Queen Mary Stakes
Group 2, Ascot 15:05 £100,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1
Wednesday 17th June 2015

1 Acapulco 5-2F
2 Easton Angel 13-2
3 Besharah 6-1
NR: Caledonian Gold, Cobana Sand (IRE), Dark Side Princess
20 ran Distances: 1½l, 2½l, 2½l
TIME 1m 0.03s (slow by 0.73s)

It's another for Ryan Moore - his fourth of the festival - as he steers Acapulco to victory in the Queen Mary Stakes

Acapulco
© Racehorse Photos

Acapulco's win was a fifth Royal Ascot success for American trainer Wesley Ward, who has brought his biggest team to date to the meeting this year.

Ward was training the Scat Daddy filly for the Coolmore syndicate.

He said: "Acapulco is a sweetheart, what a lovely filly. She has immense talent and immense speed and really proved it today.

"It is a huge relief to get a winner. You don't want to come in here and go home with your head held low, so to get a winner early on is amazing.

"Royal Ascot is such an international event that more American trainers will come over, especially the bigger-name trainers who have a lot of the better pedigrees and fast horses that could come over and enjoy such a wonderful meeting.

"If you notice, there are a few newcomers to the meet [this year] and once they come and experience what such a magnificent event it is and get home and spread the word, you'll see more and more people come over here with a lot of the better horses. The time of the year Ascot is works unbelievably with the Breeders' Cup so we are able to bring the better horses here, even older horses, different distances, and hopefully get lucky.

"I'm so blessed to have the success that I have had here and to have owners such as Coolmore, and everyone at home that has helped me get the horses to this point. With this particular filly, Keeneland went out of their way to let a two-year-old filly run on grass, which they are really reluctant to do, especially having the Breeders' Cup there this year. It really opened my eyes, and I want to thank them for letting me see what I had, and then could come over here and get lucky in a race like this.

"I was very disappointed after her first run [she finished third] and I did something very unconventional and breezed her right back in seven days time and it was the most phenomenal breeze I've ever had.

"I think she's got a big future on turf, she's a beautiful, gorgeous filly and to look at her you'd think she was four."

Acapulco was ridden by Ryan Moore, who said: "She is a big tough filly who has bags of speed and keeps on finding. Her attitude is fantastic and she will keep on improving. Wesley [Ward] said she is like a four-year-old and she rides like one.

"She has a great attitude and loads of pace. I wasn't even that quickly away, but she cruised up and had far too many gears for them."

Easton Angel bumped into "an aeroplane" when finishing second to American challenger Acapulco.

The Michael Dods-trained Easton Angel, the winner of her two previous races, put up a top performance despite finishing one and a half lengths adrift of the winner, and she was two and a half lengths ahead of third-placed Besharah in the 20-runner race. She ran in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, which owns her in partnership with her former sole owner, Ritchie Fiddes.

Dods said: "We don't like finishing second, but it was a great performance and she ran her heart out. Paul [Mulrennan] said that if he had been drawn on this side, instead of in stall one, it would have helped. We were very isolated, and, to be fair, this was the first proper race she's had. She's been beaten by a serious racehorse, and Ryan Moore [who rode the winner] said to Paul, 'You've been beaten by an aeroplane'.

"She [Easton Angel] is so laid back you wouldn't think she's had a race. There are some big races in her and we're delighted with her and to have Al Shaqab on board, too. Paul said she will get six furlongs easily, but we'll sit down now and talk to Ritchie and Harry [Herbert, racing manager to Al Shaqab] and make a plan from there."

Dods decided not to run his star sprinter Mecca's Angel in the King's Stand Stakes yesterday because she prefers soft ground. He said there was a chance that mare, and Easton Angel, could meet in August's Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

He said of Mecca's Angel: "She's in the Sapphire Stakes in Ireland and the Nunthorpe plus the Prix de l'Abbaye. It was a very tough decision to make yesterday, but I'm sure it was the right one. We've still got a racehorse and she will win a Group One.

"Ritchie has mentioned the idea of running Easton Angel in the Nunthorpe, but now Al Shaqab are involved we have to discuss plans with them. This is the only horse I train with Al Shaqab connection, and I suppose there was a bit of pressure going into the race, but as a trainer you have to take pressure. Once the saddle is on the horse my job is done."

William Haggas, who trains Besharah, said: "She was beaten by a good one today. My jockey [Pat Cosgrave] said he couldn't get a run when he wanted one, but I think he was beaten fair and square. She ran a commendable race, and I think she might get six furlongs. She's quick enough for five but we'll regroup and have a think. She's Stakes-placed and now we want to make her a Stakes winner."

Queen Mary Stakes
£100,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 3
20 ran
Going: Good to Firm