At Royal Ascot Starspangledbanner triumphs

Royal Ascot, Co-favourite Starspangledbanner won the Golden Jubilee Stakes on the final day of racing at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
In an international field, Australia's Starspangledbanner dominated the race, coming in ahead of Society Rock, followed by Kinsale King.
In two days it was the third winner for trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh, after Lillie Langtry won the Coronation Stakes and Mikhail Glinka took the Queen's Vase on Friday.
“It is incredible that he was able to win over a mile in Australia and he came over with a massive reputation, we were very lucky to get him,” O'Brien said. “He's the fastest we've had, no doubt. We've never had one go that fast furlong by furlong.”
In the family Ascot success runs for Starspangledbanner, an offspring of 2003 Golden Jubilee winner Choisir.
“He's very similar to his sire Choisir, big and strong,” Murtagh said. “Everything just worked perfect. He jumped well, travelled actually well, a good strong gallop all the way.”
Murtagh won again later in the Wokingham Stakes on the five year old Laddies Poker Two.
Murtagh narrowly missed out on the week's top jockey award, which went to Ryan Moore. Moore rode Bergo, trained by his father Gary, to victory in the closing Queen Alexandra Stakes. Aajel was second and Swingkeel third.
“It doesn't mean a lot to me personally, but I am delighted to ride a winner for my dad,” said Moore of his Queen Alexandra Stakes win. “This is the biggest week in racing and it is very competitive and hard to win.”
He also rode the Michael Stoute trained Harbinger to victory in the Hardwicke Stakes where Duncan and Barshiba were second and third.
In a busy day for Moore, the rider managed to finish second on Imposing in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, behind Cill Rialaig. Imposing recovered from a poor start to push the Hugh Morrison trained horse all the way to the line. Martyr finished third.
Moore had a quiet start to the week, with disappointing runs on Rip Van Winkle, Steinbeck and Fencing Master, and Richard Hughes and Frankie Dettori appeared better placed to take the top jockey award for much of Royal Ascot.
But with Murtagh also having a successful closing day and competing in the final race on Deutschland, the award wasn't decided until Bergo crossed the line first. Deutschland finished 11th.
In the day's other race, Zaidan took the Chesham Stakes, three lengths ahead of Sonning Rose, followed by Casper's Touch.

At Royal Ascot David Hayes has high hopes for Nicconi

David Hayes has high hopes for Nicconi at Royal Ascot is well schooled in the ways of British racing. At the time he may not have realised, but his father, the late Colin Hayes, had instilled in his son from an early age a deep respect for the patient training methods of Vincent O’Brien, Noel Murless and Dick Hern.
To Europe David Hayes senior was a frequent visitor in the 1960s. Each year, when returning home to South Australia, he would try to introduce ideas he had picked up on his travels. One huge influence had been the variety of gallops he had seen at Newmarket, in particular Warren Hill.
So, when it came time for Colin Hayes to build and develop Lindsay Park, his own private training centre and stud farm at Angaston, 72 miles out of Adelaide, the British experience was put into practice. Forty years ago, Hayes was seen as a revolutionary in setting up away from the mainstream metropolitan tracks. He proved to be years ahead of his time.
David Hayes, 47, has built on those foundations, establishing himself in his own right internationally, having sent out the winners of the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup (twice), Cox Plate (three), Golden Slipper, Japan Cup, Hong Kong Derby, and having twice been champion trainer in Hong Kong during a 10-year stint in the former British colony.
He brings to the first day of Royal Ascot a well-credentialled sprinter, Nicconi, who attempts to follow great Australian sprinters Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast by winning the five-furlong King’s Stand Stakes, almost four and a half months after tasting victory in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
Just why the Lightning, which is another "straight five", should have had such a bearing on what has taken place at the Royal Meeting on the other side of the world, actually defies logic. Arguably, there are other races just as noteworthy Down Under, but it has definitely been the most accurate pointer to Ascot triumph.
“I think it is the timing of the racing, and where it fits into the racing calendar,” Hayes explains. “It comes at the end of January, just when some of the classy [middle-distance] types are coming back to campaign – you can have Derby winners resuming after a spell – and even a top sprinter has to have a certain amount of class to win it.”
Hayes reckons Nicconi is every bit as good as the aforementioned sprinters, but qualifies that statement by adding “on his day.” The five-year-old has a tendency to throw in the occasional “shocker”, hence the move to fit a visor for the first time in Tuesday’s race.
“I think it will make a difference. It should make him just that bit sharper on the big day. We tried him in the visor in an exhibition gallop [an unnofficial trial between races] at Caulfield [Melbourne] before he left to come over, and his sectional times were exceptional. If he can produce that again, he’ll just about win it. We’re quietly confident,” he adds.
The booking of Frankie Dettori is in keeping with Hayes’s policy of looking for a local when travelling horses abroad. His thinking is that once the jockey in question has become accustomed to his mount – during morning exercise – the rest will come easy. He recognises that no favours are given visiting jockeys, yet a certain respect prevails when riders are competing against each other on a daily basis.
“Also, I’m a big Frankie fan. I’ve known him a long time and he’s a good friend. And, nobody knows Ascot better than Dettori,” he adds.
Kingsgate Native, recent winner of the Temple Stakes at Haydock Park, and winner of the Golden Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting two years ago, looks the big danger to the Australian challenge, which is strengthened by the addition of speedster Gold Trail. For David Hayes, it is another chance to bask in the international spotlight.

Sees a rise in ticket sales Royal Ascot 2010

"I think we will have a slightly bigger crowd than last year," he said.
"In January we were slightly concerned as numbers were down on previous years but it has picked up.
"We are now sold out in the grandstand and silver ring for Saturday. While enclosures are sold out we still have space for people on the heath."
This will be Barnett's fourth Royal Ascot and he said that even though corporate sales were up on last years figures, they will not be as good as 2007 or 2008.
But he was still pleased overall with ticket sales for the event despite the competing attraction of the World Cup.
"The market is not going down anymore and it is maybe picking up slightly. Box occupancy is still pretty good and we have a lot of people coming for hospitality too which is great," he said.
Last year the Saturday of Royal Ascot drew record crowds of nearly 80,000. Barnett will be hoping to exceed that number this year.