Copper Horse Handicap

THE well-fancied My Lyka may have been disappointing in the Ascot Stakes, but Willie Mullins is never down for long, and he took the Copper Horse Handicap for the second year running with 4/1 chance Belloccio (William Buick), who came from off the pace to get the better of Lmay (John and Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) and My Mate Mozzie (Gavin Cromwell/Gary Carroll) to win by a length and a quarter and a short-head. Mullins famously won the race 12 months ago with handicap snip Vauban and was gaining a tenth Royal Ascot victory with the former David Menuisier inmate.

Belloccio was bought on behalf of Thurloe Thoroughbreds in November to go jumping and won a maiden hurdle on his debut for Mullins last month, although a hurdling career may have to go on the back-burner with races like the Ebor and possibly the Melbourne Cup now on the agenda for new connections.

Compensation

Mullins said: “I was so disappointed with My Lyka and I was wondering, could this fellow make up for it? Then I was disappointed when he didn’t jump out as fast as I hoped, but William didn’t panic. He waited until the race was starting in earnest and produced him with a perfect run.

“This fellow will probably go to the Ebor. He’s entered here on Saturday, but we’ll see how he comes out of this race, and I think the bigger picture may come into it. The long-term aim might be to qualify for the Melbourne Cup. We’ll see how things go and I’ll have another word with William.”

Ascot Stakes

SIR Mark Prescott had to wait over two decades for his first Royal Ascot winner, but having won the Britannia Stakes in 1994 with Wizard King and the King’s Stand two years later with superstar Pivotal, the wait for a third has been even longer, but patience is the veteran handler’s watchword, and he belatedly got his name back on the roll of honour courtesy of Pledgeofallegiance (Luke Morris) in the Ascot Stakes.

The 20/1 shot chased early leader Boher Road before going on early in the home straight. He was pressed hard by Divine Comedy (Harry Eustace/Kaiya Fraser) throughout the last furlong, but dug deep to prevail by a lenth. Kyle Of Lochalsh finished third, a further two and a half lengths behind, with Get Shirty fourth.

The winner is out of Oaks fourth Vow and cost 450,000 guineas as a yearling. Running in the Victorious Racing colours, he is owned by Prince Nasser of Bahrain, a son-in-law of Sheikh Mohammed, and is likely to be aimed at what was the Goodwood Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, that contest also over two and a half miles.

Very nice horse

Prescott said: “Pledgeofallegiance is a very nice horse, very sensible. The only thing he’s ever done wrong in his life is cost all that money. Then the expectation is so high on him. If he couldn’t win the Derby, the next best thing was to win at Royal Ascot for them, so I’m very grateful he has. He’s a thoroughly nice, straightforward horse – trainers don’t have enough of them!

“I like feeling we have been part of the thought process; it’s not just because it’s a good horse, but you can feel you’ve had a little bit of input. It was the obvious race for him, and the owners have been very good – if that’s what you want to do, do it. I think when those plans go right, you’re churlish if you don’t enjoy it.”

Wolferton Stakes

ISRAR (John and Thady Gosden/Jim Crowley) got the prize he deserved by winning the Listed Wolferton Stakes, having gone close in Group races at Sandown and Chester on his previous two starts. The five-year-old is a push-button ride and was always in a good position under Jim Crowley who asked his mount for a race-winning effort with a quarter of a mile to run and got exactly the response he envisaged.

With the 11/4 joint-favourite leading well over a furlong out before pulling clear to beat Wathnan Racing duo Haunted Dream (Hamad Al Jehani/Christophe Soumillon) and Torito (John and Thady Gosden/James Doyle) by three and a quarter lengths and a short-head.

The beautifully bred Israr is out of Oaks and King George winner Taghrooda and may have a place on the Shadwell stallion roster given that pedigree, having already won the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket last summer. This listed win merely decorates his CV but it was a deserving win and a compliment to the sidelined Passenger, who beat him in the Huxley Stakes at Chester last month.

Stallion job

Gosden said: “Israr is a grand horse and is a well-bred horse too, so hopefully we can find a stallion job for him one day. It’s great of Sheikha Hissa to keep him in training.”

Explaining the decision to drop Israr in class, he said: “It used to be a handicap – now it is a very high grade listed race and you get good horses in there. It made every sense to give him some confidence and go and win a race. He was second to Passenger and ran a superb race at Chester, so I think that probably says a lot about the horse that beat him at Chester.

“He deserved to come here and win a lovely race on the first day of Ascot. He is a good looking dude as well.”