Eddie Lynam completes dream Royal Ascot as Slade Power wins

Eddie Lynam secured a remarkable sprint double at Royal Ascot after Slade Power stylishly claimed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

The Irish handler hit the target with Sole Power for a second consecutive season in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday and added a second Group One of the week courtesy of his talented stablemate.

Slade Power won as the 7 to 2 favourite under Wayne Lordan, with fellow Irish challenger Due Diligence finishing second.

Aljamaaheer was an honourable third for trainer Roger Varian and jockey Paul Hanagan.

The 14-runner field split into two groups, but it soon became evident that the quintet on the near side were always chasing the game.

Due Diligence's jockey, Ryan Moore, was aware of this and nudged towards the middle of the track with three furlongs to run.

The War Front colt was snatched up by the winner very late in the piece, but it made little difference to the outcome, even though the stewards held a brief inquiry.

Slade Power was always handy towards the far side, where Astaire made the running before he grew a little weary inside the final furlong.

Lynam’s five-year-old entire had already taken the lead by then, and was kept honestly up to his work to score by a length and a half. Aljamaaheer was another head away in third.

The victorious trainer was winning at Royal Ascot for a third time from just four runners this week after Anthem Alexander had also hit the mark in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday.

Commenting on his golden week, the Meath handler said: “I just had the three best horses in their races.

“Trainers get 10 per cent (of prize-money) for a reason – it’s only 10 per cent to do with us.

“I’m very lucky to have very good horses, very good owners, a great family to back me up and marvellous staff.

“It’s been a great week and there is nowhere I like winning more than here. I love the place.”

Lynam’s sprint kings, both of whom are owned by Sabina Power, will now run against each other in the July Cup at Newmarket next month.

Lynam said: “Slade Power was always travelling well, but I knew he’d pull up.

“I saw a couple flying home, but we got there. Because we bred him it’s special.

“They’ll both go for the July Cup. Sole Power will wear the first colours as he’s the elder statesman and the family pet.”

Pique Sous gave Willie Mullins his second victory in the last three renewals of the Queen Alexandra Stakes with a smart display under Moore.

Ireland’s champion National Hunt trainer saddled Simenon to win the two-and-three-quarter-mile contest two years ago and Pique Sous, who nearly lost his life last October due to colic, was a heavily backed 11 to 4 chance to repeat the trick.

They grey, who was placed in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival a couple of years ago and has won over hurdles as well as on the Flat, was a little keen in the early stages and Moore sensibly dropped him out towards the rear of the field.

He began to make headway heading down the back straight and was hot on the heels of the leaders rounding the home bend.

It was obvious he was travelling much better than his rivals and he quashed any doubts about his stamina to last out the trip with a determined length-and-a-half victory.

El Salvador made considerable headway late in the day to finish second, with Brass Ring another neck away in third.

The victory confirms Moore’s place as leading jockey for the week, his sixth winner of the meeting and his third on the card.

Moore said: “It was a very messy race, they only went steady. He travelled beautifully into the race and picked up well.

“When you ride for Willie it makes it a bit easier. It was a long way, the last furlong, but I got the gaps when they came.”

Mullins said: “Having a Royal Ascot winner is always fantastic. When Ryan hit the front I didn’t think anyone could catch him.”