Ascot Stakes
Handicap, Ascot 16:40 Winner: £22,642, 4yo plus, 2m 3f 210y, Class 2
Tuesday 16th June 2020

1 Coeur de Lion 16/1
2 Verdana Blue 4/1F
3 Summer Moon 11/2
4. Smart Champion 22/1
19 ran NR: Charlie D Distances: 1l, nk, nk
Time: 4m 27.51s (slow by 7.51s)

Coeur De Lion wins the Ascot Stakes, a first #RoyalAscot winner for @ThoreHammer! pic.twitter.com/FAWPtPittY

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 16, 2020

Day one of Royal Ascot came to a close with success for 16/1 shot Coeur De Lion in the two and a half mile handicap. It was a second Royal Ascot success for trainer Alan King and a first for jockey Thore Hammer Hansen, a 5lb apprentice.

A sustained tussle inside the final furlong saw Coeur De Lion come out on top by a length from top-weight and favourite Verdana Blue (Nicky Henderson/Ryan Moore).

Thore Hammer Hansen, 20, said: “It is unbelievable to come here as a 5lb claimer and ride a Royal Ascot winner. Obviously, it is really sad that there aren’t any crowds around, but you still get an unbelievable buzz out of it.

“There are so many G1-winning jockeys out there that haven’t ridden a Royal Ascot winner yet, so it’s just unbelievable. I won on him last year at Chester and he took me to some very big places and some very big meetings, including here.

“He finished fifth here last year, and I rang Alan King up last week, just to come in and ride out, as I saw I had got put on him again. I worked him in visors and obviously they helped, so we were quite confident that he was going to run a big race. But that he was going to go out and win – I think that was only dreamed.

“My Dad has ridden a G1 winner and multiple Listed and other Group winners as well, but he hasn’t ridden a Royal Ascot winner, so that’s something I can wind him up with, anyway.”

Nicky Henderson said of runner-up Verdana Blue: “Verdana Blue has run a great race. Without the rain I thought she would have won but we just didn’t manage to get away it.

“We will look at the Flat programme and see where to go. I am not sure about the Northumberland Plate on the All-Weather so the Ebor could be next.”

Ascot Stakes Handicap
Winner: £22,642, 4yo plus, 2m 3f 210y, Class 2
19 ran
Going: Good to Soft

ASCOT HANDICAP WINNERS

YR/DATE WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2019 THE GRAND VISIR
2018 LAGOSTOVEGAS
2017 THOMAS HOBSON Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Susannah Ricci 7-9-10 4/1F
2016 JENNIES JEWEL Jarlath Farley IRE Ronan Whelan Andrew McIntyre 9-9-03 6/1
2015 CLONDAW WARRIOR Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Act D Wagg Syndicate 8-9-00 5/1F
2014 DOMINATION Charles Byrnes IRE Fran Berry Carol Cleary 7-9-07 12/1
2013 WELL SHARP Jonjo O’Neill Fran Berry J P McManus 5-9-10 9/1
2012 SIMENON Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Wicklow Bloodstock Limited 5-9-10 8/1
2011 VEILED Nicky Henderson Eddie Ahern Pump & Plant Services Ltd 5-9-03 11/2
2010 JUNIOR David Pipe Seb Sanders Middleham Park Racing LI 7-9-00 17/2
2009 JUDGETHEMOMENT Jane Chapple-Hyam Richard Hughes Gordon Li 4-9-05 13/2
2008 MISSOULA Suzy Smith Sam Hitchcott M Weaver & Pollards Bloodstock 5-9-00 20/1
2007 FULL HOUSE Paul Webber Jimmy Fortune Chamberlain Addiscott Partnership 8-9-01 20/1
2006 BADDAM Mick Channon Ian Mongan Noel Martin 4-9-02 33/1
*2005 LEG SPINNER Tony Martin IRE Fran Berry Bill Moffett 4-8-12 9/1
2004 DOUBLE OBSESSION Mark Johnston John Egan Ron Huggins, R B Huckerby, Atlantic Racing 4-9-02 25/1
2003 SINDAPOUR Martin Pipe Martin Dwyer Mary Burke 5-8-03 12/1
2002 RIYADH Martin Pipe Kieren Fallon Salah Helaissi 4-9-05 7/1F
2001 COVER UP Sir Michael Stoute Kieren Fallon Lord Weinstock 4-9-10 12/1
2000 BARBA PAPA Tony Martin IRE Johnny Murtagh Glen Devlin 6-9-07 10/1
1999 HIGH AND MIGHTY John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 4-9-06 10/1
1998 SAN SEBASTIAN Michael Grassick IRE Eddie Ahern Ricardo Sanz 4-9-05 16/1
1997 SEA FREEDOM Toby Balding Steve Drowne Bridget Swire 6-8-03 20/1
1996 SOUTHERN POWER Reg Akehurst Olivier Peslier Lucayan Stud 5-9-07 25/1
1995 HARLESTONE BROOK John Dunlop Michael Kinane John Dunlop 5-9-08 6/1
1994 SWEET GLOW Martin Pipe Cash Asmussen Marilyn Fairbrother 7-9-01 14/1
1993 BALASANI Martin Pipe Mark Perrett M D Smith 7-9-01 8/1
1992 GONDOLIER Henry Cecil Pat Eddery Lord Howard de Walden 4-9-09 7/1F
1991 CABOCHON David Morley Willie Carson Sir Piers Bengough 4-8-06 15/2
1990 RETOUCH Paul Cole Michael Roberts Simon Wingfield Digby 4-8-02 12/1
1989 ARIZELOS Guy Harwood Steve Cauthen Athos Christodoulou 4-10-00 4/1F
1988 ZERO WATT Guy Harwood Greville Starkey Sheikh Mohammed 4-9-03 7/2F
1987 INLANDER Reg Akehurst Nicky Adams Jeff Daniels 6-7-07 5/1
1986 RIKKI TAVI Barry Hills Willie Carson Alan Boon 6-7-10 7/2F
1985 MEADOWBROOK Ian Balding Pat Eddery Mrs John A McDougald 4-8-06 9/1
1984 KAYUDEE Jimmy FitzGerald Tony Murray Kenton Utilities & Developments 4-8-09 11/2
1983 RIGHT REGENT Martin Pipe Steve Cauthen S Hindle 5-8-08 6/1
1982 POPSIS JOY Mick Haynes Willie Carson Victor Morley Lawson 7-8-11 5/1
1981ATLANTIC TRAVELLER Bill Watts George Duffield C Campbell Golding 4-7-12 7/1
1980 HEIGHLIN David Elsworth Richard Fox Woodside Engineers 4-7-12 8/1
1979 MON’S BEAU Giles Beeson Walter Swinburn M Vine 4-7-07 14/1
1978 MOUNTAIN CROSS Bill Watts John Lowe Mrs A Leggatt 6-9-11 11/4F
1977 MATINALE Barry Hills Ernie Johnson Mrs Olga Thurston 4-7-08 7/1