Royal Ascot is ‘heaven on earth’ for shock winner Cercene’s trainer

Cercene and Time for Sandals brought smiles to the faces of bookmakers on the fourth day of Royal Ascot on Friday springing huge shocks in the two Group One races.

Cercene was at 33/1 the longest price winner ever in the Coronation Stakes, she showed real grit under Gary Carroll to battle back to overcome French favourite Zarigana.

For Carroll and trainer Joe Murphy, who had only had one previous runner at the meeting, it was easily their most prestigious winner and comes on arguably the biggest stage.

“This is 50 years of work, that’s what it is, of love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people, it’s just a whole group of people together,” said Murphy, who has been training since 1977.

“This is heaven on Earth.”

For Carroll it was his third Royal Ascot winner but first ever Group One winner anywhere and due reward for flying back after riding in Ireland on Thursday.

“Hugely good horses are very hard to come by and sometimes only one comes along in a lifetime and I guess mine has,” he said.

Harry Eustace has got a real taste now for Group One races at Royal Ascot, having broken his duck on Tuesday he added a second in the Commonwealth Cup with Time for Sandals, a shock 25/1 winner.

“I don’t know it has not landed yet,” said Eustace of his astonishing week.

“You have to be very careful with Ascot if you get your hopes up it can bite you back.”

For his father James, who Harry took over from, it was “magic”.

“It is so wonderful,” said Eustace senior, who also enjoyed success at Royal Ascot.

“We tried to get Harry to go to university, we succeeded initially and he went to Edinburgh.

“He had two good years and a lot of fun before he dropped out and then took off for Australia and the racing bug bit.”

Fantastic days: For jockey Richard Kingscote it was a seventh Royal Ascot winner, his first Group One, and ended a losing run of 67 rides at the meeting.

“This means an awful lot,” said Kingscote.

“I have had some nice horses but this will do the world of good.

“I am delighted to ride a good winner for Harry, he is a gentleman, it is a happy yard.”

The race had looked set up to end trainer Charlie Appleby’s three year losing run at the meeting but once again it ended in disappointment -- hot favourite Shadow of Light never featured.

Willie Mullins normally associated with the Cheltenham Festival winners enclosure had quite a day.

The 68-year-old Irish training legend began the day in the Royal Procession, his wife Jackie presented a trophy, and then he welcomed home his 11th Royal Ascot winner.

Ryan Moore recorded his 91st Royal Ascot winner as he guided Ethical Diamond home to an impressive victory in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, just months after he finished fourth in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“It is wonderful,” said Mullins.

“These are fantastic days.

“Jackie said let us just enjoy it and to have a winner well it is the cherry on top of the cake is it not?”

Venetian Sun won the first the Group Three Albany Stakes ending O’Brien’s hopes of a sweep of the two-year-old races this week.

Trainer Karl Burke had described the week so far as “savage” but he had a beaming smile on his face as he walked back to the winner’s enclosure.

“A very special filly never had a two-year-old filly like her. She has been kicking group horses out of the way at home,” said Burke, who previously won the Albany in 2020 with Dandalla.

Venetian Sun, co-owned by Tony Bloom owner of Premier League side Brighton, was a second Royal Ascot winner for jockey Clifford Lee.

“It is very hard to get a winner here, you think you come here with a real chance and find you fall short,” he said.

“Mr Burke though gives me plenty of ammunition and this one delivered.”

Agence France-Presse