O’Briens declare war on Animal Kingdom at Ascot

American superstar Animal Kingdom proved a bitter disappointment as Declaration Of War claimed victory in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of Royal Ascot 2013.

Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup hero Animal Kingdom was a hot favourite for this one-mile Group One contest, but with the early pace far from frenetic, Graham Motion’s challenger was pulling fiercely for his head under John Velazquez, who had a distinct lack of cover.

When the five-year-old did come under pressure from the halfway stage, there was little response and he weakened quickly to finish in arrears.

Declaration Of War, always held in high regard by trainer Aidan O’Brien, was a 15-2 chance to bounce back from a disappointing run when favourite for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month.

Always travelling strongly in the hands of the trainer’s son Joseph, the four-year-old was briefly stuck behind a wall of horses and it appeared the gap would never come.

However, once in the clear, Declaration Of War showed brilliant acceleration and was well on top in the end. The War Front colt passed the post three-quarters of a length clear of Aljamaaheer, with Gregorian third.

The winning rider said: “I’m not really quite sure what happened in the Lockinge. Dad thought he wasn’t quite as fit as he’d hoped to have him. He said he had him 100 per cent today and he was bang on.

“I was going very well and I just went into the gap. It got a little bit tight, but he was going exceptionally well and quickened up well, but he idled when he got there. He’s a very good horse. We thought that at Newbury and we were a little bit disappointed but we sorted a few things — all the lads in the yard have done a great job. It’s nice to start off on the front foot.”

O’Brien senior said: “We are delighted. We thought the world of him last year. He just had an easy win first time at Leopardstown and then he went to the Lockinge. I left him unready and he wasn’t ready for the race at the time, but he has made great progress since and has come back to what we thought and hoped he would be. He has a lot of speed, so Joseph waited as long as he could. He’s a big powerful horse and when he asked him he put his head down and went through.”

O’Brien’s apparent third string War Command made it four wins form four for the Irish raiders, after wins for Sole Power and Dawn Approach, turning in a breathtaking display under Séamie Heffernan to take top honours in the Coventry Stakes.

The Ballydoyle handler was responsible for 5-2 favourite Stubbs, as well as leading contender Sir John Hawkins (6-1), with War Command a 20-1 shot after making a winning debut at Leopardstown just 11 days earlier.

Stubbs ranged up on the outside in the hands of the trainer’s son Joseph a furlong down, with John Hawkins and Ryan Moore also in there pitching, but neither had any answer to War Command’s stunning finishing effort.

The American-bred juvenile passed the post six lengths clear of the eyecatching Parbold, who made good ground in the final furlong having encountered traffic problems. Sir John Hawkins picked up minor money in third, with Stubbs eventually weakening into sixth position.

Sole Power was the second Irish winner of the day when edging out South African raider Shea Shea to claim a deserved victory in a thrilling climax to the King’s Stand Stakes.

Edward Lynam’s stable star has been knocking at the door in Group One sprints ever since winning his 100-1 shock victory in the Nunthorpe at York three years ago and finished an excellent third in last year’s King’s Stand.

Mike de Kock’s Shea Shea was the 11-4 favourite after smashing the Meydan track record in the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night in March, and appeared to have claimed victory when coming through on the far side of the track.

However, 8-1 shot Sole Power was produced to perfection by Johnny Murtagh, absolutely blitzing through the final furlong and getting up right on the line on the near side of the track. As the pair were so far apart, the result went to a photo finish, but the judge confirmed the Irish runner the victor by a neck. Pearl Secret made good late headway to finish third.

Murtagh said: “Forty winners at Royal Ascot, I’m really proud of it.

“As a jockey this is where you want to be performing. It makes the Mondays and the Fridays a lot easier when you come to a meeting like this and ride great horses for good people. I’ve just been one of the lucky ones.

“Eddie (Lynam) told me to ride him like I normally ride him and to ride him like I owned him. He’s got a great turn of foot if you can just conserve his energy. He’s very willing and if he gets going too early he runs out of steam. You’ve got to time it to the best. I didn’t see Shea Shea but I knew I’d hit the line well.”