BOTH Curragh and Newmarket 1,000 Guineas form was severely dented yesterday as Royal Ascot specialist Geoff Wragg shook off the loss of stable-star First Island to inflict a surprise defeat on Sleepytime and Classic Park in the Coronation Stakes.
Despite fielding a severely depleted team for a meeting at which he had struck 13 times since 1990, the trainer sprang a 25 to 1 shock when Rebecca Sharp grabbed the Group One contest.
Rebecca Sharp had trailed Sleepytime by 19 lengths when the pair clashed in last month's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
But the filly turned the tables in style as she defeated Ocean Ridge by threequarters of a length, with 5 to 6 favourite Sleepytime another two lengths back in third and Classic Park a further one and a half lengths away fourth.
New front-running tactics were intended for Sleepytime but jockey Kieren Fallon could never get her to the front and for once there were no excuses for her defeat.
"The idea was to try to run them into the ground but she just wasn't able to get going. She'll be a much better filly with a bit of give in the ground and a longer distance," said trainer Henry Cecil.
Stephen Craine dropped out Classic Park in the early stages, but the filly was never travelling well and it was clear early in the straight that she would not be involved in the finish
Geoffrey Wraggs' build-up to the meeting had not gone well as Jersey Stakes hope St Radegund broke a leg and then top miler First Island died after a bout of colic.
But he still had on ace up his sleeve and produced Rebecca Sharp to avenge the disqualification of the stable's Buz Kashi in the same race in 1979.
Michael Kinane, leading jockey at the meeting for the last three years, registered his first success this year when Among Men took the Jersey Stakes.
He was seen at his best as he forced the 4 to 1 favourite back into the lead after being headed to defeat the Godolphin challenger Kahal by half a length.
"It was tight but Michael was vigorous as ever in the finish and got the horse home," said winning owner Michael Tabor.
Long-serving trainer Peter Walwyn returned to the Royal Ascot winner's enclosure for the first time in seven years as Nadwah pipped Crazee Mental by a short-head in the Queen Mary Stakes.
Walwyn, whose last success came with Hateel in the Bessborough Handicap, said: "It's pretty good to be back and I'm back with a good, tough filly."
Nadwah had been unlucky when third at Sandown last time but avoided most of the traffic problems which several of her rivals suffered.
Aidan O'Brien's Heeremandi was backed down to 7 to 4 favourite to give the stable its second juvenile winner of the meeting, but could only manage sixth place, four lengths behind the winner.
Handicap maestro Reg Akehurst orchestrated another devastating blow for the book-makers as Red Robbo landed a gamble in the Royal Hunt Cup. The colt, the subject of one wager of £1,000 each-way at 33 to 1, stormed home at 16 to 1 in one of the season's toughest handicaps.
Zaralaska, the highest profile victim of the Jockey Club's crack-down against non-triers, "got out of jail" to steal the Bessborough Handicap. Less than a week after completing a 30-day ban for allegedly not running on his merits at York, the six-year-old was produced by trainer Luca Cumani in peak condition.
Zaralaska (8-1), who had one behind him turning into the straight, was threaded through the field by Pat Eddery and won impressively by two and a half lengths. He then survived a stewards inquiry into interference to avenge a narrow defeat in the corresponding event two years ago.
Cumani was fined £700 and jockey Royston Ffrench suspended for four days at York.
. Record crowd figures were set for the second day running at Royal Ascot yesterday. The attendance of 58,642 beat the previous best for a Wednesday of 57,741 set in 1989.
. Entrepreneur has yet to gallop since his Epsom Derby failure, it was revealed yesterday, putting his chances of running in the Curragh version in some doubt.
