalism'. In some ways I'm doing the same here! I know people will loath what I'm penning and will just say I'm typical of the problem. You just have to smile. I am, though, in a pretty good position to discuss the topic. It's rare I analyse rides in great depth in my current roles. But ten years ago it was just about all I did. Then, almost all my work was studio-based - rather than reporting and interviewing - and every day my job was to dissect races. Most read in Horse Racing This latest article in the trade paper once again harked back to Field Of Gold and the 2000 Guineas. And it compared racing analysis with that in football. At the essence of why these articles are merely clickbait is the writer is basically saying: "I think so and so was a bad ride so you should as well. And if you don't you are wrong." What, of course, everyone should actually want is a TV presenter who says what they believe, rather than what someone thinks they should believe. It all goes further than that, however, and the root issue is: What is a bad ride? Is a bad ride simply one that most feel should have won, for instance? Of course not. Horses don't win for lots of reasons. A rider can just be unlucky, time their run a second or a few strides too late or miss the break. Are they bad rides? In footballing terms, calling out every horse who should have done better would be like saying every pass that doesn't go direct to another player is a bad pass. A football commentator would spend 90 minutes stating the same thing over and over. In this case it was Field Of Gold again. A defeat which can be explained for many totally sensible reasons for all that another day the horse would clearly have won. Oddly, the writer said nothing about White Birch in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, or Los Angeles in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, or More Thunder in the Wokingham. Or the countless other losers I could mention. Were they all bad rides, or unlucky? Or did they suffer defeat due to something else? Should a TV presenter have gone mad about those as well? And why hasn't the trade paper written article after article about them? After all, it's that publication that is calling for more to be said. It seems to pick its targets very carefully. If a footballer scores a penalty - top left-hand corner - that is impossible to save, we would surely all agree it's a good penalty? In contrast, if a goalkeeper stands still and the penalty taker just scoops it into their hands, I would presume we would all agree that was a bad penalty? But, in the first scenario, at what stage as that ball gets closer to the fingertips of a goalkeeper does it become a bad penalty? There are many degrees along the scale from good to bad with plenty of reasoning in between. As a pundit I have always just said what I see. That's what I think all pundits should do. And if that is not what social media or certain journalists agree with, then so be it. But that's being real to a viewer. It's many times more honest than just reacting to what the masses feel. For me a truly bad ride is one where a horse never seems to have been put into a race. One where a jockey drops their hands for a place. One where a rider clearly goes off too fast. And yes, sometimes, when a horse should have won that didn't - and I can't think of any reasons why what happened took place. Not every losing ride on a horse that probably should have won is a bad ride. If that's what you want from TV pundits then good luck to you. The sport is a little more complicated than that. And that's the beauty of it all. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
