NORFOLK STAKES

(GROUP 2)

THINGS had not gone well for regular American visitor Wesley Ward so far this week, with Lady Aurelia and Chelsea Cloisters falling short, but the smile was back on his face when Shang Shang Shang made all in Thursday’s opening Norfolk Stakes and held on by a whisker from Pocket Dynamo.

Well away towards the far side, the daughter of Shanghai Bobby was soon setting the pace with Joel Rosario still comfortable approaching the final furlong.

Her challengers duly arrived in the closing stages.Rosario kept her perfectly balanced under a hands and heels drive, and the 5/1 chance was joined right on the line by Robert Cowell’s 20/1 outsider Pocket Dynamo. She prevailed by a nose, with Aidan O’Brien’s Land Force right behind in third.

Shang Shang Shang’s debut win came over a shorter trip on the Keeneland dirt.

FABULOUS ROSARIO

“We were kind of scratching our heads for a day or two and wondering if we were right back at the beginning or even at the right place,” Ward admitted, “but I thought this filly would be happier on firm ground than Cheslea Cloisters. And let me tell you something about the jockey – Joel is fabulous and has put all the work in, breezing the two-year-olds every day even though he’s won Derbys and Breeders’ Cups.”

Rosario did indeed look a class act on a filly who was beating the colts, the first to do so in the Norfolk since Superstar Leo managed it in 2000. She was giving Ward his 10th Royal Ascot winner and there were more chances to come later in the week.