Hand Of God scores Golden Gates winner for Harry Charlton

Royal Ascot winner appropriately named, 38 years on from Diego Maradona’s goal.

On the 38th anniversary of the Diego Maradona goal that knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup, Hand Of God was an appropriate winner of the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having rounded off his juvenile campaign with a maiden victory at Newmarket, the Harry Charlton-trained colt won on his handicap debut at Sandown in April and was a 9-4 favourite to complete the hat-trick in the hands of William Buick.

The son of Churchill picked up well once asked to go about his business and passed the post with a length and three-quarters in hand over Cambridge, with Black Run third.

It was a deserved victory this week for Charlton after King’s Gambit came from the clouds to finish second in the Hampton Court Stakes in the same colours on Thursday, while Kikkuli was beaten just a short head in the Jersey Stakes earlier on Saturday’s card.

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