Royal Ascot Day One Review: Interviews with Aidan O'Brien and Michael Bell

Royal Ascot / Editor / 17 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Betfair Radio presenter Chris Barnett has been in the thick of the action at Ascot today, bagging interviews with the trainers of three of the day's winners. Listen to his review of the first day here and read his blog below...

The best designer dresses were brought out, the top hats dusted off and the lucky heather was offered to those who wanted it, and those who didn't too! Yes, it's Royal Ascot 2008 and against all the regular British weather traditions, the sun shone down on the Berkshire track for the opening day. A day when heroes would be made and dreams would be broken as quickly as they were first dreamt many a month ago.

Day one at this year's Royal Ascot opened with no less than three Group 1 events. The Queen Anne Stakes over a mile, The King's Stand Stakes over the minimum distance of five furlongs and the highlight of today's card, the St.James's Palace Stakes for three-year-olds over a mile.

Since being raised to Group 1 status in 2003, the Queen Anne Stakes has been dominated by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, having won seven out of the last 12 renewals, but this year their stable star, Creachadoir was a notable absentee, leaving a wide open race for the likes of Haradasun, Sageburg, Tariq and Darjina.

It was the former Australian trained horse Haradasun, now with the Irish maestro, Aidan O'Brien that defied its first English run after only finishing sixth in the Lockinge to grab the lead inside the final furlong to defy the determined Darjina and Finsceal Beo to land yet another Group 1 prize for the Ballydoyle trainer.

The King's Stand Stakes looked to be Fleeting Spirit's for the taking. Opposition in the shape of Australia's finest, Takeover Target and Magnus along with John Bests' Nunthorpe winner, Kingsgate Native were all highly feared but it was a surprise winner for the Spanish trained and Irish owned Equiano in a battling finish. The winner was driven out to hold on by ¾ of a length from the admirable Takeover Target and the mare, Fleeting Spirit another head away back in third. It was the owner's first ever runner at Royal Ascot and the winner now heads to Barry Hills' stable from its current Spanish base.

The showpiece of the day, The St James's Palace Stakes has a tradition of throwing up winners who have run in one of the Guineas races. In fact, 14 of the last 15 runners had this important statistic to their names, but only Rock Of Gibraltar had won both the Newmarket and Ascot races in his prime in 2002.

Henrythenavigator, representing John Magnier and Aidan O'Brien came into the race as the only horse able to match 'The Rock' and he didn't let his connections and fans down. Johnny Murtagh brought the son of Kingmambo to take up the running with two furlongs to go, brushing aside the opposition to win by just under a length in track record time. The gallant Ravens Pass finished second to prove that he stays a mile, a fact that his trainer John Gosden had questioned before this race with Henry Cecil's Twice Over, winner at the Newmarket Craven meeting in third. Both O'Brien and Murtagh hailed 'Henry' exceptional and unique, with the trainer adding: "I find it hard to think that I've had a better miler than him. He's a great horse - exceptional."

The Group 2 Coventry Stakes over six furlongs provided us with a winner Art Connoisseur who showed a terrific turn of speed under Jamie Spencer to cruise past the other 17 runners in impressive style in the final furlong to come home over two lengths clear at the line. Michael Bell, his trainer, was suitably impressed and was always confident that six furlongs would suit his horse better than the five furlongs he had previously won over.

The longest race of the day, the Ascot Stakes was run over two-and-a-half miles with Missoula just getting her head up on the line for trainer Suzy Smith under a well timed ride by Sam Hitchcott. The day's final race, the Windsor Castle Stakes, was won by a total outsider, Flashmans Papers, giving Steve Drowne a well earned Royal winner with Bushranger under Johnny Murtagh touched off in second.

So, day one is complete and it's Aidan O'Brien making the headlines again with a terrific double. Henrythenavigator proved the top miler of his generation, with the track record topping a great first day for the Irish at Royal Ascot.

Wednesday's highlight is the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, the only Group 1 race of the day, with Duke Of Marmalade looking to continue Aidan O'Brien's great run in top races. He'll be taken on by Ask, Phoenix Tower and Sixties Icon, amongst others over a mile and a quarter at 3.45.

One of the biggest handicaps is also on the card tomorrow, The Royal Hunt Cup over the straight mile may see one of the shortest priced favourites in a handicap at Royal Ascot when Frankie Dettori on Bankable takes on an expected 29 rivals in this year's renewal at 4.20.

But Sir Michael Stoute's Lang Shining and Michael Jarvis' We'll Come will provide strong opposition in a race that will be a spectacle to watch and I just can't wait for it all to start again after Her Majesty has arrived at the track just after 2pm.