THE Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes attracted a surprisingly moderate field, leading to speculation that it would provide a most welcome winner for Queen Elizabeth in Platinum Jubilee year.

As a result, the royal runner Reach For The Moon (John and Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) was seemingly backed to the exception of all others and was sent off a red-hot 2/5 favourite on course.

Unfortunately, no-one showed the script to Adam Kirby, who jumped Claymore (Jane Chapple-Hyam) out in front and simply would not be passed.

Menace

Reach For The Moon was always on the tail of the leader and moved up menacingly to join Claymore a quarter of a mile out. He may have hit the front briefly, but the son of New Bay battled resolutely and had turned the favourite away inside the final furlong, winning by one and three-quarter lengths at the post and abruptly stopping the crescendo of cheering for the favourite.

Claymore had run really well when second to Native Trail in the Craven Stakes, and had the worst of the draw when flopping in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp, so this win should not be treated as a shock, particularly as Claymore is very much bred to improve over the one-and-a-quarter-mile trip, being out of a High Chaparral mare who has already produced a winner at the trip, and is out of a one-and-a-half-mile winner.

Tremendous

This ended up being the culmination of a tremendous week at Ascot for Jane Chapple-Hyam, who sent only three horses to the meeting. As well as Claymore, Saffron Beach won the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, and Intellogent was beaten half a length into second in the Royal Hunt Cup. That really does deserve a doff of the cap, if not a telegram from the Queen.

King George V Stakes

Britannia Stakes

Buckingham Palace Stakes

THE King George V Stakes went to Charlie Appleby’s Secret State, who was well found in the market at 4/1 joint-favourite and rewarded those who backed him with a determined win. Will Buick found a gap on the rail entering the straight on the son of Dubawi, and he quickened up to put himself in pole position, but was immediately pressed by a host of rivals

He had to be tough to hold off the challenge of Deauville Legend (James Ferguson/Danny Muscutt) to win by a head.

Secret State made his debut in the Wood Ditton – about the most famous maiden race in Britain – and has come a fair way in a short time. A son of the disqualified 1000 Guineas winner Jacqueline Quest, he’s a full-brother to Sandringham Stakes winner Onassis, and half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Line Of Duty among others.

His future clearly lies in pattern company, and Appleby immediately put forward the Great Voltigeur at York as a possible target. This was a 13th Royal Ascot winner for the trainer, and it’s unlikely to prove unlucky.

IT could have been a momentous day for Frankie Dettori, with Stradivarius and a couple of fancied rides in the royal colours, but he suffered more frustration in the Britannia when Saga (John and Thady Gosden) finished fast but too late to catch Thesis (Harry and Roger Charlton), and that must have been made worse by seeing Ryan Moore aboard the winner.

Jimi Hendrix led the big field, with the jockeys converging in the middle to far side of the track.

He did well to hold on for a place, with the others in the frame all coming from off the pace.

Thesis was held up by design, but Saga got away awkwardly, leaving him poorly positioned, and forced to come from further back that the winner.

Thesis had proved frustrating until now, beaten on all four previous starts, and odds-on in the last two of those, but he was well suited by the big field and strong pace here, and showed the form his connections have thought him capable of.

A half-brother to the same connections’ Fillies’ Mile winner Quadrilateral, he will now be campaigned in listed or group company, although Roger Charlton was in no hurry to make specific plans.

INVER Park (Ben Curtis) continued the excellent form of George Boughey’s Newmarket yard by winning the Buckingham Palace Handicap, giving his young trainer a first Royal Ascot victory just weeks after Cachet had given him a first classic win in the 1000 Guineas.

The runners again tended to race towards the far side. Inver Park hit the front well inside the final furlong and stayed on strongly to beat George Margarson’s Ropey Guest a length, with outsiders Rhoscolyn and Chiefofchiefs filling the remaining places.