Royal Ascot Trials Day review: Reports, replays and reaction

Coltrane toughs it out in Sagaro

Coltrane landed back-to-back victories in the Longines Sagaro Stakes, but was made to pull out all the stops to repel the late challenge of Caius Chorister.

Andrew Balding's teak-tough seven-year-old was sent off a 7/2 chance under Oisin Murphy and, after first mastering the strong-travelling 2/1 favourite Sweet William, he had to find extra close home to hold on by a head from David Menuisier's fast-finishing mare Caius Chorister, the 11/1 outsider of the field.

Paddy Power and Betfair clipped Coltrane to 14/1 from 20s for the Gold Cup at next month's Royal meeting, a race in which he was second to Courage Mon Ami last summer.

Balding believes another tilt at next month’s race is in order for his charge. He said: "I think there was a concern whether the fire was still there, but I think it certainly was.

“I think he was in front longer than Oisin probably wanted to be but he was really brave there at the end. He’s a fighter and a star really. We train horses so we can come across one like him and he keeps producing.

“Maybe the cheekpieces sparked him up today, but he really looked well and maybe he just wasn’t himself in Meydan. He’s just come to himself now and he’s a fighter. He loves Ascot and has run one bad race here and that’s it. We’ll look forward to coming back here in June.

“He does his own thing at home, which is not very much in the mornings. We’ll let him do his own thing and he will train himself for the Gold Cup. We did the same last year and he ran a stellar race, so we will try to do the same thing.”

Clive Washbourn, owner of runner-up Caius Chorister, hopes to fulfil his “dream” of his horse running in the Gold Cup next month.

“David’s a genius, what a run that was! We gave it to them. We’ve got to have a crack at the Gold Cup now,” he said.

“When we won the Prix Belle de Nuit at Saint-Cloud, I was a bit embarrassed after I said the King is going to have to get used to my celebrations. But I will say one thing now, he might have to.

“That was amazing and everyone says little fillies can’t beat geldings. I bred this horse and I’m so proud. It’s nothing to do with money, it’s the sheer pride of pulling it off. I’m blown away.

“If anyone is thinking of buying a horse, I’ll tell you one thing, it’s orgasmic. That last furlong was unbelievable and I thought we had got it. It’s a very different feeling when you breed them yourself and she’s a horse of a lifetime. A runner in the Gold Cup will be a dream for me.”

Cox ace back with a bang

Clive Cox is looking forward to having a crack at the QIPCO 2000 Guineas with the unbeaten Ghostwriter and will go into Saturday's Classic on a high after seeing Jasour make a fine start to his three-year-old campaign.

Last year's July Stakes winner had appeared to lose his way a little towards the end of 2023 but, reunited with Jim Crowley and fresh from his winter break, the son of Havana Grey produced a smashing performance on the drying ground.

Crowley held the 9/1 shot up at the rear of the field in the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes before sweeping through the pack a furlong out to win the six-furlong Group 3 by a length and three-quarters from in-form and race-fit filly Adaay In Devon, the 16/5 favourite.

Third went to 9/2 chance Purosangue, with 28/1 outsider Jakajaro back in fourth.

Jasour was cut to 12/1 from 33/1 by Betfair and Paddy Power for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next month.

“He was class last year in the July Stakes and then in the Prix Morny they split and he was left in the middle and he just got a bit free,” said Cox.

“I think he got a bit frightened as a juvenile and he pulled far too hard in the Middle Park. We’ve worked and we’ve worked, and he enjoyed some precious turnout time up until Christmas at home. The whole team has worked really hard to make sure we’ve kept him this way.

“I was very disappointed things hadn’t worked out (in the second half of last season), but it was quite rewarding to watch him through the winter become more confident. He’s an individual personality and quite his own person, but today has been so rewarding to see him do that. It’s very special.

“Jim seemed to strike a chord with him last year in the July Stakes and I’m just pleased it has all worked out today. Jim has given him a super confidence-building run back and I really feel winning is a super bonus, I wasn’t entirely sure about that happening.

“I was a little bit worried the ground might be too easy for him, but that didn’t seem to be a problem and his July Stakes performance on quicker ground give us a clear feel in that respects. He’s just come back here with a completely different look in his eye, understanding life isn’t that difficult if he gets it the right way round.”

Cox has tasted success in the Commonwealth Cup previously with Golden Horde striking in 2020.

Like Jasour, he was owned by Sheikh Sultan’s Al Mohamediya Racing and connections’ latest speedster could tune-up for his main summer target at Haydock on May 25 in the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Sandy Lane Stakes.

Cox added: “The Commonwealth Cup absolutely has to be the target and we were worried about the weather today and how he would cope. After today I will sleep a lot easier and I don’t think I will be watching so many weather forecasts so many times before his next run I would say.

“Sheikh Sultan has been an absolute gentleman and fully on board with our plan to try and what we’ve been doing to try to engineer Jasour’s confidence. He wasn’t here today, but hopefully he will next time.

“Golden Horde was a completely quieter individual to deal with and I didn’t lose any sleep over him at all.

“I think going via the Sandy Lane (to the Commonwealth Cup) would be nice and I look forward to seeing him on a sounder surface.”

Quddwah winner for the Crisfords

Quddwah was cut to 20/1 from 40/1 by Paddy Power and Betfair for the Queen Anne Stakes in June after making a successful seasonal comeback in the Bet With Ascot Donation Scheme Paradise Stakes.

The one-mile Listed contest attracted five runners including the fragile Maljoom but the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Quddwah was the only one with an unblemished record and he managed to take his tally to three wins from three starts after swooping late under William Buick.

The Kingman colt had looked booked for a supporting role as Docklands and Maljoom did battle entering the final furlong, the former getting the better of William Haggas's lightly-raced five-year-old, but the effort seemed to take its toll in the final 150 yards and Buick timed his run to perfection on the 4/1 chance.

Ed Crisford said: “He’s a very big horse who has been off for 11 months and we did as much as we could at home, we never took him away. I thought he would get a bit tired, but there was not much pace on and he got a lovely tow into the race – it was a lovely ride.

“He won at Newmarket nicely and we were due to run him at the July meeting in a Listed race, but just before he got a little issue and we had to put him away. However, he’d always shown he was a horse on the up.

“He’s a very immature horse still as you saw when he was going in the stalls, he’s only had two runs and he will come on a bundle for this, he’s a big baby. I was really impressed how he battled at the end.

“We put him in the Queen Anne and we’ll speak to Sheikh Ahmed and there’s the Diomed Stakes at Epsom along the way as an option. He’s a horse with ability who is learning his trade and hopefully a fun horse to have.

“He’s a bit immature and the track (at Epsom) might be a lot, but we have to look at what the options are and he just wants bringing along in a nice manner. He is in the Queen Anne and I don’t think I’d have reservations about that, because he’ll come on a lot from this and it just depends on what happens in the next few weeks.

“This was only his third race and he’s still got his whole future ahead of him. He’s a very nice horse to have in the stable. It’s just getting going after a rough winter for all the horses but it’s nice to get a nice winner at Ascot.”

Enchanting remains unbeaten

Enchanting Empress maintained her unbeaten record with victory in the Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial EBF Conditions Stakes, giving owners Amo Racing back-to-back victories in the opening race on 'Trials Day'.

The Wolverhampton maiden winner was easy enough to back under David Egan, being sent off at 11/2 following strong support for Clive Cox's newcomer Diligently, but knuckled down well when brought to challenge Rock Hunter in the final furlong and a half.

The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained daughter of Sergei Prokofiev stayed on strongly to score by a neck from 100/30 shot Rock Hunter, with Sex On Fire (17/2) running on for third just ahead of Diligently.

Egan said on Sky Sports Racing: "I was very surprised she was able to win on debut as she showed lots of greenness and it was all happening a bit quickly for her around there, but she did nothing but stay on that day.

"The way she hit the line here - I couldn't pull her up - I'd have thought she'll be more of a six furlong filly. She had to be gritty. She was getting weight from colts and geldings but you couldn't be more pleased with that."

The winning trainer said: "I'm delighted with her, she probably wasn't 100% tuned up first time out but has progressed from that.

"David thinks she'll be an Albany filly if coming back to Ascot (next month).

We have some lovely horses, it's great for the whole team."

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