Royal Ascot 2024 day four review & replays | Fairy Godmother and Inisherin impress

Godmother sprinkles fairy dust on Ascot

Fairy Godmother (15/8 favourite) produced a sparkling display to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The word was out that there was plenty of confidence behind the Ballydoyle filly and she was well backed despite Aidan O'Brien's juveniles not quite hitting the mark on the first three days.

Ryan Moore had her nicely settled in midfield but the field bunched together and he soon found himself short of racing room. Fairy Godmother didn't appear to be going anywhere quickly as stablemate Heavens Gate kicked from the front with market rival Mountain Breeze in pursuit.

Moore had to switch markedly towards the stands' side to find racing room and Fairy Godmother picked up smartly once in the clear to cut down Heavens Gate and the fast-finishing Simmering who claimed second.

The winning distances were three quarters of a length and a neck.

They say good horses make good jockeys and Moore gave all the credit to Fairy Godmother, telling ITV Racing: "I gave her an impossible task and she got me out of a hole.

"I wanted to be towards the stands' side a little bit, the best horses were there. We didn't go mad, we had all the horses in front of me and around me and it was incredible that she was able to win from that position so all credit to her. Down at the start she looked different class, she suggested that before she ran, and when she won last time. Today, that was a big performance.”

Paddy Power cut Fairy Godmother to 5/1 from 12/1 for the 2025 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Fairy Godmother was following a tried and tested path to Royal Ascot having won the Group 3 Sprint Stakes at Naas in May, just like the two previous Albany winners Porta Fortuna and Meditate, a performance which impressed owner Michael Tabor.

"I saw her run last time and I said to Aidan at the time, when you see that turn of foot, which she obviously has, you know she's a good animal," he said. "Today, she just showed how good she was. We have many horses, we've had some good horses, some fantastic horses and hopefully she's in the category of a fantastic horse because they are the things you look forward to."

Moore may have been critical of himself but his trainer was full of praise, saying: “She’s an incredible filly, isn’t she? We thought she couldn’t get beat the first day, and couldn’t believe she got beat. Ryan said he was just going to teach her and educate her the next day, and take his time on her, and she did the same thing - he came from an impossible position and won well on the line. What she did there is incredible, and she’s only going to get better with every race, she’ll get stronger and will stay. She’s very exciting.

“Ryan was super-cool on her. He was worried where he was drawn that he had no cover, which is why he was going to take his time, come over and come back, which is easier said than done, but he did it. I’d say he was organising and trying to get her over, get her over, get her over, but it’s a very difficult thing to do. It’s difficult to do that, and everything not going right, and still have her when you want her. He was brilliant.

“Ryan said he thought she was going to be a Moyglare filly, so seven would be no problem for her this year. She’s obviously exceptional. Our other filly, Heaven’s Gate, ran a stormer. We thought she was a good filly. For her to pick them up like that was incredible, really.”

Stroll in the Common

Inisherin (9/4 favourite) repaid his supplementary fee and some with a straightforward success in the Commonwealth Cup.

Connections stumped up £46,000 to allow the Shamardal colt to line up in the Group One and he was all the rage in the market following his impressive performance in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

Settled towards the flank of the pack but always close to the pace, there were no concerns for Tom Eaves who got an immediate and decisive response when he asked Inisherin to go about his business.

Lake Forest came through late for second with the slow starting Jasour in third. Kind Of Blue finished fourth, running a mighty race after only two career starts, both in novice races. The winning distances were two and a quarter lengths and a head.

Inisherin had finished sixth in the 2000 Guineas prior to Haydock and owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum trainer Kevin Ryan told him 'he would make a very good sprinter' straight after the classic, The owner confirmed that both Inisherin and his St James's Palace winner Rosallion would both remain in training next year.

Ryan added: "He's very good. The great thing about him is he's got such a great temperament, he's just an absolute pleasure to train. We'll go for the July Cup now, possibly the Maurice de Gheest and Champions Day back here."

Eaves said: "He's a machine. I'm very lucky to be on him. A big thank you to Sheikh Mohamed Obaid and Kevin Ryan. I've ridden some good sprinters, the last one being Glass Slippers, and you think well, you have to find another one. Tangerine Trees, Brando, they've all been very good but we all know how hard they are to come across.

"Fair play for keeping me on him, a massive thanks to everyone. Megan, who rides him at home and Steve the head lad. He's a unit of a horse, you see how long it took me to pull up. He's got a lot of class. He's quick and when I got off him after the Guineas before I had even opened my mouth, Kevin said he was a sprinter."

Paddy Power make Inisherin their 5/2 favourite from 10/1 for the July Cup at Newmarket.

They might not get home for a while

There were wild scenes in the paddock after Crystal Black (11/1) had come home with a late rattle to win the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

Owners Wear A Pink Syndicate had enjoyed quite the ride with Crystal Black since he had been bought out of Dermot Weld's yard as he'd won four of six starts this season, climbing two stone in the handicap.

Colin Keane, riding for his father Gerard, admitted that had been a concern, saying: "He's done a lot of winning so we weren't sure if he'd done too much with him but he was probably a group horse in a handicap!

"That must have been the biggest kick I've got out of riding a winner. I can't put it into words what this means for my father, but it's a very special day."

There were five in a line around a furlong from home, including the short-priced favourite Ethical Diamond, but Crystal Black, racing down the outside left them trailing in his wake.

He pulled two and a quarter lengths clear of Epic Poet but there was just a neck back to Ziggy and a head to Ethical Diamond and three more rivals hot on their heels in a competitive handicap.

The jockey expanded on the performance after unsaddling, saying: “It’s the most emotional I’ve felt about riding a winner. It’s very special riding one for my father at Royal Ascot, and a great bunch of owners. They might not get home for a while, to be honest, but they’re dead right.

“He’s improved from run to run. We thought he’d get a mile and a half the way he was finishing over a mile and a quarter; he seems to be a horse that the longer he’s on the bridle, the better he travels, and he can quicken. He’s just very progressive. Coming over here, we said if it was good to firm we wouldn’t run, but I’ve been riding him out all week in the mornings and I couldn’t believe how well he moved on it.

“At home he can just win a neck or head and has kept on the right side of the handicapper, thankfully. You’d imagine he’d have to move up to Group level now.

“Dad only has a small number of horses, and we’re mainly a breaking and pre-training yard now, so to have a horse like him in the yard is brilliant.”

The winning trainer said: “It’s unbelievable. It’s the biggest moment. I never even thought I would be at Royal Ascot, never mind have a runner in it – it’s my first runner here as well.

“This was the plan. He will have a couple of weeks holiday and we shall see. I imagine Group races and Listed races, that type of thing – he’s probably finished in handicaps, I would imagine."

Soprano calls the tune

An exciting renewal of the Sandringham Stakes over the straight mile saw Soprano (14/1) edge out Strutting and Uluru.

The 30 runners were spread across the wide expanse of the Ascot straight and market leaders Kitty Rose and Indelible were leading on the inside of the track with the latter winning that particular race.

It's been a good week for her trainer Ralph Beckett but on this occasion she was out of luck as the three fillies on the stands' side were ahead.

Soprano, trained by George Boughey and ridden by the teenage Billy Loughnane, had been highly tried last year, finishing in midfield in the Cheveley Park Stakes, won by today's Coronation Stakes winner Porta Fortuna, made the most of this first run in handicap company, coming home strongly to win by half a length.

"This week just keeps getting better and better," said Loughnane.

"It doesn't get better than riding a winner here. I was so lucky earlier on in the week to have landed one and take the pressure off. I said on Monday night that I would be disappointed if I drew a blank for the week but, wow, the feeling doesn't get old.

"George messaged me an hour ago and said, that puts us in good shape after Porta Fortuna won. To give George a winner at Royal Ascot, it means a lot. I wouldn't be in the position I am without the backing of George. If you told me last year that I would ride two winners here this year, I would have been a very happy boy."

Boughey added: “Saying that this filly has been unlucky wouldn’t quite quantify it, but huge credit has to go to Harry (Herbert) - we had a long phone conversation in the office the other morning. I wanted to go to Carlisle and Harry wanted to come to Ascot! She’s been a filly we’ve always held in really high regard. Leaving Epsom, I called Harry and said we’re going to the Sandringham - we’ve got to go, we’ve got to try the mile. She hit the line so strong at Musselburgh.

"She’s coming of age now, just like her jockey.”

The runner-up was ridden by Rachel King who has established herself as a top jockey in Australia since leaving England and she was delighted to be involved in the finish.

“I’m just wrapped to be in the finish," she said. "She was a lovely horse to ride. I think they did the right thing in bringing her back in trip a little bit. She travelled beautifully. She probably got herself there a little bit soon, but credit to her – she was super, super brave, and tried hard. The tough mile really suited her today.

“It was a big thrill. It was a huge privilege just to be here competing, but to be in the finish was even better.”

Calandagan routs King Edward VII

The King Edward VII Stakes, known as the Ascot Derby, had an open look to it beforehand but the race had long been over by the time Calandagan (11/2) crossed the line in the Group Two.

Chief Little Rock appeared to set strong early fractions and the field were quite well strung out behind. He tired on the turn into the straight where Macduff, who put a poor run in the Epsom Derby behind him, but the closers were soon snapping at his heels.

Most eyes were on the well-backed Space Legend but Calandagan went past him as if he was standing still, powering home to win by six lengths to the delight of Stephane Pasquier.

Space Legend held on for second, finishing almost two lengths clear of Royal Supremacy and Mondo Man.

Trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, Calandagan was stepping up in class and trip after landing a brace of Group 3s at ParisLongchamp in the spring.

Pasquier said of the winner: "He's a fantastic horse. It was a bit complicated in the first part, he needed to be nice from the gate, nice during the race and today it was perfect. The pace was fast enough to come from behind. I'm just disappointed that he's lost his balls (Calandagan is a gelding).

"I think he will travel around the world now, hopefully for lots of money."

On the decision to geld him, Graffard said: “The first time out at Deauville, he was very difficult. Difficult to load, and didn’t want to try much, so we had no choice. I’m very impressed. I was so down after my filly earlier, and this horse did it very easily, my wife was cheering beside me – we enjoyed the moment.

“With the draw we had, we found ourselves a little bit at the back. But we decided to ride him for himself. He’s not used to a big field like that, but he is very straightforward. It’s just unbelievable how he quickened all the way. It’s a pleasure. I’m so happy for the whole family. We had a tough week with Dolayli and Rouhiya, so it’s good to finish on a nice winner like him.”

Pilgrim leads them in the Palace

It was a different story in the Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes, a handicap over five furlongs where you wouldn't have been comfortable calling the winner until after they'd crossed the line.

Pilgrim (18/1) was in front where it mattered but was pushed all the way to the line by Blue Storm, the winner of the three-year-old dash at Epsom, who finished half a length adrift.

No Half Measures was third at 50/1 with Woodhay Wonder, who had won his last four races, in fourth.

Pilgrim is trained in partnership by David and Nicola Barron and ridden by Joe Fanning who said: "He's done it well there.

"I thought he might have knackered his handicap mark at Musselburgh. We always thought that he was a really nice horse, not just a good two-year-old, and he's shown there today he's good.

"It's a great place to come and have a winner so it's very nice. This lad has a lot of speed. He travelled very well and he won quite comfortably. He done it easy."

Winning owner Digby Atkinson added: “He’s run a great race. I’d lost him at one point. He ran out a good race last time out, and to win here today, at the Royal Meeting, is marvellous. It really is fantastic. We’ve had a horse come third here before, and to have a winner is exceptional.

“Nicola is with her daughter doing some university things and David has got a shed-load of runners tomorrow and the day after, so with Nicola being away, he’s tied up at home and can’t be here.

"He won by five and a half lengths at Musselburgh, and we thought Joe might have overegged it, but in hindsight, the handicapper put him up 11lb, and if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been here today because he wouldn’t have got in.”

More Royal Ascot previews, tips & features

• Matt Brocklebank's Value Bet
• Ben Linfoot's Verdict
• Karl Burke Stable Tour
• Harry Charlton Stable Tour
• Archie Watson Stable Tour
• Richard Hannon Stable Tour
• Dan Briden's Two-Year-Old Guide
• Timeform: Two-Year-Old pecking order
• Handicappers to note
• Royal Ascot Sky Bet Offers
• Latest Royal Ascot Build-A-Bet
• WATCH: The Stewards' Room Podcast

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