Gosdens celebrate Ascot double as Buick motors home on Ombudsman

Father and son training partnership John and Thady Gosden celebrated a big race double on the second day of Royal Ascot on Wednesday with Ombudsman landing the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

The Royal Procession was marked by the absence of Catherine, Princess of Wales, but had a literary flavour, with two giants of the written word William Boyd and Robert Harris in the cortege along with their wives.

The day’s racing provided as many exciting finishes as the climaxes to their best selling books.

Ombudsman’s jockey William Buick held his nerve when he tried to find an opening as the race reached its climax, blocked by a wall of horses.

However, the Norway-born jockey found a way round and then stormed clear to give the Gosden stable a sixth win in the race.

Buick, 36, having had a tough time released his pent up emotion, punching the air in delight as he passed the post.

“It has been a difficult few days,” said Buick.

“I have got a little bit of experience so I try and stay level, I have a lot of good rides.

“You look forward right?”

John Gosden, for whom it was a 70th Royal Ascot winner, said Buick had been “patient and rewarded”.

Earlier the Gosdens had enjoyed a record-extending sixth win in the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

Australia-based New Zealander jockey James McDonald swooped to win on Crimson Advocate.

“Absolutely delighted, pleasure to ride a winner for the group (the Emir of Qatar’s Wathnan Racing for whom it was their third winner of this year’s edition),” said MacDonald, recording his fifth Royal Ascot winner.

“I am very lucky to be jogging on the right spot at the right time.

“Even when you do not have a fancied horse in a race here it is a very special, elegant and graceful place to ride.”

Earlier Aidan O’Brien ticked off one of the rare races missing from his win list, True Love winning the opening Queen Mary Stakes in fine style.

Her victory franked the form book as she had finished second to Gstaad previously -- he had won the Coventry for O’Brien on Tuesday.

It was the 55-year-old Irishman’s 93rd Royal Ascot winner, jockey Ryan Moore’s 87th.

An old familiar face popped up for the race, former French wunderkind trainer Patrick Biancone who had trained back-to-back Arc de Triomphe winners by the time he was 32.

Now a fresh looking 73 and based in California he did not leave disappointed as his heavily-backed runner Lennilu finished third.

“We are happy, she is only a baby, she fought all the way,” said the gravelly-voiced Biancone.

There was a sad post-script as Harry’s Girl had to be put down after suffering a fatal injury during the race -- putting a dampener on trainer Richard Hannon’s meeting after a win on Tuesday.

Carmers provided Irish trainer Paddy Twomey with a win in the Group Two Queen’s Vase with his first ever winner at the meeting, a second win for jockey Billy Lee this week.

For owner Fiona Carmichael it was an emotional victory as the horse is named after her late husband.

“This is all fairly new to me,” said Carmichael, who also bred the winner.

“I am living the dream. What happens further down the line gives me something to look forward to as he could run in the St Leger.”

Lee, who rare for a flat jockey has also ridden winners at Cheltenham and Aintree in the past eight months, said he was a very lucky man.

“There are plenty of good lads based in Ireland who do not get the chance like myself and Colin Keane.”

It’s been three years since trainer Charlie Appleby cracked open the champagne in terms of a Royal Ascot winner, and he had to hide his disappointment as favourite Cinderella’s Dream finished second.

He at least takes a percentage of the prizemony as compensation, there is no such safety net for the punter who piled on £20,000 ($27,000) to win.

Agencies