Racing:Frankel turned in another spellbinding performance to maintain his unbeaten record in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening contest of Royal Ascot.
Henry Cecil’s colt put an early-season setback behind him to make a brilliant return to action in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month and he was an incredible 1-10 favourite to register his 11th victory from as many starts.
The world’s highest-rated racehorse predictably tracked his pacemaker and three-parts brother Bullet Train before taking over the lead three furlongs from home.
Excelebration did his best to stick with his old rival, but Frankel was once again in a class of his own as he stretched clear under Tom Queally to score by 11 lengths.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Excelebration filled the runner-up spot, his fifth defeat at the hands of Frankel. Side Glance finished third.
The result was scarcely in doubt from the halfway stage, as Frankel moved ominously to the lead still full of running.
Just for a moment it appeared as though Excelebration could shake up the market leader, but Frankel showed a quite devastating turn of foot to leave him and the rest of the field standing.
Excelebration almost paid the price for trying to take on Frankel as he tired in the final furlong, but he held off Side Glance by a neck to claim the runner-up spot.
Cecil said: “It’s a relief, I’m not surprised but relieved. There’s no such thing as a certainty. He is a great horse and you’ve seen him for yourself so everybody can form their own opinion.
“He did exactly what I thought but he’s still improving, Tom said he’s still improving. He looks as if he’ll stay a mile and a quarter so we’ll leave our options open.
“He’s in the Eclipse, he’s in the Sussex, he’s in the Juddmonte and the two races at the end of the year. He’ll tell me what to do next, I don’t tell him. It’s very unlikely he’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup.”
O’Brien said of the runner-up: “We were delighted with our horse but Frankel is unbelievable. We’ll look at the entries we’ve made, see how he is and then have a talk about it.”
Simenon
gave leading National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins his first taste of Royal Ascot success when careering away with the Ascot Stakes in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Mullins is a regular trainer of winners at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals, but is a rare visitor to the summer showpiece meeting.
A high-class Flat performer for Andrew Balding before joining Mullins to go hurdling, Simenon showed some smart form in his first few appearances over timber.
The 8-1 chance travelled powerfully throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest and showed a nice turn of foot in the home straight to win by six lengths.
Al Khawaneej grabbed the runner-up spot, with outsiders Nafaath and Scots Gaelic filling the places.
Mullins said: “I’ve never been here (winner’s enclosure) before, we’ve lost in a few photos finishes.
“I thought the omens were good when Danny Shum had a winner here earlier (Little Bridge) from Hong Kong because he used to work for my father back in 1978 I think.
“This horse has just improved. Hurdles have made him settle, they’ve been a big help.
“I said to Ryan to settle him on the rails and if you can’t ride your own race. I hoped they’d gone fast enough and they weren’t going to sprint away from him. Once he got him out and got running, he was gone.
“I think I might leave him here because he’s in the Queen Alexandra on Saturday and we’ll see how he comes out of this.”
Most Improved
ran out a ready winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes to give Limerick-born trainer Brian Meehan and jockey Kieren Fallon.
The 9-1 chance suffered an early-season setback that ruled him out of the Craven Stakes and subsequently the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
He had no luck in running in the French Derby at Chantilly earlier this month, but he suffered no such trouble on this occasion in the hands of Fallon.
Always travelling strongly, the three-year-old ran to the lead in the home straight and kept tight to the rail.
Hermival and Gregorian came at him inside the final furlong, but Most Improved comfortably held the pair off to score by three-quarters of a length and a head.
There was drama rounding the home turn as the well-fancied The Nile went badly wrong and fell back quickly through the field, causing interference to a number of those in behind. Tragically, the John Gosden-trained horse was put down after breaking a leg.
Most Improved avoided trouble and never looked in serious danger of being caught all the way up the long home straight.
Born To Sea came home well down the outside of the field to claim fourth, but Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and favourite Power never threatened under Joseph O’Brien.
Dawn Approachlived up to his tall reputation with a hard-fought victory in the Coventry Stakes.
The Jim Bolger-trained son of his Derby winner New Approach was one of the first off the bridle in the six-furlong heat, but stayed on strongly to run out a decisive winner in the end.
Kevin Manning was sending out distress signals from an early stage on the 7-2 chance, who was stretching his unbeaten record to four.
Stablemate Leitir Mor led until just outside the distance but Dawn Approach was beginning to make headway, along with Aidan O’Brien’s Cristoforo Colombo.
However, it was Bolger’s colt who stayed on strongest to win by three-quarters of a length from 20-1 shot Olympic Glory, who flew from the rear.
Cristoforo Colombo was third with Sir Prancealot, sent off the 3-1 favourite, fourth.
Little Bridgestruck for Hong Kong in a furiously-run King's Stand Stakes. The six-year-old had been off the track since winning 51 days ago but was always towards the head of affairs and was the last off the bridle for trainer Danny Shum.
Ridden by Australian jockey Zac Purton, the 12-1 shot put the race to bed with a burst a furlong out and while Bated Breath tried to challenge, he was three-quarters of a length down at the line.
Sole Power, whose participation had been in some doubt due to the easy ground, ran yet another big race in a Group One to claim third with Medicean Man running a career-best in fourth.