Ribblesdale Stakes
Group 2, Ascot 15:45 £173,400 added, 3yo only, 1m 4f, Class 1
Thursday 19th June 2014

1 Bracelet 10/1
2 Lustrous 16/1
3 Criteria 20/1
12 ran Distances: ½l, hd, 1l
TIME 2m 30.92s (slow by 2.02s)

Bracelet is the heroine of The Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on Gold Cup day.

Joseph O'Brien gets Ballydoyle off the mark for the week.

Bracelet
© Caroline Norris

Trainer Aidan O'Brien and his jockey son Joseph got off the mark at this year's Royal Ascot when Bracelet, a beautifully-bred daughter of Montjeu, won the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes.

Bracelet's previous start had ended in defeat in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, and she had not run since. The winning trainer said: "We could have gone to the Irish Guineas after Newmarket, but Ryan [Moore] said he felt a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half would suit.

"We gave her time to progress after the Guineas, and because we had three other fillies in the Oaks we decided to leave her at home and wait to come here. Joseph rode her work in a hood and felt that we should leave it on to come here, especially stepping up in trip. We will have to look at the Irish Oaks [July 19] for her.

"We're delighted to get a winner. Some of the horses have been running in and out, so it's a relief to get a winner. They were all under the weather in the spring, and some have come back and others haven't without showing any signs. They wouldn't be running if we didn't think they were right, but some just run flat."

Richard Hannon, trainer of Lustrous, said she will be aimed at the Irish Oaks. He explained: "We have supplemented her for the Irish Oaks and she will run a big race in that."

John Gosden, trainer of Criteria and 11th home Bright Approach, commented: "Criteria has run a blinder. There was a strong pace and they played around with it at Swinley Bottom but there was a solid gallop end to end. She has run a super race and she stays well. She is Listed placed and Group placed and I could not be more thrilled with her.

"She will have a little freshen up as she has been busy and then we will look for a Listed race for her. She will stick to a mile and a half for the moment but we might think out the Park Hill at the Leger meeting.

"Our other filly, Bright Approach, found the ground too fast and the trip too far. She is a mile and quarter filly with cut in the ground."

Christophe Soumillon, who rode the Aga Khan-owned Vazira, said: "Unfortunately, she does a few bad things in the gates. Since her first start, she has always gone in the gates with a blanket and we asked today to go in last today but it was not possible and she was second or third last into them.

"She stayed a bit too long and didn't jump out of the stalls. When you lose four or five lengths like this with a filly that should be ridden close to the pace, it is very hard to make up ground."

Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
£173,400 added, 3yo only, 1m 4f, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places