O'Brien's star named Henry takes centre stage

RACING ROYAL ASCOT REPORT AND PREVIEWTHE COMMERCIAL demands of making stallions for Coolmore Stud means Aidan O'Brien is never going to talk down one of his horses but the champion trainer was talking Henrythenavigator up to the stratosphere after the dual 2,000 Guineas winner completed a Group One hat-trick in yesterday's St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Even on a day when the former Australian star Haradasun won for O'Brien in the Queen Anne Stakes, emphasising the international feel to the opening day of the festival, there was no denying Henrythenavigator's place at centre stage.

The bare winning margin was three-quarters of a length to Raven's Pass, with Twice Over back in third, but once again the impression that the regally bred colt left spoke almost as much as O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh afterwards.

"He's a really special horse. He's got speed, stamina, class and has a great attitude. I think it's hard to believe we are ever going to get a better miler than this fella," beamed O'Brien, who was winning the race for the fifth time in nine years.

Murtagh also described Henrythenavigator as "a great horse" and it was hard to argue against that since he broke the mile course record and became just the third colt to add the St James's Palace to the English-Irish Guineas double. Right Tack (1969) and Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) were the others.

Rock Of Gibraltar concentrated on mile races afterwards but O'Brien said yesterday: "We can go a lot of different routes with this horse. We can drop back, step up or stay at a mile. It's a great decision to have to make."

John Magnier's decision to splash out an Australian record of over €13 million for a half share in Haradasun last year looked sound after the Aussie star won the Queen Anne by a head over Darjina with the heavily backed Finsceal Beo in third.

In a tactical event Murtagh secured a clear run for Haradasun and had enough in hand to hold his French rival.

"He has been very naturally fast from day one - a great cruiser - and you can see why everyone was excited about him in Australia.

"He looked today like he could get a mile and a quarter," O'Brien said.

Bolger could return Finsceal Beo to 10 furlongs and said: "An option is the Pretty Polly Stakes but she could also run in the Falmouth and the Nassau with Longchamp after that."

The international element to the Kings Stand Stakes was again principally supposed to be provided by a strong Australian team but instead Equiano served up a unique 22 to 1 victory for Spain.

Ridden by the former French champion, Olivier Peslier, the three-year-old repelled the Australian star Takeover Target and the home favourite Fleeting Spirit in a driving finish.

Art Connoisseur struck a blow for the home team with a spectacular success in the Coventry that encouraged some firms to make Michael Bell's unbeaten colt a 25 to 1 shot for next year's 2,000 Guineas.

Henrythenavigator landed the Coventry last year and if anything Art Connoisseur was even more spectacular, sweeping from last to first under Jamie Spencer to become the Irish jockey's 14th Royal Ascot winner.

"We were originally thinking of the Norfolk but in fairness to Jamie he rode a bit of work on him and said he would win the Coventry," said Bell, who may aim the winner at Deauville's Prix Morny next.

Murtagh came up only half a length short of a treble when David Wachman's favourite Bushranger was overhauled in the closing stages of the Windsor Castle Stakes by the shock 100 to 1 winner Flashmans Papers.

There was another big-priced winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes as the 20 to 1 shot Missoula provided the jump trainer Suzy Smith with her first festival success.

"We are mainly a jumps yard - we hardly ever have Flat runners and this is our first ever winner (on the Flat) so there'll be some party tonight," said the Lewes trainer.