Royal Ascot: Aidan O'Brien made a successful return to Britain yesterday when the Irish champion trainer saddled Ad Valorem for a controversial success in the Queen Anne Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Compared to the horrific injuries that claimed O'Brien's Derby hope Horatio Nelson at Epsom just 17 days earlier, there was relatively little riding on the finish of yesterday's Group One prize. But that didn't stop tempers flaring as Ad Valorem restored his reputation with a hard-fought victory.
The 2004 Middle Park hero claimed the second top-level success of his career but it cost Kieren Fallon a four-day ban and it left his predecessor as O'Brien's stable jockey, Jamie Spencer, in fuming form.
Spencer's mount Court Masterpiece was pushed against the rails inside the final furlong as Ad Valorem drifted to his left onto the favourite Peeress who in turn was forced onto Court Masterpiece.
Significantly Fallon kept his whip in his right hand and the stewards handed him a ban which covers the start of July when the Irish Derby is run. However Fallon can apply to the Turf Club to have the suspension re-scheduled so is still likely to be available for Ireland's most valuable race.
"Very angry," was how Court Masterpiece's trainer Ed Dunlop described Spencer's post-race report and Dunlop suggested that the matter may not have ended in the Ascot stewards room.
"Jamie said he got murdered and otherwise he would have won," he said. "We will have a look at the film and have a think about it."
Hardly surprisingly, O'Brien saw the race rather differently and happily celebrated just the second Irish success in the race since the second World War. "We waited all last year for the ground and it rained on the day of the Sussex Stakes when he ran a great race to be third. He always wants fast ground," he said. "He got to the front and won snug. There's no doubt the best horse won."
The same comment was being thrown about after the St James's Palace Stakes and there were no disputes about the authority with which the Irish Guineas hero Araafa completed the Group One mile double.
The class with which he had beaten George Washington at the Curragh was doubted by many on the firm ground but ultimately there was never a doubt as Alan Munro tracked the pacemaker Arabian Prince and then quickened clear for a two-length defeat of Stormy River.
"He's got a great cruising speed and he can kick," smiled a satisfied Jeremy Noseda. "I think it will take a mighty good one to beat him and I'd look forward to a re-match with George Washington."
The O'Brien-trained Holy Roman Emperor started one of the market leaders for the Coventry Stakes but the colt looked very green as the other joint favourite Hellvelyn raced through to score easily under Ted Durcan.
Top The Charts was a heavily-backed Tony Martin favourite for the two and a half mile Ascot Stakes but he couldn't haul back the 33 to 1 outsider Baddam who raced away for a five-length victory.
Declan McDonogh was out of luck on Decado in the St James's Palace but his trip to Ascot wasn't wasted as he powered the outsider Elhamri to a narrow defeat of Conquest in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
But there was no competition for the international star of the day as Australia's top sprinter Takeover Target just held off Benbaun in the Kings Stand.
