Diamond Jubilee Stakes
Group 1, Ascot 16:25 £525,000 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
Saturday 21st June 2014

1 Slade Power 7/2F
2 Due Diligence 5/1
3 Aljamaaheer 4/1
NR: Tawhid
14 ran Distances: 1½l, hd, 1l
TIME 1m 12.40s

Irish trained sprinters dominated the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot with Slade Power beating Due Diligence in great style!

Slade Power
© Caroline Norris

An unforgettable week for trainer Eddie Lynnam was crowned when Slade Power saw off some formidable opposition to win the Group One Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

The five-year-old, who was sent off 7/2 favourite, was following stablemate Sole Power, winner of the King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday. Lynam also saddled Anthem Alexander to win the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday.

"It's without a doubt the best week of my training career but it's just coincidence that I had the three best horses in the races," said Lynam. "Trainers get 10 per cent for a reason - it's only 10 per cent to do with us. I am very lucky to have very good horses, very good owners, a great family to back me up because I am hard to live with and marvellous staff.

"It has been a great week and there's nowhere I like winning more than here. I love the place. Unfortunately, my wife got a very bad fall last April - she broke her back and her neck. She missed it here last year and, when you are married to a fellow like me you don't expect to get back the next year and win again. It's great - she's here and she deserves it because she puts up with me, which takes a lot, and she is a big part of the outfit at home.

"We were happy to keep it simple with the tactics and it worked. I never had any doubts about the ground until reading the papers and watching the Morning Line earlier and I knew that he would pull up. He's used to looking at one man and a dog at home, not the crowd of 70,000 he saw here. I saw a couple flying home but we got there and, because we bred him, it's special.

"I'd like to thank Simon Knapp, the vet here, because 18 months ago we nearly lost the horse.

"He and Sole Power will run in the July Cup and Slade Power will wear the second colours. Sole Power is the elder statesman and will always wear the first colours. Don't ask me to compare them - I've got three daughters and you'd get an easier answer if you asked me to compare them. It will be hard to watch the race. I had a monkey (£500) at 66/1 on the double this week, so that beats working!"

David Power, whose wife Sabena owns and bred the winner, added: "It was marvellous. The greatest thing of all with it happening this week is that Eddie's wife Aileen is able to be here. Last year, when Sole Power won the King's Stand, Aileen was at home with five fractured vertebrae in her back and three broken bones in her neck, so she couldn't travel. It's great to have her here sharing in all this."

Power's son Paddy said: "This doesn't happen. You come into this week and you are kind of confident about this horse, hopeful and fingers crossed about Sole Power, who owes us nothing. When Sole wins, you say it can't get better but it just did. I can't describe it - it's unbelievable.

"He's the first horse my parents have ever bred - they are lucky enough as breeders - and he has a great year ahead of him. This is his year because he will probably retire after this year. He's an entire horse so I would imagine he will run in all of the top sprints this year and then probably retire to stud. I am only the son of the owner - I don't own the horse to make any decisions."

Due Diligence
© Caroline Norris

Trainer Aidan O'Brien is pleased with the way in which Due Diligence is progressing following his fine run, when he finished the one and a half length runner up.

The 5/1 shot was just short of room in the dying strides as the winner drifted left across the course but his trainer was in a reflective mood after the race and felt that his colt has more improvement left in him.

"We are very happy with him," said O'Brien.

"It was his first time against the older sprinters and really you couldn't be happier. Obviously, we would have preferred the field to stay together - he was just a little bit lonely out there and Ryan said that he was wanting to drift towards them.

"Ryan said they were a good bit behind at halfway but that's the way it is. All of the pace was on the other side but he ran home really well.

"His last two runs were against three-year-olds and three-year-olds have to step up again when they come up against the old hardened sprinters. We felt that he would learn a lot today and hopefully he did. We look forward to him next time.

"The lads will talk and decide about the July Cup but it looks the obvious thing for him."

Aljamaaheer
© Racehorse Photos

Aljamaaheer finished a further head back in third and trainer Roger Varian was happy enough following the race.

"It looks at the moment as if six and a half furlongs is his trip!" said Varian.

"He's still trying to get into the sprinting mentality at the moment. We've done a lot of gate work with him and he broke well today but he couldn't quite hold his position during the race. He's run on really well though and I believe he's got a big race in him.

"He could go to the July Cup next but obviously a race like the Maurice de Gheest (at Deauville) comes into the equation as well.

"He's run a really good race though and I've no excuses. We just weren't quite good enough."

Diamond Jubilee Stakes
(British Champions Series & Global Sprint Challenge)
£525,000 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Firm in places

THE DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES
Past Results

2013-WINNER-LETHAL FORCE 4-9-04 Owner-Alan Craddock; Trainer-Clive Cox; Jockey-Adam Kirby; SP-11/1
2ND-Society Rock 6-9-04 Owner-Simon Gibson; Trainer-James Fanshawe; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-4/1 Fav
3RD-Krypton Factor 5-9-04 Owner-Fawzi Abdulla Nass; Trainer-Fawzi Nass BAH; Jockey-Luke Morris; SP-25/1
18 ran; Time-1m 13.36s; Dist-2, 1¾

2012-WINNER-BLACK CAVIAR 6-9-01 Owner-G J Wilkie, Mrs K J Wilkie et al; Trainer-Peter Moody AUS; Jockey-Luke Nolen; SP-1/6
Fav
2ND-Moonlight Cloud 4-9-01 Owner-George Strawbridge; Trainer-Freddy Head FR; Jockey-Thierry Jarnet; SP-5/1
3RD-Restiadargent 3-8-08 Owner-Guy Pariente; Trainer-Alex Pantall FR; Jockey-Maxime Guyon; SP-40/1
14 ran; Time-1m 14.10s; Dist-hd, nk

2011-WINNER-SOCIETY ROCK 4-9-04 Owner-Simon Gibson; Trainer-James Fanshawe; Jockey-Pat Cosgrave; SP-25/1
2ND-Monsieur Chevalier 4-9-04 Owner-Valerie Hubbard & Ian Higginson; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-25/1
3RD-Star Witness 4-9-04 Owner-Widden Stud; Trainer-Danny O’Brien AUS; Jockey-Steven Arnold; SP-4/1
16 ran; Time-1m 17.22s; Dist-½, 1¼ 3/1 Fav Bewitched (14th)

2010-WINNER-STARSPANGLEDBANNER 4-9-04 Owner-Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Sue Magnier/Ms Massey; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien
IRE; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-13/2 Jt Fav
2ND Society Rock 3-8-11 Owner-Simon Gibson; Trainer-James Fanshawe; Jockey-Pat Cosgrave; SP-50/1
3RD Kinsale King 5-9-04 Owner-Sheehy LLC; Trainer-Carl O’Callaghan USA; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-8/1
24 ran; Time-1m 12.57s; Dist-1¾, hd 13/2 Jt Fav Fleeting Spirit (4th)

2009-WINNER-ART CONNOISSEUR 3-8-11 Owner-Richard Green; Trainer-Michael Bell; Jockey-Tom Queally; SP-20/1
2ND-Cannonball 4-9-04 Owner-Ken & Sarah Ramsey; Trainer-Wesley Ward USA; Jockey-Olivier Peslier; SP-11/1
3RD-Lesson In Humility 4-9-01 Owner-Michael Nelmes-Crocker; Trainer-Karl Burke; Jockey-Andrew Elliott; SP-33/1
14 ran; Time-1m 14.90s; Dist-nk, 2½ 5/2 Fav J J The Jet Plane (4th)

2008-WINNER-KINGSGATE NATIVE 3-8-11 Owner-John Mayne; Trainer-John Best; Jockey-Seb Sanders; SP-33/1
2ND-War Artist 5-9-04 Owner-Vintage Thoroughbreds; Trainer-James Eustace; Jockey-Kerrin McEvoy; SP-8/1
3RD-Sir Gerry 3-8-11 Owner-Mrs Gerry Galligan; Trainer-James Fanshawe; Jockey-Jamie Spencer; SP-20/1
17 ran, Time-1m 13.33s, Dist-1¼, ¾ 4/1 Fav Takeover Target (4th)

2007-WINNER-SOLDIER’S TALE 6-9-04 Owner-Budget Stable; Trainer-Jeremy Noseda; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-9/1
2ND-Takeover Target 8-9-04 Owner-Joe & Ben Janiak; Trainer-Joe Janiak AUS; Jockey-Jay Ford; SP-8/1
3RD-Asset 4-9-04 Owner-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing XXVI; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Richard Hughes; SP-14/1
21 ran, Time-1m 14.51s, Dist-hd, ½ 2/1 Fav Miss Andretti (15th)

2006-WINNER-LES ARCS 6-9-04 Owner-Willie McKay; Trainer-Tim Pitt; Jockey-John Egan; SP-33/1
2ND-Balthazaar’s Gift 3-8-11 Owner-Ryder Racing Ltd; Trainer-Kevin Ryan; Jockey-Jamie Spencer; SP-50/1
3RD-Takeover Target 7-9-04 Owner-Joe & Ben Janiak; Trainer-Joe Janiak AUS; Jockey-Jay Ford; SP-7/2 Fav
18 ran, Time-1m 13.12s, Dist-nk, 2

2005-WINNER-CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 7-9-04 Owner-Exors of the late R Carstairs; Trainer-David Oughton HK;
Jockey-Michael Kinane; SP-6/1
2ND-Galeota 3-8-11 Owner-John Lazzari; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP-15/2
3RD-Balmont 4-9-04 Owner-Sanford Robertson & Hatta Bloodstock; Jockey-Christophe Soumillon; SP-9/2 Fav
15 ran, Time-1m 8.58s Dist-hd, 1½ (run at York)

2004-WINNER-FAYR JAG 5-9-04 Owner-Jonathan Gill; Trainer-Tim Easterby; Jockey-Willie Supple; SP-12/1
2ND-Crystal Castle 6-9-04 Owner-J Raw; Trainer-John Hammond FR; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-8/1
3RD-Cape Of Good Hope 6-9-04 Owner-Exors of the late R Carstairs; Trainer-David Oughton HK; Jockey-Michael Kinane; SP-13/2
14 ran, Time-1m 13.35s Dist-hd, hd 100/30 Fav Avonbridge (5th)

2003-WINNER-CHOISIR 4-9-04 Owner-Terry Wallace and Partners; Trainer-Paul Perry AUS; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-13/2
2ND-Airwave 3-8-08 Owner-Henry Candy and Partners; Trainer-Henry Candy; Jockey-Dane O’Neill; SP-11/8 Fav
3RD-Baron’s Pit 3-8-11 Owner-Jeff and Kath Thomas; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Jimmy Fortune; SP-50/1
17 ran, Time-1m 12.23s Dist-½, 1

2002-WINNER-MALHUB 4-9-04 Owner-Hamdan Al Maktoum; Trainer-John Gosden; Jockey-Kevin Darley; SP-16/1
2ND-Danehurst 4-9-01 Owner-Cheveley Park Stud; Trainer-Sir Mark Prescott; Jockey-Seb Sanders; SP-13/2
3RD-Three Points 5-9-04 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Saeed bin Suroor; Jockey-Frankie Dettori; SP-4/1
12 ran, Time-1m 14.34s, Dist- 1½, ½ 3/1 Fav Johannesburg (9th)