It’s a regal doublle at Royal Ascot JOHN SCANLON on wins in Queen Mary and Duke Of Edinburgh which take yard’s tally to 45 OYAL ASCOT is simply the that great record of success brings with prominently. Passing the furlong most important week of the it a measure of responsibility. For most marker, Kimari was travelling the R year for Johnston Racing. trainers, a win at Royal Ascot would stronger under jockey John Velazquez, Having amassed 43 simply be a fantastic achievement. For but Frankie Dettori conjured a fantastic winners at the meeting over the years, Mark Johnston, it is unthinkable not to run out of Raffle Prize, who held on Mark and the team always make it a achieve success there. tenaciously to land the Group 2 contest, target for their best horses, looking to So there was relief all round when and prize-money of more than £62,000, add to their impressive record of Raffle Prize won the first race of the by a head. success in those five days in June which second day of the meeting, the Queen The favourite Final Song, another to see some of the best quality Flat racing Mary Stakes. In 2003 Attraction became race on the stands’ side, finished well to anywhere in the world. the yard’s first winner of the race, which land third place, beaten a further length. And at Royal Ascot 2019, the yard is named after the consort of King Raffle Prize gave Frankie Dettori his turned up trumps once again, coming George V. It was established in 1921 third win in the race, his 61st Royal away with two great winners: Raffle and elevated to Group 2 status in 2004. Ascot winner and his first win of what Prize in the Queen Mary Stakes and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s turned out to be a stellar week for the Baghdad in the Italian jockey. Duke of Edinburgh “I knew it would Stakes. On top of I knew it would take a take a good one to Clockwise from top left: those were an beat Wesley’s,” he outstanding second good one to beat later told the press, Hayley Kelly with and two thirds, “but I knew my filly Raffle Prize with that runner-up Wesley’s so I made it a had won over six slot going to Dee furlongs, so I took Raffle Prize, right, Ex Bee in the true test of stamina him on early and wins the Queen Mary centrepiece of the made it a true test of Stakes under Frankie meeting, the Gold stamina.” Dettori Cup, for Dee Ex Bee. Raffle Prize , a Slade Power filly out of A delighted Mark Johnston mused on For those who genuinely aspire to be the Pivotal mare, Summer Fete, had how difficult it is to assess the juvenile Duke Of Edinburgh masters of their craft, whether they be made a promising debut in a Newmarket races at Royal Ascot. Stakes winner owners, breeders, jockeys or trainers, it novice event at the Craven meeting. “We thought Raffle Prize deserved to Baghdad with jockey is important to be involved in the thick She went on to land a Chester maiden in be here, but you can’t say how good she Ryan Moore, groom of the Royal Ascot action. some style in late May, defeating The is in relation to the others,” he told the Paddy Trainor and Over the years, Mark has assembled New Marwan by five lengths. Klarion. Senior Travelling an Ascot record of which he is rightly Raffle Prize was one of 25 fillies who “We thought she had a great chance.” Manager Robynne proud. He has trained the winners of went to post for this year’s race. As Mark went on to heap praise on Watton some of the great races of the meeting – ever, the race was targeted by American jockey Dettori. the Gold Cup, with Double Trigger and trainer Wesley Ward, who has won the “You couldn’t be in a better position Royal Rebel (twice); the St James’s race three times, with Jealous Again in a race and I knew we were tracking Palace Stakes, with Bijou d’Inde; the (2009), Acapulco (2015) and Lady the right one,” he confided. Coronation Stakes, with the great Aurelia (2016). Frankie Dettori, “Frankie was a true professional as a “No disrespect to Lester (Piggott), but said there were no firm plans for the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. It was a year Attraction; and the King Edward VII successful in the race on Bint Allayl young jockey back in 1993, and I know is Frankie not the greatest jockey now?” winner, but having won a Group 2 at to the day since his win in the King Stakes, with Monterosso and again with (1998) and on Lady Aurelia, was called he is now a superstar. On the big day, he asked. such a prestigious meeting connections George V Stakes at Royal Ascot 2018. Permian. up to partner Raffle Prize. he’s special.” The winning filly is out of the Pivotal will no doubt be dreaming of Group 1 Mohammed Bin Hamad Khalifa Al For good measure, Mark has also won Run in a rainstorm, the field split into Interviewed by Oli Bell for ITV mare, Summer Fete. She won the Oak targets in the fullness of time. the prize for Leading Trainer at Royal two groups. The stands’ side group was Racing, Mark went on to suggest that Tree Stakes (Group 3) at Glorious The yard’s second winner of the Ascot on two occasions, and gone close led by the Ward-trained pair, Kimari and Dettori is worthy of the title “greatest Goodwood as a three-year-old. In the meeting came in the final race on the to repeating that feat several times. But Anna’s Fast, with Raffle Prize racing jockey”. immediate aftermath of the race, Mark fourth day, courtesy of Baghdad in the Continued on p.20 18 19 other runners came close to adding to Gold Cup well and, although we are no Elsewhere at the Royal meeting, two that tally, and how sweet it would have longer in the running for the WH other stable representatives made it into been had last year’s Derby second Dee Stayers’ Million, the Qatar Goodwood the frame. Hamdan al Maktoum’s Ex Bee managed to dethrone Cup looks a fairly obvious next target. Elarqam , the son of Frankel and Stradivarius in the Gold Cup. “We were very pleased with the horse Attraction, ran a big race in the Listed – I don’t think there was any reason not Wolferton Stakes, looking all over the EE EX BEE led for most of to be. It was a great run in defeat and winner a furlong and a half from home, the marathon journey and again he showed what a fantastic before being swamped by the despite being headed in the attitude he has, coming from looking impressive Addeybb in the closing final stages battled back like he would finish third or fourth at stages and finishing third. bravely and was only a length down on the furlong marker to getting back up Similarly, Nayef Road ran with great Dthe winner at the line. for second in the final stride. credit in the Queen’s Vase (Group 2). The runner-up slot carried prize- “The winner is a true champion who Mohamed Obaida’s Galileo colt fought money of £107,000. has shown now over the last 18 months hard, but just lost out in a driving Charlie Johnston later told Racing that regardless of what conditions are climax, finishing third behind Dashing TV: “Dee Ex Bee has come out of the thrown at him, he finds a way to win.” Willoughby. Continued from p.19 Baghdad and Ryan Moore (left) dig deep to defeat Frankie Dettori and Ben Vrackie in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes Attiya’s Frankel colt fractured his stone higher mark than in the King A beaming Mark welcomed the cannon bone when winning at Royal George V Stakes, was the mount of winner back into the winner’s Ascot last year. As a result he was off Ryan Moore, while Franny Norton enclosure. the track for 302 days before making his partnered Aquarium. “It’s fantastic for the horse,” he told comeback in a hot handicap at As Byron Flyer made the running, the Klarion. Newcastle in April. Baghdad was caught wide and raced in “Baghdad fractured his cannon bone The four-year-old confirmed his well- midfield, with Aquarium slightly further in winning here last year and has had being with a smooth win at Newmarket back in the field. Making headway as only two runs back from injury. We in a mile and a half handicap in early the field approached the home turn, saved him for this a little bit as another May. From that point on, the plan was to Baghdad was carried slightly further step up in the handicap could have ruled run in handicap company at Royal Ascot wide but responded well to Ryan him out of it. We took this race in as another win might have boosted his Moore’s urgings to take the lead over a before, possibly, bigger and better rating too high. furlong from home. things.” The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes was Mark was also full of praise for previously known as the Bessborough Fantastic winning jockey Ryan Moore. Stakes, but was renamed in honour of “We had to go wide round the bend Prince Philip in 1999.