Matt Brocklebank's Royal Ascot Awards for 2024 including Rosallion as the star performer
After 35 trophies were dished out at Royal Ascot this week, our Matt Brocklebank finds room for 10 more as he hands out his awards from best horse to future star.
🏆 Horse of the Week: ROSALLION
Richard Hannon (and his father before him) knows a thing or two about brilliant milers and there’s no question the yard has another one on their hands here in Rosallion.
Gutted when his son of Blue Point flopped in Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes last September and sporting the same shocked expression in the immediate aftermath of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, where Rosallion had to settle for second behind Notable Speech, Hannon has very much kept the faith throughout and, after getting back on track at the Curragh last month, it must have felt seriously good to see the horse back up that effort at Ascot, where he was so impressive on his one and only visit as a two-year-old.
Jockey Sean Levey remains adamant we’ve yet to really see the best of Rosallion, and perhaps that will come to light when tackling older horses for the first time in a strongly-run Sussex Stakes featuring Queen Anne winner Charyn, but Tuesday’s neck defeat of Henry Longfellow – who had the perfect trip and got first run on the winner in the straight – had all the hallmarks of a colt going right to the top of the pile.
Honourable mention: Auguste Rodin added the Prince Of Wales's Stakes to his top-level wins in the Futurity Trophy, Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf. Forget the blowouts for a moment - what a magnificent CV he is accumulating. Do we all now pray for decent ground at Longchamp on the first Sunday in October?
🏆 Trainer of the Week: AIDAN O’BRIEN
Trainer of the week? Well that, ladies and gentlemen, was Aidan O’Brien; arguably the trainer of most weeks of the year, in fairness. And when will we all finally learn that some of his horses, including those at very short prices, being beaten on desperate ground in April and May isn’t actually anything in the least bit to be concerned about?
Illinois, one such example having finished third at 8/11 in the Ballysax, is the archetypal Ballydoyle three-year-old colt allowed time to progress and improve as he gains experience and race-sharpness. Granted, Lingfield proved he wasn’t up to Epsom standard, but Wednesday’s Queen’s Vase was right in his wheelhouse and he now looks a leading hope for the St Leger at Doncaster.
O’Brien ended the week with six winners, claiming the QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Trainer Award for the 13th time in his remarkable career.
Honourable mention: Saeed bin Suroor took hope the leading trainer prize in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004, saddling six winners on the latter occasion, but admitted times are tough at his yard currently following Wild Tiger’s Hunt Cup success. Bin Suroor only sent two to the meeting this year so his 50% strike-rate has to be applauded.
It was a low-key week for Godolphin’s principal trainer, Charlie Appleby, by contrast as none of his half-dozen runners managed to finish in the first three and they were sent off at 6/4, 9/4, 3/1, 100/30, 6/1 and 9/1.
🏆 Ride of the Week: RYAN MOORE on Fairy Godmother
Decent ride; brilliant ride; terrible ride… the margins are so, so fine.
“I gave Fairy Godmother an impossible task and she got me out of a hole."
So said a bashful Ryan Moore following the Albany Stakes on Thursday and there’s no question he was on board an exceptional talent, but I saw this as a masterful piece of jockeyship.
Drawn in six and apparently away from the pick of the early pace, on paper at least, Moore was quick to go left-hand-down and ignore the opportunity to join a small group of riders who elected to stay in their lane early on. Fairy Godmother was deliberately brought over to join the nearside bunch and was tucked into the pack for cover some way off the speed.
The two groups came together around halfway – barring Joel Rosario on Wes Ward’s Burning Pine who ploughed on all alone – and Moore was probably not far off just where he wanted to be, although his position suddenly looked more hairy than Fairy as the gap right in front slammed shut at the two-furlong marker.
It was then onto plan C for the rider, who switched left – and then left again – to end up making his challenge closest to the stands’ rail. But, in typical fashion, he was following the right horse in the fast-finishing Shimmering, who looked well set to go extremely close herself before the highly promising Fairy Godmother engaged overdrive on the final climb to the line.
Shimmering’s jockey Jamie Spencer has made his name executing such rides on the Ascot straight course, but this one belonged to Moore; a genius in the saddle who consistently just finds the solutions, no matter the predicament.
Honourable mention: Tom Marquand kept it nice and simple on Porta Fortuna in the Coronation Stakes, tracking what he felt was the main danger in Opera Singer, before producing his filly to perfection in the straight.
🏆 Jockey of the Week: OISIN MURPHY
OK, he didn’t land the official leading rider award – that accolade going to Moore for the 11th occasion after another sensational week including six victories - but Oisin Murphy, who claimed four, gets my vote.
With Frankie out of the way (almost…!), there's a bit of a gap in the weighing room and there’s no doubt the enigmatic Murphy can go some way to filling that void. Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup was his only winner here during the rider’s bounce-back year last season, but he’d bettered that tally by race three on Wednesday as Running Lion made just about every yard to win the Duke Of Cambridge from ring-rusty stablemate Laurel.
Murphy won the Hunt Cup on Wild Tiger later on the same afternoon but will have taken most pride from his Group 1 double on Asfoora in Tuesday’s King Charles III Stakes and Khaadem in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, races Murphy had never really come close to winning before.
Asfoora hadn’t shone under regular rider Mitch Aitken, who came over from Australia to partner the filly in her prep run at Haydock, but it was probably more a case of her not enjoying the soft conditions in the north west than anything specifically to do with how she was ridden. She was electric on day one, gunning down the home team's main hopes Regional and Big Evs with a brilliant burst, and it was always the plan to stay for the summer so visits to Goodwood and York are presumably still on the agenda.
Honourable mentions: A dead-heat for second in this particular heat and Billy Loughnane, who landed a double with Rashabar in the Coventry and Soprano in the Sandringham, would be a clear-cut ‘smile of the week’ winner if such a thing existed.
"This is a dream come true. When you get the feeling, you always want to have it again,” he said. One suspects 18-year-old Loughnane is only just getting started on what could be a long and fruitful Royal Ascot journey.
And on Saturday, Callum Shepherd unleashed a whole heap of pent-up emotion after crossing the line in front on Isle Of Jura in the Hardwicke. “I just want to let my riding do the talking – I’ll be just fine, you watch me,” he said after riding the same horse at Goodwood last month.
We were watching, Callum, and we bloody loved it.
🏆 Race of the Week: GOLD CUP
It’s back to Moore and that man O’Brien again, but it takes two to tango and in Thursday’s Gold Cup it was the same pair of horses who had locked horns in thrilling fashion in last October’s British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Trawlerman, under an inspired and departing Frankie Dettori, got the better of Kyprios in the autumn but the roles were reversed this week as the 2022 winner came roaring back to his best - or close to it - to regain the crown he had to give up while on the injury list last summer.
Trawlerman was brave for William Buick in defeat, but the big question with Kyprios going into this year’s Gold Cup was whether he would really go to the well once again when the ultimate pressure was applied.
Four minutes and 18.4 pulsating seconds later, we had the answer.
Honourable mention: It looked a particularly good edition of the Group 3 Jersey Stakes beforehand and it produced a gripping conclusion, Guineas third (and Irish Guineas second) Haatem ultimately toughing it out under the 3lb penalty to beat Kikkuli, who was just a fraction too keen through the early stages. There will be other major days for Frankel's half-brother Kikkuli, but Haatem is every inch the "warrior" James Doyle was hailing post-race and he probably belongs back in Group 1 company.
🏆 Quote of the Week: RALPH BECKETT
“I said yesterday that Doha wasn’t a plot, but this was a bit of a plot. When Going The Distance won at Kempton, I think he was our only winner in April, and got a few pounds for winning there, so it all fitted together like a glove.
“Today, Rossa was foot perfect on this fellow, he really was. He got it absolutely right, we planned it, it was a balls of steel ride and it worked out well. We will enjoy today. Today was the plan.”
Mike Tyson’s famous quip springs to mind but, thankfully for Ralph Beckett, Rossa Ryan and connections of Going The Distance, nobody got punched in the mouth and the plan was executed to perfection in Wednesday’s King George V Stakes.
It was a timely reminder that these valuable handicaps do come onto race-planners’ radars a long way out and fair play to Beckett, who not only also won the Kensington Palace (Doha) but had horses inside the first six in the Hunt Cup, the Ribblesdale, the Britannia (x2), the Sandringham, Jersey, King Edward VII and the Golden Gates Stakes to boot.
Honourable mention: "I’m just disappointed that he’s lost his balls”. Stephane Pasquier after riding the gelded Calandagan to victory in the King Edward VII Stakes, in the manner of a horse well capable of holding his own in a race like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – were he allowed to be entered...
🏆 Owner of the Week: WEAR A PINK RIBBON SYNDICATE
Numerically, of course, the leading owners were the Coolmore ‘Lads’, but for whom victory on this special stage really meant most was there for all to see as Crystal Black won the Duke Of Edinburgh on Thursday.
Members of the Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate – named after a close friend Breda Miley who passed away after raising money for the Irish Cancer Society – made their presence felt before, during and after the progressive six-year-old brought up a remarkable four-timer with a resounding victory under Colin Keane.
Trainer Ger Keane, the rider’s father, spoke emotionally afterwards and you could just tell the moment would be remembered fondly by all of them for years to come. The same bunch of owners enjoyed a trip to Australia a few years ago with True Self, who won a Group race at Flemington for Willie Mullins, and although the Sky Bet Ebor was mentioned, it's worth noting that is a 'win and you're in' race for the Melbourne Cup these days.
🏆 Eyecatcher of the Week: KYLE OF LOCHALSH
You’d be forgiven for thinking a horse that’s won four handicaps since last July and has just finished third in one off a 10lb higher mark than his previous outing is now probably in the grip of the assessor. Think again.
Connections of Kyle Of Lochalsh were clearly a tad unlucky as they'd have preferred to run him in the same day’s Copper Horse Handicap rather than over the two and a half miles of the Ascot Stakes, but he got balloted out of the shorter race and went on to run a blinder in Tuesday’s marathon.
A sluggish start left him towards the back of the field and he was messed about as Ndaawi cut across him after only a couple of furlongs. That early slot probably wasn’t ideal given the winner sat handily throughout, but Billy Loughnane must have been a bit wary of potential stamina limitations and he waited before quickening smartly through a gap with two furlongs to travel.
Kyle Of Lochalsh stuck to the task to hold the veteran Get Shirty for third but he’ll be more effective back over slightly shorter and, having now proven himself on ground ranging from soft to good to firm, trainer Hughie Morrison might want to start working back from the Ebor – if he hadn’t already that is.
🏆 Sire of the Week: GALILEO
Galileo may have passed on but his influence won't be going anywhere any time soon and the super-sire posthumously reigned Royal Ascot once again with three winners. It was one of the most competitive heats of the week, in truth, with sons and daughters of 30 (!) different stallions registering victories.
It looked like being a three-way dead-heat on the final day, Frankel and Dark Angel also with two going into the very last race, but you can usually rely on the late, great Galileo in the Queen Alexandra and Uxmal - one of his four representatives in the depleted nine-runner field - powered home to seal the gong for the Daddy of daddies.
Winning sires at Royal Ascot 2024: Galileo x2, Frankel x2, Dark Angel x2, Holy Roman Emperor, Flying Artie, Blue Point, Sea The Stars, Muhaarar, Belardo, Kodi Bear, Roaring Lion, Deep Impact, Sea The Stars, Sands Of Mali, Not This Time, Lope De Vega, Australia, Soldier’s Call, Zoffany, Wootton Bassett, Night Of Thunder, Shamardal, Caravaggio, Teofilo, Starspangledbanner, Gleneagles, New Approach, Phoenix Of Spain, Dutch Art, Churchill.
Honourable mention: The wonderful Shamardal died at the age of 18 in 2020, but his legacy lives on as a sire-of-sires with the likes of Blue Point, Lope De Vega and more making a splash at a high level with their own progeny. And, in his final crop, the former French Guineas and Derby hero is still producing the goods at the Royal meeting, Inisherin flying the flag with distinction in the Commonwealth Cup this week.
🏆 Future Star of the Week: ENGLISH OAK
The inclination was obviously to focus on the juveniles for this particular gong and wide-margin Chesham winner Bedtime Story, along with Albany-winning stablemate Fairy Godmother, look to have a massive futures but, as is often the case at this meeting, I reckon we saw some proper Group horses winning the handicaps and in the end I settled on ready Buckingham Palace winner English Oak.
With talk of a possible crack at the July Cup next, it has to be Ed Walker’s charge who gets the vote as for all that a high draw appeared to prove beneficial, to see him defy the 9lb rise for his Haydock win in May - in the manner he did – was deeply impressive.
His new owners Wathnan Racing evidently want to be competing in the biggest races in Britain and this rapidly-improving son of Wootton Bassett deserves a crack at the Newmarket Group 1, especially if there’s some ease underfoot as he handles all kinds of going.
Click here to add English Oak to your My Stable tracker.
Honourable mention: A close call for me between English Oak and Hunt Cup hero Wild Tiger, who has a not-too-dissimilar profile to the same stable’s 2021 winner Real World, who went on to win twice at Group 2 level.
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