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Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cercene's Coronation Stakes win ends long wait for Joseph Murphy
A lifetime of hope and endeavour enjoyed a glorious reward here on Friday as Joseph Murphy, who is two years short of a half-century with a trainer's licence, finally added a Group One winner to his record as Cercene, at 33-1, edged out the 6-4 favourite, Zarigana, in the Coronation Stakes, the feature event on day four at Royal Ascot. 'It's 50 years of work by the family,' Murphy said afterwards. 'Going from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to the Flat and always believing, buying horses and believing that they're going to be good. It's a lifetime's ambition to have a Group One winner.' Advertisement Cercene had to dig deep for the win, as Zarigana headed her at the furlong pole but then failed to put the race to bed. Cercene, though, did her trainer proud, pulling out more all the way to the line to get home by half a length. Francis-Henri Graffard, Zarigana's trainer, suggested afterwards that he might 'need to buy a pair of blinkers', but the will to win that Cercene showed when it mattered is a vital part of a true Group One winner's makeup. Related: Royal Ascot 2025: Cercene claims major Coronation Stakes shock on day four – live Cercene went off at a big price, but she had finished a four-length third behind Lake Victoria – a warm ante-post favourite for this race until injury intervened – in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in late May. She settled well in fourth for Gary Carroll, her jockey, as Falakeyah, the second-favourite, cut out the running, and as Falakeyah faded in the straight, Carroll was perfectly positioned both to strike for home and then take advantage as Zarigana's momentum faltered. 'Decent horses are very hard to come by and I've been lucky enough to find one with a huge heart,' Carroll said. 'If I was ever to ride a Group One winner, I'm delighted it was for Joe Murphy. He's been supporting me since I was a 7lb claimer, a long, long time. Advertisement 'The French horse [Zarigana] came and she actually got headed, but she's very tough, she stuck her head out and really went to the line for me.' It was very much a day for smaller family operations as earlier in the afternoon, Harry Eustace's Time For Sandals, another outsider at 25-1, had taken the Group One Commonwealth Cup, and since Eustace also won the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, the yard now has two more Group Ones at this year's meeting than Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle. 'The most concerning part was her draw [in stall one],' Eustace said. 'When Karl Burke's filly [Venetian Sun in the opening Albany Stakes] came out of one, everyone just stuck there [and] we had plenty of pace. 'It's the first time she's had a fast horse to follow. We were… I don't want to say very confident, but we just felt we hadn't seen the best from her for one reason or another. We were always confident in a race like this, where there would be fast horses taking her along, that's really what she needed.' Advertisement James Eustace, Harry's father, trained at the family's Park Lodge Stables for 30 years before passing on the licence in 2020, and his other son, David, has enjoyed a successful training career in Australia and Hong Kong, highlighted by a Melbourne Cup success with Gold Trip in 2022. 'If we did anything, we instilled a work ethic in them,' Eustace said, 'hopefully by example rather than by a long tom, but we were so lucky from day one that they loved the whole thing. 'We tried to make Harry go to university, he went to Edinburgh for two years, enjoyed himself immensely and then dropped out and went to Australia to work in racing, and hasn't looked back.' Venetian Sun will be aimed towards next year's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket after her decisive win in the opening Albany Stakes. Advertisement 'I think she's a very special filly,' Karl Burke, Venetian Sun's trainer, said. 'The work she's done at home, I haven't had a two-year-old filly work like that. Just the last couple of months, six weeks, she's kicking all the Group horses out of the way at home.' Venetian Sun was backed from 12-1 to 7-1 before her win – 'given the confidence Karl gave us, we had to have a decent bet,' Tony Bloom, Venetian Sun's co-owner, said afterwards – and is a 25-1 shot for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May 2026. The fourth day concluded with Aidan O'Brien and the John & Thady Gosden stables tied on five winners each ahead of tomorrow's seven-race card. The race for the jockeys' award is also just about in play, as Oisin Murphy's win on Adrestia in the last was his fourth of the meeting, two behind Ryan Moore's tally of six. Satono Reve can deliver overdue win for Japan A dozen runners from Japan have tried and failed to become the country's first winner at Royal Ascot since the turn of the century, but the 13th could finally make the breakthrough on the final day of this year's Royal meeting, when Satono Reve will go to post with a leading chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Advertisement Noriyuki Hori's six-year-old is a Grade One winner in Japan and also finished within a length of Ka Ying Rising, the world's top-rated sprinter, in a Group One at Sha Tin in December. He was two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Ka Ying Rising at the same track in April before heading to the UK, and has been given plenty of time to acclimatise after arriving in Newmarket on 2 May. Satono Reve (3.40) is up against a deep and international field, with fancied runners from France and Ireland as well as a strong local defence led by last year's Commonwealth Cup winner, Inisherin. At his best, though, he is the equal of any of Saturday's runners and it is also a positive sign that João 'Magic Man' Moreira, who was in the saddle for his big run in December, has flown in to take the ride. Advertisement Royal Ascot 2.30: Aidan O'Brien is going for a sixth win in nine years with Moments Of Joy but she may struggle against the €2m Frankel colt Treanmor, who was sent off at 1-3 for his debut in May and powered four lengths clear with minimal encouragement. Redcar 1.10 Try Storm Cat 1.43 Jungle Monarch 2.14 Paco's Pride 2.49 Tiva 3.21 Azure Angel 4.05 Lima Sierra 4.45 Park Street Newmarket 2.03 Crowd Quake 2.38 Commander's Intent 3.10 Elarak 3.45 Circe 4.25 Red Flyer 5.05 Diamont Katie Royal Ascot 2.30 Treanmor 3.05 Rebel's Romance 3.40 Satono Reve (nb) 4.20 Remmooz 5.00 Purosangue (nap) 5.35 Ernst Blofeld 6.10 Sober Advertisement Ayr 4.10 Mo Of Cairo 4.50 Lion's House 5.25 Oneforthegutter 5.55 Enchanting 6.33 Superior Council 7.08 Pinjarra 7.38 Coeur Jaune 8.08 Woohoo Bangor-on-Dee 3.55 Barranco 4.35 Obsessedwithyou 5.15 Leading Force 5.50 Solent Gateway 6.25 Bellbird 7.00 Chillhi 7.30 Lord Cauvelliere Lingfield 5.45 Laser Focus 6.20 Skimming Along 6.53 Lovethiswayagain 7.23 Latynina 7.55 Blue Collar Lad 8.25 Banksman 8.55 Beelzebub Haydock 6.00 Burj Jabeel 6.40 Sugar Hill Babe 7.15 Gold Dawn 7.45 Duke's Command 8.15 Arkhalia Flynn 8.45 Pomme Pomme Royal Ascot 3.05: Rebel's Romance had enough class to win last month's Yorkshire Cup without being ideally suited by the step up in trip, and the return to 12 furlongs here will play to his many strengths. Advertisement Royal Ascot 4.20: The progressive Remmooz has shown enough in two wins this season to suggest he can improve past more exposed opponents. Royal Ascot 5.00: Oisin Murphy's mount Purosangue was less than two lengths behind likely favourite More Thunder at Newmarket last time without being given a hard time, is 8lb better off today and has been drawn well in 22. Royal Ascot 5.35: Ernst Blofeld does not have much to find to take a hand in the finish on the basis of his handicap debut at Newbury and cheekpieces could eke out the necessary improvement. Royal Ascot 6.10: Willie Mullins's Sober was a dual Group Two winner for André Fabre in 2023 and has several pounds in hand of his rivals.
Irish Examiner
23 minutes ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cercene upstages Zarigana while Eithical Diamond shines on momentous day at Royal Ascot for Willie Mullins
Cercene gave jockey Gary Carroll and trainer Joseph Murphy a day to remember when bravely holding off French hotpot Zarigana to land the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Billed as a clash between French 1,000 Guineas winner Zarigana and Owen Burrows' supplemented Falakeyah, it was the Irish outsider who stole the show to become the race's longest-priced winner at 33-1. Falakeyah's challenge faded tamely having raced keenly, but 6-4 favourite Zarigana looked prime to pounce in hands of Mickael Barzalona and in fact looked to briefly have passed Cercene. However, Irish 1,000 third Cercene was not to be denied and proved her Curragh performance was no fluke as she battled back to secure a half-length verdict. Murphy said: "We always liked her. We left her a little longer but good fillies you always leave a little longer, you never put them over. "He got her switched off, he's confident and he's ridden for me 17 years now. "This is 50 years of work, that's what it is, of love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people, it's just a whole group of people together. This is heaven on earth. "It's a lifetime's ambition to have a Group One winner. She's by Australia - a sire I love - and her half-brother (Perotto) won the Britannia so the pedigree was there and if she was an inch bigger I wouldn't have her! "I was hoping Lake Victoria stayed in because we'd have a lesser race and then we'd have pace and ride her easier, you know what I mean. "She travelled well, Gary gave her a great ride, and we were thinking that being by Australia she'd stay as well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she's very tough and a dream to train. The plan was today so now we'll draw new plans." Carroll said: "It's unbelievable. I've been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group Ones. This is my first one and if I was ever to ride a Group One winner it was for Joe Murphy. "I've been riding for him since I was a 7lb claimer and he's been very, very good to me so I'm delighted I can repay him. "She ran a blinder at the Curragh where the slow pace didn't suit. We went a bit better gallop there today, got to the front a furlong and a half out and she waited, the French horse came and headed me; to be fair to this one she's not big but she's very tough and she stuck her head out for me. "It's hugely satisfying to win a Group One. They're so hard to come by. Good horses are very hard to come by. To do this, Royal Ascot, magic. "After the Guineas run, a better run race there she'd have finished closer again, I think she's taken a step forward from there and she's ultra-tough, she doesn't know when to give up." Earlier Ethical Diamond made it a momentous day at Royal Ascot for Willie Mullins when powering down the outside to win the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes in the hands of Ryan Moore. Mullins and his wife Jackie had taken part in the royal procession before racing and his dual-purpose performer had no trouble in justifying 3-1 favouritism. Fourth last year, he was 2lb higher having also finished fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham - but the result barely looked in doubt and he came home two lengths clear of Mutaawid and Naqeeb. Mullins said: "Last year he just ran too free and things didn't work out for him, but he still ran a cracker to be fourth so I thought if we get things right this year he had a real live chance and it worked out that way. "We will give him a little break, bring him home; we will look at York next, a race like the Ebor. We'd love to (go to Australia) if we could get him qualified, that was my first thought coming in. "I think he would handle a trip to Australia, he wears the hood because he's a bit keen, but that'd be no problem. "There's a big one over hurdles in him too, but for the moment we'll concentrate on Flat racing." He added: "These are just fantastic days, Jackie was just saying to me coming in here today 'just enjoy it', and then to have a winner on top that is the cherry on the cake. "Tuesday was a little disappointing, but we live to fight another day and hopefully Reaching High (unlucky in the Ascot Stakes for the King and Queen) will be back for the same race next year. Ryan had nowhere to go, he was just locked in on the inside and that was that." Ed Walker's profitable season continued when Never Let Go (22-1) pounced late to win the Sandringham Stakes. Walker has enjoyed a string of Group-race successes this season but the victory will have meant plenty to the man on top, Kieran Shoemark, who has endured a trying time this season with the defeat of Field Of Gold in the 2000 Guineas. Low numbers once again dominated on the straight track, after three days of high numbers being favoured, with Never Let Go beating Cajole - trained by the Gosdens - by a length. The King and Queen were out of luck with their runner, Purple Rainbow, who was handy early but faded. Walker said: "When Kieran lost the job with John and Thady (Gosden), I said, 'I don't mean to be selfish, but I'm thrilled because it means I can use you more!'. He's a great jockey, a great guy and he will bounce back." He added of his winner: "I think she can go on. The family get better with time, she's still very raw and unfurnished and leggy."
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Cercene upstages Zarigana in Coronation Stakes
Billed as a clash between French 1,000 Guineas winner Zarigana and Owen Burrows' supplemented Falakeyah, it was the Irish outsider who stole the show to become the race's longest-priced winner at 33-1. Falakeyah's challenge faded tamely having raced keenly, but 6-4 favourite Zarigana looked prime to pounce in hands of Mickael Barzalona and in fact looked to briefly have passed Cercene. However, Irish 1,000 third Cercene was not to be denied and proved her Curragh performance was no fluke as she battled back to secure a half-length verdict. Murphy said: 'We always liked her. We left her a little longer but good fillies you always leave a little longer, you never put them over. 33/1! CERCENE WINS THE CORONATION STAKES! #ROYALASCOT — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2025 'He got her switched off, he's confident and he's ridden for me 17 years now. 'This is 50 years of work, that's what it is, of love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people, it's just a whole group of people together. This is heaven on earth. 'It's a lifetime's ambition to have a Group One winner. She's by Australia – a sire I love – and her half-brother (Perotto) won the Britannia so the pedigree was there and if she was an inch bigger I wouldn't have her! 'I was hoping Lake Victoria stayed in because we'd have a lesser race and then we'd have pace and ride her easier, you know what I mean. 'She travelled well, Gary gave her a great ride, and we were thinking that being by Australia she'd stay as well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she's very tough and a dream to train. The plan was today so now we'll draw new plans.' Carroll said: 'It's unbelievable. I've been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group Ones. This is my first one and if I was ever to ride a Group One winner it was for Joe Murphy. 'I've been riding for him since I was a 7lb claimer and he's been very, very good to me so I'm delighted I can repay him. 'She ran a blinder at the Curragh where the slow pace didn't suit. We went a bit better gallop there today, got to the front a furlong and a half out and she waited, the French horse came and headed me; to be fair to this one she's not big but she's very tough and she stuck her head out for me. 'It's hugely satisfying to win a Group One. They're so hard to come by. Good horses are very hard to come by. To do this, Royal Ascot, magic. 'After the Guineas run, a better run race there she'd have finished closer again, I think she's taken a step forward from there and she's ultra-tough, she doesn't know when to give up.'
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Royal Ascot: Cercene springs surprise in Coronation Stakes
Cercene gave jockey Gary Carroll and trainer Joseph Murphy a day to remember when bravely holding off French hotpot Zarigana to land the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Billed as a clash between French 1,000 Guineas winner Zarigana and Owen Burrows' supplemented Falakeyah, it was the Irish outsider who stole the show to become the race's longest-priced winner at 33-1. CERCENE defies the odds to win the Coronation Stakes, under the mount of G.F. Carroll for trainer Joseph G. Murphy. Congratulations to connections. — Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2025 Falakeyah's challenge faded tamely having raced keenly, but 6-4 favourite Zarigana looked prime to pounce in hands of Mickael Barzalona and in fact looked to briefly have passed Cercene. However, Irish 1,000 third Cercene was not to be denied and proved her Curragh performance was no fluke as she battled back to secure a half-length verdict
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Royal Ascot favourite's defeat ‘brings pain back' for media star turned owner
The social media influencer, owner of controversially demoted Classic 'winner Shes Perfect', claimed performance of filly awarded the prize at Ascot proved stewards made wrong decision More pain was heaped on social media influencer Basher Watts at Royal Ascot on Friday when hot favourite Zarigana was defeated in the Coronation Stakes. Watts has used his online following to enter the world of racehorse ownership and launch his own syndicates. He has enjoyed a rapid climb with one of his first horses Shes Perfect proving good enough to tackle Classic company. She lined up in the French 1,000 Guineas as a plucky outsider but ended the race as the first past the post, defeating local favourite Zarigana by a nose. However Longchamp stewards determined that Shes Perfect was guilty of interference which impacted fast-finishing favourite Zarigana who was awarded victory with the Watts filly placed second. Watts, trainer Charlie Fellowes and jockey Kieran Shoemark returned to France to argue that the stewards made the wrong call but lost their appeal. Shes Perfect was well beaten on her next start in the French Oaks while Zarigana went off the 6-4 favourite to provide a real example of her talent in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes. Yet the Aga Khan filly came up short again, making smooth progress to get to the lead only then get outbattled by 33-1 chance Cercene, a first royal meeting winner for trainer Joseph Murphy. Fellowes could not resist a dig at the second, writing on X, 'And that is precisely why the Pouliches should never have been taken away from Shes Perfect.' Watts, who calls his filly 'Sue', posted his own reaction on the social media site. He said: 'The positive is that the French 1,000 Guineas form has been franked. Zarigana was there, put her head in front in the final furlong, she should have won. It proves that the French form is franked. 'The negative is it proves there is no way in hell that race should have ever have been taken away from her. Sue battles, Sue battles, Sue battles. Zarigana loves to put her head up and get beat. 'They have to overturn a race if there is no question whatsoever the inconvienced horse would have won. There has to be so many questions whether she would actually have gone past. 'In my opinion she was never ever ever going past. It brings the pain all back.'
