Big names light up the action at very different Royal Ascot

Battaash sprints to it and Circus Maximus refuses to be beaten.

It was the opening day of Royal Ascot – but not as we know it.

Yes, the absence of a crowd, top hats and the traditional Royal procession brought an oddness to the occasion as a whole, but the action on the track was no less competitive nor enthralling.

The opening Buckingham Palace Stakes appeared a devilishly difficult puzzle for punters to solve, but the 14-1 victory of Richard Hannon’s Motakhayyel proved a sign of things to come – setting up a terrific treble for jockey Jim Crowley and owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Having found the now-retired Blue Point too strong in each of the past two years, the brilliant Battaash appeared to have a gilt-edged opportunity to make it third time lucky in the King’s Stand and took it in some style with a blistering display that had trainer Charlie Hills beaming, albeit behind his face mask.

It was altogether harder work for Crowley aboard John Gosden’s Nazeef (10-30) in the Duke of Cambridge, but she got the job done to extend her winning sequence to five and set up an imminent step up to Group One level.

Gosden had earlier scooped the Ribblesdale Stakes for the third time in four years, with 11-8 favourite Frankly Darling justifying her tall reputation in dominant fashion under Frankie Dettori – who performed his trademark flying dismount to a little less fanfare than usual.

It was a 50th Royal Ascot success for the trainer, while the horse herself appears a major Oaks contender.

Elsewhere, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Circus Maximus (4-1 favourite) doubled his Royal Ascot tally – adding to last year’s St James’s Palace strike with a narrow but thrilling triumph over Terebellum in the Queen Anne Stakes.

William Muir’s Pyledriver (18-1) entered the Derby reckoning with something of a surprise win in the King Edward VII Stakes under Martin Dwyer, while Alan King and 5lb claimer Thore Hammer Hansen teamed up to claim the Ascot Stakes with Coeur de Lion (16-1).

Picture of the day

No crowds, but Frankie Dettori was still jumping for joy at Royal Ascot
No crowds, but Frankie Dettori was still jumping for joy at Royal Ascot (Alan Crowhurst)

Quote of the day

Performance of the day

Battaash proved himself the sprint king in the King's Stand
Battaash proved himself the sprint king in the King’s Stand (Alan Crowhurst)

Frankly Darling was foot perfect in the Ribblesdale, but not quite as sensational as Battaash in breaking his Royal Ascot duck in the King’s Stand. A stiff five furlongs on rain-softened ground proved absolutely no problem to a sprinter who is pretty much unbeatable when on his A-game and this performance suggests he remains at the peak of his powers. It is difficult to see him being beaten in either the King George at Goodwood or the Nunthorpe at York later this summer if in the same form. A potential appearance at the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year is mouthwatering.

Ride of the day

Coeur de Lion got up late under Thore Hammer Hansen in the Ascot Stakes
Coeur de Lion got up late under Thore Hammer Hansen in the Ascot Stakes (Alan Crowhurst)

Former champion jockey Jim Crowley may have banged in an opening day hat-trick, but perhaps the best single performance in the saddle came from the far less heralded – but wonderfully named – Thore Hammer Hansen. Ryan Moore appeared to have timed it right after navigating his way to the front aboard market leader Verdana Blue, but 20-year-old 5lb claimer Hansen conjured a late rattle from from Coeur De Lion to win the day.

What’s next?

Japan is the potential star attraction on day two at Royal Ascot
Japan is the potential star attraction on day two at Royal Ascot (Nigel French/PA)

And so the show rolls on to a day two card that is overall a little more low-key, but features the prestigious Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Dubai Millennium (2000), Fantastic Light (2001) and Ouija Board (2006) are among the star names on the roll of honour for this 10-furlong Group One and the most likely winner this time around is Aidan O’Brien’s hot favourite Japan. The son of Galileo won the King Edward VII Stakes at this meeting a year ago before enjoying top-level triumphs in the Grand Prix de Paris and the Juddmonte International. Making his first appearance since placing fourth in the Arc, Japan sets the standard ahead of the likes of Headman, Barney Roy and Addeybb, with the latter bidding for a top-level hat-trick following a couple of Group One strikes Down Under earlier in the year.

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Aidan O'Brien John Gosden Royal Ascot Festival

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