Gregory (evens favourite) beats Saint George and Chesspiece to win Group Two Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot; Frankie Dettori celebrates victory at final Royal meeting before retirement; watch every race from Royal Ascot live on Sky Sports Racing
Wednesday 21 June 2023 18:45, UK
Frankie Dettori was made to wait until the penultimate race on day two as he finally celebrated a winner at his last Royal Ascot meeting.
The 52-year-old Italian, who started the week with 77 Royal Ascot winners, is retiring at the end of the season.
He endured a frustrating opening day as good chances Inspiral, Chaldean and Absurde were all beaten, but it is rare to keep the legendary jockey out of the limelight for long.
John and Thady Gosden's Gregory represented his best chance of a breakthrough on Wednesday in the Group Two Queen's Vase Stakes as Dettori delivered the evens favourite from the front.
Dettori dictated the pace but will have had some concerns when three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy drew alongside on Andrew Balding's Saint George.
But Dettori and Gregory found more in the final furlong to drew a length and a half clear, with Chesspiece well held back in third and Circle Of Fire - in the colours of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen - in fourth.
A delighted Dettori told Sky Sports Racing: "I rode him in work and he's a very laidback character. The only thing I was concerned about was his experience. He was like a sleeping giant in the yard, nobody knew he existed before.
"For a split second when I got to the furlong marker and Oisin came I thought: 'No, not second again!' Luckily he dug deep for me.
"He could be a nice St Leger horse for the end of the season.
"From a personal point of view, it's great to get one on the board at my last Royal Ascot because after day one I wondered if it was going to come.
"Now I'm chasing 80 so two more before the end of the week."
Colin Keane got off the mark at Royal Ascot as Villanova Queen swooped to land the Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap.
A winner at the big summer showpiece had so far eluded the Classic-winning rider - who is the reigning champion jockey in Ireland. But he was at his very best as he guided Jessica Harrington's four-year-old to success.
In a typically competitive running of the one-mile handicap, there were plenty in with chances as the 19-strong field rounded the turn for home, with Dettori's mount Tamarama looking a real player.
However, the challenge of the Ralph Beckett-trained filly soon petered out and it was left to Villanova Queen to down Daniel and Claire Kubler's Don't Tell Claire in the closing stages, with Tarrabb (third) and the Joseph O'Brien-trained pair of Adelaise and Yerwanthere finishing off strongly to come fourth and fifth respectively.
Jimi Hendrix hit the right note to lead home a memorable one-two in the Royal Hunt Cup for trainer Ralph Beckett and owners Chelsea Thoroughbreds.
A maximum field of 30 went to post for what was - as always - a fiercely-competitive handicap, and at the business end it was the Beckett duo on opposite sides of the track that had the contest at their mercy.
Eventual 25/1 runner-up Sonny Liston was travelling menacingly on the stands' side in the hands of Ryan Moore and burst clear of his group to mount his challenge inside the final furlong, but he was unable to land a knockout blow as Rossa Ryan notched his second Royal Ascot winner when leading home those on the far side on the 22/1 scorer.
Mick Appleby registered his first Royal Ascot victory when Big Evs stormed to glory in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
It was also only a second winner at the Royal meeting for jockey Jason Hart who had the once-raced son of Blue Point always to the fore in the five-furlong Listed event.
Although only second on debut at Redcar, he took a huge step forward on this occasion and appeared to have plenty in the tank as Hart asked his mount to make his bid for home passing the two-furlong pole.
He soon displayed both a phenomenal turn of foot and strong staying power as he drew clear of his pursuers in the closing stages, with the 20/1 winner finishing three lengths clear of the 100-30 Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Johannes Brahms and Ollie Sangster's first Royal Ascot runner Inquisitively, who was a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
