AN inquiry was held into the late arrival of Saturday Flirt, trained by Wesley Ward, at the start of the Norfolk.

Ward and a representative of the International Racing Bureau were interviewed, and Ward was fined £290.

An inquiry was held into why Silvestre de Sousa, the rider of Dashing Darcey, had failed to comply with parade ring protocol in a timely manner for the Britannia.

De Sousa was interviewed and fined £80.

TRAINER John Gosden said of his placed horses in the Gold Cup: “I think with Trueshan coming out of the race, and he would have been the obvious pace, we were left in the knowledge that there was no pace and let Trawlerman go on and do his own thing. When Kyprios came to him, there was a battle, and that’s what you like to see, a ding-dong right to the line.

“We nailed Kyprios in the mud and he’s beaten us on the fast ground today. Sweet William thinks about life – he gets there when he wants to! He does everything in his own time but he ran really well to be third. Second and third is a great run from both horses.”

Trawlerman’s rider William Buick said: “He was foot-perfect the whole way. He kept finding all the way to the line and, even when the winner headed me, he came back. It was a huge run. He stayed the trip. I’m sure Goodwood will be the next target. The winner’s been here and done it before so you’ve got to respect him, but Trawlerman has run a mighty race.”

Sweet William’s owner-breeder Philippa Cooper said: “I am so pleased. He had five screws in as a two-year-old, so it’s been a long journey. I am so proud of him. You’d think I had won the race! I could see the other horse [I bred], Gregory, but he just didn’t get the trip. Sweet William doesn’t pick up, but he gallops and stays on. Rab says he’s improving, and if he stays sound, he could be back. It was very, very special.”

THE attendance for day three of Royal Ascot was 62,538, up from 61,660 in 2023.