Day one of Royal Ascot was
dominated by horses trained in Ireland, a theme that permeates the press's
review of an absorbing day at the meeting.
'On Fireland' is the Sun's
view, while the mixed fortunes experienced by Irish runner Dawn Approach and
American challenger Animal Kingdom are contrasted by Chris McGrath in The
Independent. McGrath writes, 'With thoroughbreds, the only question is
whether their scalding brilliance will be turned upon the rest of the
herd - or inwards.'
Cynical racing hacks from
the Jack Dee school of dry journalism are headed by the Racing Post's
Alastair Down, but his sense of impishness thrives on both the big occasion and
opportunities to paraphrase the quotes of trainer Jim Bolger, who is the
perfect foil for Down's pen.
Bolger warned Godolphin of
his plan to run Dawn Approach in the St James's Palace Stakes by texting: 'Be
prepared for a shock'. In his look at Dawn Approach's win, Down writes:
"Perhaps there will be a text from Bolger tonight, followed by a call in
the morning that he is toying with Saturday's Queen Alexandra [Stakes]!"
Daily Star writer Chris Goulding
notes Dawn Approach is not yet a paragon of virtue, saying he 'behaved as if he
was competing in a tug of war', while the Daily Mail's Marcus Townend
reflects that the team behind runner-up Toronado must have wished Bolger had
not brought Dawn Approach back to the fray so soon after his flop at Epsom. The
Daily Mirror's racing pullout has a front-page photo that captures the
showdown as jockeys Kevin Manning and Richard Hughes drive for the line.
In heralding today's
action the Racing Post's front page declares 'Ready for another epic
battle?', a reference to the clash between Camelot and Al Kazeem in the Prince
of Wales's Stakes - the paper's Spotlight columnist Mel Cullinan reckons the
latter (his nap) will prevail, a view shared by The Guardian's Chris
Cook, although, in the Daily Star, jockey Jamie Spencer says Camelot
will turn recent tables.
Away from the on-track
action there is a wealth of material for writers and photographers who focus on
people-watching. At first glance a headline on Page 3 of The Times -
'God goes, but Queen remains head girl' - is leading us to a story from Her
Majesty's racecourse, but the article relates to Girl Guiding. The paper does
give a front-page slot to a shot of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the face of
Longines, and on Page 11 places a striking photo of a straight-faced Queen and
beaming Princess Eugenie. Its review of yesterday's racecourse action has
racing correspondent Alan Lee describing the weather during the running of the
Queen Anne Stakes as, 'A Stygian murk'.
That shot of the Queen and
her granddaughter makes the front of The Daily Telegraph and Daily
Mail. The latter captions the picture, 'Move over, Granny'. Its Page 3
tribute to day one of the Royal Meeting depicts contrasting styles and tastes,
although the tattooed racegoer was obviously pictured outside the Royal
Enclosure. Her artwork would have been acceptable inside its hallowed domain,
but not her bare shoulders. That did not deter many women from dressing
comfortably on an overcast but sultry day, as an encapsulating photo in The
Independent's 'social' column proves
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