Queen's Vase
Listed, Ascot 17:00 £85,000 added, 3yo only, 2m, Class 1
Friday 20th June 2014

1 Hartnell 7/2
2 Century 5/1
3 Marzocco 11/8F
NR: Min Alemarat (IRE), The Corsican (IRE)
10 ran Distances: nk, 1¾l, 1¼l
TIME 3m 24.73s (slow by 2.73s)

Century tries desperately to reel in Hartnell, who stays on to win the Queen's Vase at 7-2.

Hartnell
© Racehorse Photos

Hartnell survived a lengthy stewards' enquiry to give trainer Mark Johnston his seventh winner of the Queen's Vase this afternoon.

The 7/2 shot drifted violently left inside the final furlong under jockey Joe Fanning and gave the runner-up, Century, a bump just before the pair crossed the line with the son of Authorized a neck up.

Johnston was almost certain his horse would keep the race in the immediate aftermath and was proven right as the placings remained unaltered.

"Joe was adamant that he hadn't broken the rules when he came back in and if that was the case, there was no way he should lose the race," said the trainer.

"He told me the horse started to drift left when he gave him a couple of taps with the whip. As soon as he came off a true line, Joe put his stick down and just used his hands and heels to guide him home.

"We've got a good record in this race and usually target our mile and a half horses in it. We were actually quite keen on running Hartnell in the King Edward VII Stakes but decided to come here instead.

"He always impressed us as a two-year-old and I thought over the winter that this could be the best chance we had of winning the Derby for a long time. He's always been the type to improve between two and three and I don't think we've seen the best of him yet.

"In the end, we decided to miss Epsom and I think that was the right decision. I don't see him as a two miler this year and we've had the St Leger in mind for him ever since he ran at Lingfield.

"That will be his long term target - where he goes next I'm not too sure. Hopefully this will be a good stepping stone towards Doncaster."

Century
© Caroline Norris

Runner-up Century suffered interference in the closing stages and he remained in second position after the outcome of a stewards' enquiry.

Marzocco
© Racehorse Photos

The Montjeu colt lost out by a neck to Hartnell in the two-mile contest and trainer Aidan O'Brien commented: "I was delighted with the run and Joseph (O'Brien) was coming there at the end."

John Gosden, trainer of third-placed Marzocco, said: "That was a solid run and the interference didn't affect our placing - we would have been third in any case. This is still an immature horse."

Queen's Vase(Listed)
£85,000 added, 3yo only, 2m, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good to firm (Good in places)