St James's Palace Stakes
(British Champions Series) Group 1, Ascot 15:00 £250,000 added, 3yo only, 7f 213y, Class 1
Saturday 20th June 2020

1 Palace Pier 4/1
2 Pinatubo 11/8F
3 Wichita 9/4
7 ran Distances: 1l, hd, 5½l
Time: 1m 42.38s (slow by 3.38s)

From handicapper to Group One winner! Palace Pier takes the St James's Palace Stakes at @Ascot pic.twitter.com/vrNE1otElv

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 20, 2020

Trained by John Gosden for owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, three-year-old Kingman colt Palace Pier is now unbeaten in four starts.

It looked a three way battle between Palace Pier, Pinatubo and Wichita inside the final furlong and it was Palace Pier who found most, lengthening well to score by a length from Pinatubo, with Wichita another head away in third.

Dettori is now on six winners for the week and has enjoyed 73 Royal Ascot winners in total, equalling the record of the late Pat Eddery. He said: “What a day! We always thought a lot of Palace Pier, but he got a bit sleepy on us in the mornings and we were scratching our heads. John [Gosden] did a great job, and he thought, let’s start him off in a handicap at Newcastle to see whether he would wake up, and he did. We threw him in at the deep end today, but in the back of our minds we knew that there was a good horse in that big body, and we just were not sure how much of a good horse he was. Today was no fluke.

“I went wide, he went round the field, he galloped out good, and the Guineas form stood up. I am pleased he showed me today what I thought potentially he was going to be.”

On being asked what it meant to equal Pat Eddery’s total of 73 Royal Ascot winners, Dettori replied: “I sat next to Pat for 15 years; he was one of my heroes, I used to nickname him ‘God’ and to equal him gives me great satisfaction, God bless him.

“Palace Pier is so laidback that he could probably reach a mile and a quarter, but a mile at the moment is pretty much what he wants. When you have got a good horse, he is easy to place and I am sure John will have a good plan for him. He is a Group One-winning son of Kingman and we can think of the future with excitement.

“I woke up this morning thinking I had some great rides. I really fancied Wesley Ward’s filly [Campanelle], I fancied Jessica’s [Alpine Star]. This fellow [Palace Pier] was in the deep end but I thought that he could have a chance. Then I am riding the Irish sprinter [Sceptical, in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes] – he is in great form. He is taking on Group One animals but he’s coming into this race extremely fit and on an upward curve. I have got great faith in the horse. It is been an unbelievable day and an unbelievable Royal Ascot. To come out of here with six ones is not easy.”

John Gosden said: “The race panned out well. Frankie said he wanted to ride Palace Pier a little cold. He settled him off the pace. He knew there would be a searching pace and I think Ryan Moore was happy with how the race turned out on Wichita. It got a little rough and Frankie avoided all of that. He swept round the outside and I think that he demonstrated superior stamina, which he also showed at Newcastle, when he was really strong in the last furlong.

“It is no fluke. He is a really talented horse and he will go for the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, which his father Kingman won.

“Pinatubo is a horse that is so fast that the quick mile in the Sussex will suit. I know Charlie has wanted to run him there and I’m sure that is where he is going and I hope he does it like we did with Too Darn Hot.

“I think it would have been madness to put a horse into a 2000 Guineas with no experience of that kind of level of competition.

“When you get a little injury, not a big one, but enough to finish his season. If you go to a Dewhurst or Jean-Luc Lagardere that’s fine as you’ve had the experience, but you can’t go into a Guineas off a novice event.

“Palace Pier is a lovely horse and we knew he would really like the track. Consequently, we were keen to bring him here after Newcastle. Luckily that race fitted in and it set him up for this.

“This is a very stiff mile at Ascot and the ground is dead, just riding slow so it suited him and he showed his stamina.

“I think Palace Pier’s two wins were very impressive last year, but he sustained a little tibia injury so he couldn’t run in the Greenham.

“I like the straight mile at Newcastle, it is a proper fair test unlike some All-Weather courses which are turning. The straight mile at Newcastle does not lie.

“It is fantastic that we are here, perhaps a bit of a miracle, as we only started racing on June 1. Ascot has put on a fantastic biosecure environment for us, out in the open air all masked up, it has been very well run. It is great to get the meeting off.

“For all of my staff who worked incredibly hard through the whole of lockdown. We were in every day training the horses. We are lucky we are out on the Heath because you can’t leave the horses in the boxes. If they get too fresh, they are going to hurt themselves, so they have to exercise.

“We are out on the Heath with everyone else, every day, socially distanced, and the horses are fit and well. It is testament to the staff more than anything to do with the trainer.”

Trainer Charlie Appleby said of runner-up Pinatubo: “I am disappointed to get beaten again, but we saw the Pinatubo we saw last year, for sure. From the three to the two there I thought, it’s just a matter of pressing the button again. Will [Buick] just said that on that ground, in the last 100 yards the tank was emptying out, but he is so courageous, he has held on for second still.

“Like always, we will get him back, speak to the connections. The Sussex Stakes is an easy mile, we have seen what he can do round Goodwood, he is able to handle the track, so that is always an option.

“He is still a class animal – we are not going to write him off just yet. When he walks in you can see that he has given it everything. When he turned into today, I thought we were back in the days of old. It is sticky and testing out there – it’s not bad ground, just a bit sticky.”

St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1)
£250,000 added, 3yo only, 7f 213y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good (in places)

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (6)     Palace Pier 3 9-0 John Gosden Frankie Dettori 4/1
2 (2) 1 Pinatubo 3 9-0 Charlie Appleby William Buick 11/8F
3 (7) hd Wichita 14 3 9-0 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 9/4
4 (3) 5½ Positive 3 9-0 Clive Cox Adam Kirby 14/1
5 (4) nse Threat 3 9-0 Richard Hannon Oisin Murphy 20/1
6 (1) 2½ Arizona 3 9-0 A P O'Brien Sean Levey 25/1
7 (5) 8 Royal Dornoch 3 9-0 A P O'Brien Tom Marquand 50/1

THE ST JAMES'S PALACE STAKES
Past Results

2019-WINNER-CIRCUS MAXIMUS

2018-WINNER-WITHOUT PAROLE

2017-WINNER-BARNEY ROY 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-James Doyle; SP-5/2
2ND-Lancaster Bomber 3-9-00 Owner-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Donnacha
O’Brien; SP-12/1

3RD-Thunder Snow 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Saeed bin Suroor; Jockey-Christophe Soumillon; SP-6/1

8 ran; Time-1m 37.22s; Dist-1, hd 1/2 Fav Churchill (4th)

2016-WINNER-GALILEO GOLD 3-9-00 Owner-Al Shaqab Racing; Trainer-Hugo Palmer; Jockey-Frankie Dettori- SP-6/1

2ND-The Gurkha 3-9-00 Owner-Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP-4/5 Fav
3RD-Awtaad 3-9-00 Owner-Hamdan Al Maktoum; Trainer-Kevin Prendergast IRE; Jockey-Chris Hayes; SP-5/2
7 ran; Time-1m 44.01s; Dist-11⁄4, 1⁄2

2015-WINNER-GLENEAGLES 3-9-00 Owner-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey- Ryan Moore; SP-8/1
5 Fav
2ND-Lathanarch 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Charlie Appleby; Jockey-William Buick; SP-25/1

3RD-Consort 3-9-00 Owner-Highclere Th’bred Racing (Hardwicke); Trainer-Sir Michael Stoute; Jockey-Frankie Dettori; SP-6/1

5 ran; Time-1m 38.86s; Dist-21⁄2, 1⁄2

2014-WINNER-KINGMAN 3-9-00 Owner-Khalid Abdullah; Trainer-John Gosden; Jockey-James Doyle; SP-8/1
1 Fav
2ND-Night Of Thunder 3-9-00 Owner-Saeed Manana; Trainer-Richard Hannon snr; Jockey-Richard Hughes; SP-3/1

3RD-Outstrip 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Charlie Appleby; Jockey-William Buick; SP-33/1

7 ran; Time-1m 39.06s; Dist-2¼, 1

2013-WINNER-DAWN APPROACH 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Jim Bolger IRE; Jockey-Kevin Manning; SP-5/4 Fav
2ND-Toronado 3-9-00 Owner-Sheikh Joann bin Hamad Al Thani; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Richard Hughes; SP-5/1

3RD-Mars 3-9-00 Owner-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP- 10/1

9 ran; Time-1m 39.23s; Dist-sh, 2¾

2012-WINNER-MOST IMPROVED 3-9-00 Owner-Iraj Parvizi; Trainer-Brian Meehan; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-9/1

2RD-Hermival 3-9-00 Owner-H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani; Trainer-Mikel Delzangles FR; Jockey-Gregory Benoist;
SP-9/1

3RD-Gregorian 3-9-00 Owner-H R H Princess Haya of Jordan; Trainer-John Gosden; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP-14/1

16 ran; Time-1m 40.14s; Dist-¾, hd 11/4 Fav Power (12th)

2011-WINNER-FRANKEL 3-9-00 Owner-Khalid Abdullah; Trainer-Henry Cecil; Jockey-Tom Queally; SP-30/1
00 Fav
2ND-Zoffany 3-9-00 Owner-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP-
20/1

3RD-Excelebration 3-9-00 Owner-Giuliano Manfredini; Trainer-Marco Botti; Jockey-Adam Kirby; SP-10/1

9 ran; Time-1m 39.24s; Dist-¾, 1½

2010-WINNER-CANFORD CLIFFS 3-9-00 Owner-Heffer Syndicate, Susan Roy & Mrs Instance; Trainer-Richard Hannon;
Jockey-Richard Hughes; SP-11/4 Jt Fav
2ND-Dick Turpin 3-9-00 Owner-John Manley; Trainer-Richard Hannon; Jockey-Ryan Moore; SP-5/1

3RD-Hearts Of Fire 3-9-00 Owner-Pat Eddery Racing (Detroit); Trainer-Pat Eddery; Jockey-Jimmy Fortune; SP-33/1

9 ran; Time-1m 39.55s; Dist-1, ¾ 11/4 Jt Fav Makfi (7th)

2009- WINNER-MASTERCRAFTSMAN 3-9-00 Owner-Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien
IRE; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-5/6 Fav
2ND-Delegator 3-9-00 Owner-Poilin Good; Trainer-Brian Meehan; Jockey-Jimmy Fortune; SP-4/1

3RD-Lord Shanakill 3-9-00 Owner: Mogeely Stud & Mark Gittins; Trainer: Karl Burke; Jockey-Jim Crowley; SP-20/1

10 ran; Time: 1m 39.21s; Dist-nk, 1½

2008-WINNER-HENRYTHENAVIGATOR 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh;
SP-4/7 Fav
2ND-Raven’s Pass 3-9-00 Owner-Stonerside Stable LLC; Trainer-John Gosden; Jockey-Jimmy Fortune; SP-7/1

3RD-Twice Over 3-9-00 Owner-Khalid Abdullah; Trainer-Henry Cecil; Jockey-Ted Durcan; SP-8/1

8 ran, Time-1m 38.7s, Dist-¾, 2½

2007-WINNER-EXCELLENT ART 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Jamie Spencer; SP-8/1

2ND-Duke Of Marmalade 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Michael Kinane;
SP-11/1

3RD-Astronomer Royal 3-9-00 Owner-Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-
Colm O’Donoghue; SP-14/1

8 ran, Time-1m 39.33s, Dist-nk, 1¼ Evens Fav Cockney Rebel (5th)

2006-WINNER-ARAAFA 3-9-00 Owner-Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar; Trainer-Jeremy Noseda; Jockey-Alan Munro;
SP-2/1
Fav
2ND-Stormy River 3-9-00 Owner-Ecurie Mister Ess AS; Trainer-Nicolas Clement FR; Jockey-Olivier Peslier; SP-7/2
3RD-Ivan Denisovich 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Mr & Mrs Irving Cowan; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE;
Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-13/2
11 ran, Time-1m 39.59s, Dist-2, 1¾

2005-WINNER-SHAMARDAL 3-9-00 Owner-Godolphin; Trainer-Saeed bin Suroor; Jockey-Kerrin McEvoy; SP-7/4 Fav
2ND-Ad Valorem 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Michael Kinane; SP-8/1

3RD-Oratorio 3-9-00 Owner-Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Kieren Fallon; SP-6/1

8 ran, Time-1m 37.18s Dist-3, 1¾ (run at York)

2004-WINNER-AZAMOUR 3-9-00 Owner-H H Aga Khan; Trainer-John Oxx IRE; Jockey-Michael Kinane; SP-9/2
2ND-Diamond Green 3-9-00 Owner-Lagardere Family; Trainer-Andre Fabre FR; Jockey-Gary Stevens; SP-10/1

3RD-Antonius Pius 3-9-00 Owner-Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier; Trainer-Aidan O’Brien IRE; Jockey-Jamie Spencer; SP-7/1

11 ran, Time-1m 39.02s Dist-nk, ¾ 6/4 Fav Haafhd (4th)

2003-WINNER-ZAFEEN 3-9-00 Owner-Jaber Abdullah; Trainer-Mick Channon; Jockey-Darryll Holland; SP-8/1

2ND-Kalaman 3-9-00 Owner H H Aga Khan; Trainer-Sir Michael Stoute; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-5/2 Fav
3RD-Martillo 3-9-00 Owner-Gestut Hony-Hof; Trainer-Ralf Suerland GER; Jockey-William Mongil; SP-12/1

11 ran, Time-1m 39.91s Dist-1, 3