Trainer wins €1.2m Royal Ascot race after blasting jockey over 'terrible ride'
A trainer who blasted a jockey over what he described as "perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses" was celebrating after winning the feature race at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
French contender Lazzat shattered Japanese hopes as he outbattled Satono Reve in a thrilling international finish to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Satono Reve was the 2-1 favourite to become the first Japanese victor at the Royal meeting and Joao Moreira rode him powerfully throughout the race.
However, it was Jerome Reynier's Lazzat, ridden by James Doyle, who proved strongest in the final stages, striking on his first start for owners Wathnan Racing at odds of 9-2, continuing a successful week for both jockey and owners.
It was a change of fortunes for Reynier, who blasted jockey Flavien Prat for the ride he gave his runner Facteur Cheval in the £1million Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday.
Prat flew over from America to team up with the 25/1 shot, who finished sixth of eight behind impressive winner Ombudsman, and the trainer was far from impressed with what he saw.
Reynier told the Racing Post: "He (the horse) has come out of the race well, despite his jockey doing absolutely nothing to help him. I think it was perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses since I became a trainer.
"In a race with loads of pace, he elected to lead the chase (behind pacemaker Continuous). He was the first to commit on the turn for home and launched his attack three wide with no cover and too far out."
He added: "Flavien thought he was at Santa Anita or Del Mar where they have short straights and the tracks are flat.
"And I don't think it was a judicious move to use a jockey who rides in that style. It was just a terrible ride."
Paddy Power cut Lazzat to 7-2 favourite from 8-1 for the July Cup at Newmarket following his win on Saturday, but Reynier feels that is an unlikely option.
He added: 'The July Cup is coming a little quickly I guess but maybe we'll defend his crown in the Maurice de Gheest, we've got the Sprint Cup and we can be back here in October because he can handle any ground, if the ground is heavy he can do it then as well.
'He's a very good champion. Today everything went right for once and we're happy to have a first Royal Ascot winner, especially for Wathnan and Nurlan Bizakov as a breeder. I'm very happy for the connections involved."
There was drama after the finish as Lazzat unshipped Doyle as the pair returned to receive the Ascot applause, with the four-year-old running loose for some time before eventually being caught and safely returned to the stables.
Lazzat was adding a second Group One win to his tally after landing last year's Prix Maurice de Gheest, but he had been beaten in Australia when sent on his travels at the end of the campaign.
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