Well, what a Royal Ascot that was, huh? Some explosive races, fantastic weather and, in the most part at least, I reckon many happy racegoers!
Though, this is always usually an event that rarely disappoints and this year was no different, indeed – probably one of the most notable in recent years.
One thing I started to notice, that has since been picked up on, was that there were some ridiculously fast winning times – certainly faster than past years.
Indeed – the Prince of Wales Stakes’, saw Ombudsman launch across the finish line with a 38 mph winning speed, culminating in a thrilling conclusion.
Why Were There So Many Fast Times?
Perhaps the most obvious reason for such fast times is that, courtesy of fantastic recent weather conditions, the ground was hard with the going mostly good to firm which makes it much easier for sprints.
Many jockeys and trainers used pacemakers as well which helped to set electric early fractions, while maintaining high cruising speeds. For example, during the Prince of Wales Stakes’, Continuous set a fast early pace that exceeded 41 mph, which helped to boost sectional times throughout.
Of course, many of the performers were seasoned jockeys on board some exceptional horses that, in many cases, exceeded expectations, however who must have suffered. After every race, gallons of water had been set aside to cool the horses down after hitting some extraordinary speeds.
What Were The Most Notable Highlights?
Of course, I and many others – I’m sure, also enjoyed some great racing action. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ryan Moore finished the week as the top jockey with seven wins, while John and Thady Gosden took the top trainers crown with some solid each-way finishes and five wins. They edged out Aidan O’Brien on countback, who also finished with five victories, but lacked a Group 1 win.
In the Gold Cup, Trawlerman powered to a record time of four minute 15.02 victory, while in the Coronation Stakes, 33/1 shot, Cecerne delivered a stunning win for trainer Joe Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll.
Meanwhile, in the Queen Alexandra Stakes – Britain’s longest flat race, there was a dominant win for Sober with Moore aboard and trained by Willie Mullins.
Positive Signs For The Remainder Of The Season
I think Royal Ascot has also laid down a marker for the rest of the flat season as well and it will be interesting to see what unfolds.
Certainly, Trawlerman and Onbudsman have great potential in the remaining stamina tests such as the Goodwood Cup, Eclipse Stakes and Judemonte International and I’ll be watching these with interest.
I’ll also be curious to see how Lazzat performs – possibly in the Prix del l’Abbye – he does demonstrate elite sprint potential and can build on his Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes’ win – despite unseating jockey James Doyle, post finish.