An English stable finally
grabbed a winner at Royal Ascot 2013, but the victory of Well Sharp in the
Ascot Stakes was master-minded by a group of Irishmen.
The five-year-old is
trained by Gloucestershire-based Jonjo O'Neill, he runs in the colours of J P
McManus and was ridden by Fran Berry. A ready winner by two and a half lengths
from runner-up Tiger Cliff, Well Sharp could be back at Ascot on Saturday to
tackle the Queen Alexandra Stakes, the Royal meeting's longest contest.
Berry reckons that event
over two miles, six furlongs, another quarter of a mile further than today's
event, will be no bother to the horse, who was bought by McManus to go jumping
- this was an unexpected bonus.
The winning jockey said:
"If he comes out of today's race okay why shouldn't he run again on
Saturday? He enjoyed going a longer distance today and another two furlongs
shouldn't be a problem. Today's race was a bit stop-start, but Graham Lee gave
me a nice lead [on third-placed Lieutenant Miller] and my fellow picked up well
and ran to the line in good style.
"Horses can back up
in this race and again on Saturday, so why not? He stretched good off a
stop-start pace and that's a good sign. This is a meeting you want to be
involved in."
O'Neill said: "That's
my second Royal Ascot winner [Gipsy Fiddler in the 1990 Windsor Castle Stakes
was his first] which is great. I must do this a bit more often.
"He's a lovely horse
but he has had his problems and he doesn't really like jumping as much as the
Flat. The team at home have done a great job, but whether we come back again
Saturday will depend on how he comes out of the race. We won't rush him."
FIRST
ROYAL ASCOT RUNNER COMES SECOND
Lady Jane Cecil, widow of
Sir Henry Cecil, came close to saddling her first Royal winner with her first
runner.
Tiger Cliff, ridden by Tom
Queally, finished second to Well Sharp, two and a half lengths adrift at the
line after the two and a half miles of the Ascot Handicap.
She said: "He got the
trip well and we are delighted with his performance.
"We have Chigun (Duke
Of Cambridge Stakes) tomorrow and he is in great form.
"There is Riposte in
the Ribblesdale (Thursday) and we could not be more pleased with her.
"On Friday we have
Joyeuse (Albany Stakes) and Disclaimer who Henry always thought would be a
Queen's Vase horse. There is Thomas Chippendale in the Hardwicke Stakes.
"To have one winner
would be lovely. All the lads are pulling together - I could not have asked for
any more."
Tiger Cliff is owned by a
Henry Ponsonby Syndicate as is the third Lieutenant Miller, trained by Nicky
Henderson.
Ponsonby said: "It
was great thrill with two wonderful horses.
"To be able to get
two to run in this race was amazing in itself and then have them run so
well."
5:00pm
Ascot Handicap
£60,000
total prize fund. For 4yo+ rated 0-95, 2m 4f. Weights: highest weight not less
than 9st 10lb. Minimum weight: 8-0. Penalties: after June 8th, a winner 3lb; a
winner of 2 races 7lb. Weight for age: 4 from 5yo+ 2lb. Penalty value 1st
£37,350.00 2nd £11,184.00 3rd £5,592.00 4th £2,796.00 5th £1,398.00 6th £702.00
1) WELL
SHARP (JP McManus) Jonjo O'Neill 5-9-10 Fran Berry [16] 9/1
2) TIGER
CLIFF (IRE) (Henry Ponsonby) Lady Cecil 4-9-07 Tom Queally [8] 4/1 Fav
3)
LIEUTENANT MILLER (Henry Ponsonby) Nicky Henderson 7-9-01 Graham Lee [17] 8/1
4)
MUBARAZA (IRE) (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Ed Dunlop 4-9-05 Paul Hanagan [7] 10/1
5)
MYSTERIOUS MAN (IRE) (Mr & Mrs R Gorell) Andrew Balding 4-9-01 Jimmy
Fortune [11]
6) BLUE
BAJAN (IRE) (Dr John Hollowood) David O'Meara 11-9-10 Daniel Tudhope [3]
7)
HOMERIC (IRE) (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Jackson) Ed Dunlop 4-9-03
Frankie Dettori [4]
8) BIG
EASY (GER) (Terry Warner) Philip Hobbs 6-9-01 Willy Twiston-Davies (5) [10]
9)
MARCHESE MARCONI (IRE) (Annemarie O'Brien) Aidan O'Brien IRE p4-9-02 Ryan Moore
[9]
10)
MIDNIGHT OIL (Gigginstown House Stud) Willie Mullins IRE 5-9-08 Richard Hughes
[15]
11) SURAJ
(Lady Bamford) Michael Bell 4-9-08 Jamie Spencer [2]
12)
INVESTISSEMENT (Robin Geffen) David Pipe t7-9-09 William Buick [13]
13)
JUSTIFICATION (Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor) Aidan O'Brien IRE
5-9-06 Joseph O'Brien [14]
14)
APACHE (IRE) (Invictus) Jane Chapple-Hyam h5-9-03 George Baker [18]
15)
MAWAQEET (USA) (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Sir Michael Stoute b4-9-03 Dane O'Neill [12]
16) ROMAN
FLIGHT (IRE) (Favourites Racing) David O'Meara v5-9-03 Kieren Fallon [1]
17)
TANTALISING (IRE) (D Farrington) Patrick Prendergast IRE 5-8-12 Ronan Whelan
(3) [6]
18) LA
ESTRELLA (USA) (Don Cantillon) Don Cantillon p10-9-02 Shane Kelly [19]
19)
SOFTSONG (FR) (Andrew Cohen) Philip Hobbs 5-9-10 Adam Kirby [5]
19
ran
Non-runner:
Junior (Vet's cert - Bad scope)
Time: 4m
28.
41s
Distances:
2½, 1, 1, 1¼, ¾, hd, 1¼, 1¾, 4, 2, 1, 1½, ½, 1¼, 7, 7, 7, 99+
Breeder:
Equibreed
SRL
Breeding:
Selkirk (USA) - Saphila (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Tote
Win £10.80 Place £2.80 £1.90 £2.10
£3.00 Exacta £52.20
Winning
trainer:-Name: Jonjo O'Neill Royal Ascot Wins (2): Windsor Castle Stakes
(1990 Gipsy Fiddler), Ascot Handicap (2013 Well Sharp)
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