Baaeed (Coral Eclipse – 9/2), the world’s top-rated racehorse, justified his headline status and short odds by comfortably winning the Queen Anne Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Jim Crowley’s four-year-old began the Group One race as the overwhelming favourite after winning all of his previous seven races and he stayed true to form with a comfortable win, finishing one-and-three-quarter lengths clear of Real World in the mile race.
It was his second race win of 2022 after beating the same horse to win the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month and Crowley was mesmerised by the quality of his charge’s showing.
“It doesn’t get any easier than that. Everything went like clockwork,” said Crowley. “It’s the pinnacle. You could spend your whole life waiting for a horse like this to come along.”
Later on, 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus (Coral Eclipse – 6/1) landed the St James’ Palace Stakes and Charlie Appleby’s odds-on favourite has now won four of his five races, although had to battle hard to seal the mile contest, beating outsider Lusail by a head.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old has had a superb few months after his Classic success at Newmarket.
There was also the first Australian-trained victor at Royal Ascot since 2012 as Nature Strip (Platinum Jubilee Stakes – 5/2) won the Group One King’s Stand Stakes. He finished four-and-a-half lengths clear of Twilight Call in his first race in the UK and winning jockey James McDonald was delighted.
“He’s an absolute freak of a horse,” he said afterwards.
Group Two honours went to Bradsell, who was victorious in the Coventry Stakes, while 20/1 outsider Dubai Future won the Listed Wolferton Stakes.
There were also handicap wins for Coltrane and Get Shirty on the first day of the Royal meeting.
Wednesday’s feature on day two is the Prince of Wales’ Stakes, part of the British Champions series.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Bay Bridge (6/5) enters looking to preserve his unbeaten record, with Shahryar (10/3) another of the leading contenders.
