A Royal winner put the seal on another day of exciting action on the track at Ascot, while Lord North (Dubawi – Nejoum by Giant’s Causeway) produced a brilliant performance to take The Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
A winner for Her Majesty The Queen capped another afternoon of thrilling racing, as day two of Royal Ascot played out on Wednesday in front of millions of TV viewers across the globe.
Thursday racing at Royal Ascot:
This day’s feature is the Gold Cup (G1) at 2 1/2 miles and 6-year-old STRADIVARIUS won this race last year in a huge season that saw him win 5 straight Group races. He is by Sea the Stars.
Golden Gates Handicap (10f, 3yo)
Wolferton Stakes (10f, Listed, 4yo+)
Jersey Stakes (7f, Group Three, 3yo)
Chesham Stakes (7f, Listed, 2yo)
Gold Cup (2 1/2m, Group One, 4yo+)
Britannia Handicap (1m, 3yo colts & geldings)
Sandringham Handicap (1m, 3yo, fillies)
James Doyle rode Tactical (Toronado -Make Fast by Makfi) to victory in The Windsor Castle Stakes to give Her Majesty The Queen her 24th Royal Ascot winner, 67 years after Choir Boy became her first by winning the 1953 Royal Hunt Cup shortly after her Coronation. Her Majesty bred Tactical.
In what was the first race of the meeting for two-year-olds, Tactical prevailed over challengers from the UK, Ireland and the United States to win by a length-and-a-quarter from the fast-finishing Yazaman. Wesley Ward trainee Sheriff Bianco finished 8th.
“It is obviously a huge thrill for all of us to have a Royal winner at the Royal meeting. I feel very lucky,” said Tactical’s trainer, Andrew Balding.
“Dad was lucky enough to have a Royal winner here, and my uncle William had a couple, so it is nice to keep up with them.”
Her Majesty The Queen’s homebred colt TACTICAL (at right) wins the Windsor Castle Stakes for 2-year-olds – Ascot Racecourse photo
Earlier on the card another Royal runner finished a close second in The Hampton Court Stakes. First Receiver led inside the final furlong before being passed close home by the Aidan O’Brien trained First Emperor, who showed impressive acceleration to supply jockey Ryan Moore with his 60th Royal Ascot winner and his second of the meeting after Circus Maximus won Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes.
The feature race of the day, the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, saw Lord North go from last to first in the home straight to defeat a strong field that featured three previous Royal Ascot winners, who were also all Group 1 winners. Following a double on day one, Lord North provided trainer John Gosden with his third winner of Royal Ascot 2020 so far.
One of the most historic and prestigious handicaps of the week, The Royal Hunt Cup, was as competitive as ever. Godolphin’s Dark Vision, a horse who showed huge promise as a juvenile, came home strongest to defeat 22 rivals for trainer Mark Johnston and jockey William Buick.
Elsewhere there was a fourth winner of the meeting for jockey Jim Crowley, and a first Royal Ascot winner for trainer Owen Burrows, courtesy of Hukum’s win in The King George V Stakes, while the day was bookended by impressive handicap wins for Sir Busker and Fujaira Prince.
Watch Day 2 Review:
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