Ryan Moore sets new record with ninth Royal Ascot winner

Ryan Moore rode a record ninth winner of this year’s Royal Ascot meeting aboard Aloft in the Queen’s Vase.

Lester Piggott set the previous post-war best of eight winners in 1965 before repeating the feat a decade a later and Pat Eddery matched that total in 1989.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old was the 5-2 favourite for the two-mile contest, despite stepping up a full mile in distance and making his first start since finishing second in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last October.

Moore rode a patient race aboard the market leader before asking for maximum effort from the home turn.

It was hard work over the marathon distance, but Aloft responded admirably considering his lengthy absence and got up to beat Tommy Docc and Future Empire by half a length and the same.

Moore said: “It was a very messy race, I was slowly away and in a bad position and having to pick my way, he was a bit rusty all the way round.

“He’s a fair horse this fellow. He’s open to all sorts of improvement, it’s his first run of the year and you wouldn’t know where he could end up.

“I’m very lucky, I get to ride the best horses and that makes a big difference.”

Moore added: “It (the record) is not something you think about, we’ll think about tomorrow then worry about this.”

O’Brien said: “It was his first time over the trip, but he got there lovely.

“He’s that (St Leger) type of horse. He stays and likes fast ground and got the trip very well.

“Ryan gave him a great ride and I’m delighted.”

Coolmore supremo John Magnier said: “Ryan is a very modest guy, and regardless of what anyone says about him he has a great sense of humour. He’s good company as well as being a good jockey.”

Michael Tabor added: “You need a sense of humour with us, it’s great that he’s had a fantastic Ascot and there’s another day to go.

“You can’t add any more superlatives – we’ve seen just brilliant riding all week.

“And, dare I say, he’s been very unlucky in a couple of races, but that’s always going to happen.”

Fellow Coolmore partner Derrick Smith said: “He has a tremendous amount of talent. He’s right up there. I’ve seen them all, Lester, Mick Kinane, Johnny Murtagh, Frankie Dettori – he’s right up there with all of them.”

On the winner and a potential St Leger run, Magnier said: “We’ve got a few other possibilities, but obviously he’s in the mix. He’s proved he can stay, which is half the battle.”

Arab Dawn was a determined winner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes to complete a double for Richard Hughes following his Albany Stakes victory aboard Illuminate.

The Hughie Morrison-trained four-year-old was the 6-1 joint-favourite following an encouraging comeback third from Newmarket and moved nicely throughout.

The grey battled his way to the front inside the final two furlongs and while Luca Cumani’s Ajman Bridge finished with a flourish, Morrison’s charge was not for passing and clung on by half a length.

Astronereus and Libran were third and fourth respectively.

Hughes got day four of his final Royal Ascot as a jockey off to a flyer as Illuminate landed the Albany Stakes.

American raider Laxfield Road predictably blazed a trail for the first half of the six-furlong contest, but her stride began to shorten from the two-furlong marker and she was eventually swamped.

Illuminate, the 4-1 favourite following an impressive debut success at Salisbury, quickened up well to take the lead and had plenty in the tank to hold off Ashadihan by a length and a half.

The French-trained Elegant Supermodel was third.

Hughes said: “I’ve finally got one. The whole idea is not to forget your confidence, as you have to have confidence here.

“I was 20 lengths behind at halfway, but she travelled really good and moved really good. I was a little bit worried about the ground, but she’s very talented.

“She moves like a filly that would (stay a mile). She doesn’t move like a sprinter and has a great action, but we get this every year. You never know.

“The next step is probably Newmarket, so we’ll go from there.”

Balios came home best to provide trainer David Simcock with a first Royal Ascot winner in the King Edward VII Stakes.

The winner of a Kempton maiden last November before being narrowly denied on his seasonal debut at Newmarket, Balios was a 3-1 shot for this Group Two contest and was dropped out last by Jamie Spencer.

Magic Dancer and Mr Singh disputed much of the running and the latter looked as though he may have stolen a march on the field when kicking on from the home turn, but Balios really got rolling once straightened up and passed the post a length and a quarter to the good.

The disappointment of the race was Stravagante, supplemented by Michael Stoute following an impressive handicap victory on Epsom Derby day.

He was held up by Frankie Dettori, but dropped out quickly before the straight and was pulled up lame.

Muhaarar streaked clear in the inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup.

Winner of the Gimcrack at York last season before making a winning reappearance in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, the Charlie Hills-trained colt was far from disgraced in finishing eighth from a wide draw in the French 2000 Guineas.

Back at six furlongs, Dane O’Neill’s mount raced on the far side of runners and quickened clear in impressive fashion to claim the first staging of this Group One prize by an emphatic three and three-quarter lengths.

Limato battled his way to second place ahead of Anthem Alexander in third.

American challenger Hootenanny was the 9-4 favourite, but weakened rapidly from a furlong out and finished well beaten under Ryan Moore.

Christophe Soumillon produced Ervedya with a withering late run to claim top honours in a pulsating Coronation Stakes.

Arabian Queen took the Group One field along for much of the mile contest, but began to feel the pinch from the home turn.

Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up and 13-8 favourite Found quickened up to lead inside the final two furlongs, but Soumillon timed his challenge just right aboard Jean-Claude Rouget’s 3-1 chance Ervedya and came from further back to win the prestigious prize by a neck.

Lucida, another 3-1 shot, was just half a length away in third.

Soumillon said: “I was lucky I got a gap in the middle.

“I knew Aidan O’Brien’s filly would be at the top of her game today and she beat us last year in Longchamp.

“When I saw her in that position I thought it was better to stay behind her and maybe that’s why I won, as if I had come on the outside I’m not sure she would have quickened like she did and stay on to the line.”