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Naval Crown wins the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. PA
Crowning Glory

Naval Crown leads home famous one-two for Appleby in Platinum Jubilee

Meanwhile Aidan O’Brien recorded a remarkable 900th Group/Graded winner under both codes

NAVAL CROWN had to settle for second-best behind his Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate Creative Force in last season’s Jersey Stakes – but he avenged that defeat in style as he powered up the stands rail at odds of 33-1 to claim the Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

Separated by the width of the Ascot track, James Doyle’s mount, who had been running over further than the six furlongs throughout his career until a fourth-placed effort in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, got the better of the William Buick-ridden Creative Force (12-1) by a neck, despite losing his off-hind shoe.

While free-going Australian raider Home Affairs was sent off the 5-2 favourite, he had run his race by the furlong pole and the Godolphin pair were followed home by a blanket of horses, with America’s Campanelle sticking to her guns to dead-heat with Australia’s Artorius.

Meanwhile, Broome swept trainer Aidan O’Brien to a remarkable 900th Group/Graded winner under both codes with an awesome display of front-running in the hands of Ryan Moore to take the Hardwicke Stakes.

Though last season’s Irish Derby and St Leger winner Hurricane Lane was sent off the 8-11 favourite for the mile-and-a-half Group Two feature at Royal Ascot, he appeared to be carrying a little condition for his first run of the season on ground quicker than ideal and Moore’s aggressive tactics from a wide draw worked to perfection, as he took the sting out of Charlie Appleby’s runner.

The 6-1 chance, who landed the Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in July last year, kept grinding and as Hurricane Lane wilted, Mostahdaf and Jim Crowley gave chase, but found the winner three and a quarter lengths superior.

“I didn’t realise that (900 top-level winners) and we are so privileged to be in the position we are and we are so grateful to everyone at Ballydoyle,” said O’Brien, who also moved to 81 career winners at the Royal meeting – one behind Michael Stoute.

“In this life and world we take one day at a time and try to appreciate every day. We’re so grateful to do what we do every day. It’s incredible really.”

Paying tribute to Moore, he said: “It was a brilliant ride. Ryan has done an incredible job on Broome. He is a six-year-old colt now and one very strange thing is that he seems to be coming to the peak of his career after all these years. He is by Australia and is very brave.

“We think we will see the best of him this year. Ryan gave Broome an amazing ride.”

O’Brien indicated the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes will be the target for Broome, and added: “He suffered a fractured shin when he was kicked unsaddling after the Japan Cup.

“He had time off and needed his run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“He has a very high cruising speed, and doesn’t surrender.”

Earlier, Noble Truth broke smartly and overcame his keen-going nature to tough it from the front Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having won this race last year with Creative Force, Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby earned back-to-back renewals, thanks to an enterprising William Buick ride aboard the 4-1 favourite, who has improved this season thanks to being gelded.

Find, who blew the start, ran a huge race in defeat at 40-1, staying on nicely under David Egan to be a length second, with Dubai Poet a neck behind in third having just tired in the final half furlong after seemingly cruising.

Appleby said: “A lot of credit must go to the lad that has ridden him at home as he’s not an easy horse to ride.

“We gelded him, and it’s only in the last 10 days that he’s arrived.

“Looking for a horse that will fit the Golden Eagle at Randwick brings me to him. I think he has the qualities for that race.”

Also at Ascot, Holloway Boy continued Karl Burke’s domination of the juvenile division, powering home on his racecourse debut under Danny Tudhope to take the Chesham Stakes.

The strapping Ulysses colt took apart his 13 rivals in what looked a strong renewal, the 40-1 chance cruising in behind early pace-setters Alzahir and Aidan O’Brien-trained Alfred Munnings, yet he had a bit to find when Pearling Path (80-1) eased to the front approaching a furlong out.

Tudhope had every move covered on the Nick White and Elaine Burke-owned colt, however, and he went on to score by a length, with Lakota Sioux (33-1) a further length and a half back in third, blowing more than a few placepots in the process.

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