Royal Marathon Draws To A Close

[Wandering Eyes]

When the afternoon starts with a Bishop failing a breathalyser, you know that a long week must be taking its toll. As the Royal Ascot marathon drew to a close, in fact, you could anticipate the relief when all the gorgeous trappings–the ties and handkerchiefs, the frocks and hats–could be folded away last night, like so many flowers closing their petals and exhaling into the summer evening.

It would seem a safe bet, for instance, that Francesca Cumani will not be wearing heels for a day or two after maintaining a heroic equilibrium between eloquence and elegance while hotfooting alongside keyed-up Thoroughbreds in the parade ring for five solid days. Cumani’s ITV colleague Matt Chapman, conversely, is due for an upgrade in his own wardrobe after bumping into Tom Magnier in the car park earlier in the week. Magnier was evidently wearing a rather smarter waistcoat and promised to furnish Chapman with a similar one should Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) do the business in the final Group 1 of the meeting.

Sure enough, the Australian import crowned his brief Ballydoyle sojourn with a photo-finish verdict in the Diamond Jubilee S. over the thriving French raider City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). In a finish typical of the meeting’s cosmopolitan make-up these days, the American trailblazer Bound For Nowhere (The Factor) held on for third, with last year’s winner The Tin Man (Equiano {Fr}) arguably unlucky to be beaten barely a length in fourth after meeting traffic.

This was a typically professional job on the part of the Coolmore team, along with their Australian partners in Merchant Navy, who has now advertised his wares to breeders in both Hemispheres. As such, he was probably the top priority of a week that had proved something of a curate’s egg for Ballydoyle. Certainly the stable’s juveniles appeared just a little blunt, compared with most years, but it was a very slow spring and O’Brien hinted that we should not be surprised if the whetstone really begins to spark in another month or so.

The curious Ascot travails of race favourite Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) meanwhile continue. Invincible elsewhere, he made it 0-5 here after panicking in the gate, unfortunately sustaining an injury as he dragged a trapped hindleg clear as the stalls opened.

He was not the only angel brought down to earth on the day, Charles Bishop having been barred from taking his four booked mounts after a pre-racing breath test proved to be beyond the permitted alcohol threshold. It was a mortifying end to the meeting for a jockey who had made a huge breakthrough in its opening race, riding 33-1 stunner Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) in the G1 Queen Anne S.; albeit it would only be human if one episode proved to be closely connected with the other.

Episcopal intercessions are just about the only thing missing from the miracle of Arthur Kitt (GB) (Camelot {Ire}) in the opener. This colt is the tragic bequest of Ceiling Kitty (GB) (Red Clubs {Ire}), who won the G2 Queen Mary S. here back in 2012 but died the night she delivered this, her third and final foal, in February 2016. She almost took her son with her; he had to be resuscitated six times during a traumatic night for everyone at breeder Andrew Black’s Chasemore Farm. Somehow he made it back across the abyss, and surfaced for a winning debut at Haydock last month.

The emotion vested in Arthur Kitt was plain as Black welcomed him back after the Listed Chesham S., a race that has volunteered Classic winners in the last two runnings: Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), third last year, and Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2016.

Camelot had already produced a winner at the meeting in Hunting Horn (Ire), from his debut crop, in the G3 Hampton Court S. and admirers of another young sire of legitimate Classic profile were also edified to see such a good run in second from Nate The Great (GB)–one of many Nathaniel (Ire) yearlings who last autumn mysteriously failed to achieve the commercial dividends he so deserved for coming up with Enable (GB).

Nate The Great was bought in for 30,000gns at Tattersalls Book 3 and sent to Archie Watson, whose breathless rise through the training ranks was so nearly sealed by a first Royal Ascot winner here. Not that he had long to wait, taking the Listed Windsor Castle S. with Soldier’s Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) barely an hour later.

For all his remarkable early results, Watson must still feel daunted as he gazes up at Sir Michael Stoute advancing his new status as the most prolific Royal Ascot trainer in history with another trademark winner–his fourth of the meeting, taking him to 79 in all–in Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Stoute’s particular affinity with a maturing middle-distance horse is vividly measured by the fact that this was his 11th success in the G2 Hardwicke S.

Crystal Ocean landed short odds in a small field, but a white-knuckle gamble on Dreamfield (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the Wokingham was narrowly thwarted when the 1,100,000gns yearling was just worried out of it by the outsider Bacchus (GB) (Kheleyf). Making only his fourth start, Dreamfield travelled luxuriantly through the stampede and, provided he can hold it all together, might very well be back here next year for the Diamond Jubilee.

After exchanging heavy blows all week, then, bookmakers and backers fell through the ropes in an exhausted clinch. And they didn’t even have to wear heels.

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