Ascot Stakes
Handicap, Ascot 17:00 £60,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 2
Tuesday 17th June 2014

1 Domination 12/1
2 Another Coctail 20/1
3 Sizzler 16/1
4 Sohar 16/1
NR: Cullentry Royal
19 ran Distances: 2½l, hd, 2¼l
TIME 4m 20.30s (slow by 0.30s)

Confident run for Domination coming from the back to take the Ascot Stakes for Fran Berry. Debut Ascot success for Charles Byrnes.

Domination
© Caroline Norris

If you want to win the Ascot Stakes, turn to jockey Fran Berry.

He not only won the race for a third time today - and for the second year in succession - but also advised trainer Charles Byrnes to run seven-year-old Domination. The gelding's most recent win, at Limerick in March, was over fences.

Berry's only successes at the Royal Meeting have been in this race - he won on Leg Spinner in 2005, and Well Sharp last year - and he said: "It's been a very lucky race for me, but I've been very lucky to ride for good trainers.

"It's a great thrill to win for Charles, who has been good to me. I'd love to win other races at the meeting, but this was my only booked ride and I'm heading home to Ireland tonight. It's great to make the most of it.

"He always breaks slowly from the gates, and he was particularly slow today, but with two and a half miles to run I wasn't going to hurry. They went an even pace and when we got past a couple of horses he got his confidence. In the home straight he really picked up well. He has ability."

Byrnes, who was enjoying a first Royal Ascot winner with his first runner, is well known as the trainer of Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner Solwhit. He said of Domination: "He probably should have run here last year, when both the owner [Carol Cleary] and Fran were keen to come. I didn't take any notice last year, but they finally won the argument and it's paid off.

"The horse was slowly out of the stalls, but Fran just let it all happen in front of him - it was a fantastic ride. The ground has just come right and it all worked out.

"He's in Saturday's Queen Alexandra Stakes, but I should think he's done his job and this will be enough - maybe he could go for the Goodwood Cup."

Domination was bred by Michael Kerr-Dineen, who, co-incidentally, owned the runner-up, Another Cocktail.

Trainer Hughie Morrison's decision to step Another Cocktail up in trip proved right after the 20/1 shot finished a creditable two and a half-length second. Morrison said: "He got every yard of it. Jimmy (Fortune) says he was bone idle but stays and loved it, he tried his heart out and we are thrilled with the run."

Another Cocktail
© Racehorse Photos

Morrison earmarked the season's top staying handicap as possible targets for the four-year-old: "He's in the Northumberland Plate, that might come too quick and he might not get into it. We are looking for anything from one mile six furlongs onwards with a good gallop. There aren't many races at this trip, so we are looking at very few races of this quality.

"He will obviously go up five or six pounds for that and deservedly so. We may wait for the Ebor at York or the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, things like that will be his races. He is obviously decent."

Ralph Beckett, trainer of third-placed Sizzler, was pleased with the four-year-old's run.

He commented: We are really pleased with him. He has run a great and we will now look at the Cesarewitch for him."

Ascot Stakes Handicap
£60,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 2
19 ran
Going: Good