Hampton Court Stakes
 QuinnBet
Group 3, Ascot 17:35
£150,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 1f 212y, Class 1   
Thursday 22nd June 2023

Boylesports

1 Waipiro 7/1
2 Exoplanet 12/1
3 Bold Act 9/1
4 Torito 4/1JF
16 ran Distances: 2¼l, ½l, shd
Time: 2m 5.10s (slow by 0.80s)

Waipiro completed a double on the day for jockey Tom Marquand as the duo posted an emphatic victory in the Grade 3.

Having appeared not to stay a mile and a half when sixth in the Derby, the Ed Walker-trained colt looked a high-class operator back over 10 furlongs, powering away in the final furlong to score by two and a quarter lengths.

Exoplanet became the second Roger Varian-trained contender of the day to fill the runner-up spot after New Endeavour’s fine effort in defeat in the Britannia Handicap. Godolphin runner Bold Act snatched third in a bunched finish for the minor honours.

Waipiro’s victory made it a 151/1 double for Marquand after Desert Hero’s success in the King George V Handicap earlier in the afternoon, taking the popular rider to five Royal Ascot winners in all.

Walker said: “The worry was the close proximity to the Derby, only 19 days, as not many horses back up from the Derby to Ascot successfully. We haven’t done a lot with him at home, but he’s seemed well. If there was a brilliant alternative in a couple of weeks’ time, we may have been tempted, but there wasn’t and this was the perfect race for him.

“I have quite a long-standing team now at home and Charles Guet, my head lad who has been with me for 10 years, rides him every day and he was happy with him. He was well so we rolled the dice and it paid off.

“It’s been an agonising wait between drinks [Royal Ascot winners] and we’ve had quite a lot of seconds. Last year we had second in the Kensington Palace, the Wokingham, and we were second yesterday in the Duke of Cambridge. It has been a bit frustrating, so I am really pleased to have kicked that one home. 

“It’s a great day for Tom. I was so pleased to see him have that winner for His Majesty, that was very important for all of us. Tom has been a big part of our team now for a number of years, he rode our first Group One winner Starman and it’s great to get another one on the big stage.”

Trainers Quotes

Walker said that it “is without doubt the hardest place in the world” to have winners, adding: “My great friend Tom Morley brought a filly [Cynane] over for the Queen Mary and I said, ‘Tommy, listen, you’re not going to win – just enjoy the ride, because no-one wins here, it’s so hard to win here!’ So it’s such a big achievement and it really is tough. We realise now the enormity of the challenge and it feels even better.

Marquand said: “I planned on being a lot closer to the pace. In the Derby, I got caught too far back. It was the way the race was run and I got off thinking 'he's a good horse'. He just didn't stay, it was as simple as that in my mind, and I know Ed thought so too.

"Ed retained faith in him and, when I offered to go in and sit on him the other morning, just to see how he was, he said 'no, I'll keep him fresh thanks'. 

“The race materialised well for us. There was a nice tempo and, as ever with that bend, you can sit and wait or swing wide, and we decided to swing out and go for a clean run. Fortunately for me I was lucky. I got a couple of the splits that I needed to get that run and he showed an exceptional turn of foot to burst through as he did and put the race to bed in a matter of a few strides.

“You’d like to think he is still an improver and I think today solidified what we thought after the Derby. We were obviously disappointed we didn’t run closer that day but we were really pleased with the run, and he just didn’t stay a mile and a half, it’s as simple as that. Back to a mile and a quarter today he showed his dominance, and hopefully he can now go on a path and show his stamp as a top-class horse.

“It's huge to ride a Royal Ascot winner for Ed. As much as I love riding for him as a trainer, he's been great to me. I go in there for a coffee and we have a chat. He has been a great mate and I'm delighted to repay him with a Royal Ascot winner on such an important occasion.

"It has been a magical day."

Exoplanet’s rider David Egan said: “We got a nice, smooth passage from a wide draw, had cover, relaxed well. He got a little bit of a bump in the straight. He’s a very classy individual, but take nothing away from the winner, he was good.”

Cleeve Racing £10 trial

Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
(Formerly The Tercentenary Stakes)
£150,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 1f 212y, Class 1
16 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (7)    Waipiro 3 9-2 Ed Walker Tom Marquand 7/1
2 (11) 2¼ Exoplanet 3 9-2 Roger Varian David Egan 12/1
3 (12) ½ Bold Act 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 9/1
4 (9) shd Torito 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Benoit De La Sayette 4/1J
5 (6) shd Canberra Legend 3 9-2 James Ferguson Daniel Muscutt
6 (10) shd Caernarfon 3 8-13 Jack Channon Connor Beasley
7 (5) hd Drumroll 3 9-6 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore
8 (13) 1 Dancing Magic 3 9-2 Roger Teal Jim Crowley
9 (16) 1 Oviedo 3 9-2 Edward Bethell Callum Rodriguez
10 (8) 1½ Bolster 3 9-2 Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle
11 (14) ¾ Killybegs Warrior 3 9-2 Charlie Johnston Richard Kingscote
12 (15) 1½ Captain Winters 3 9-2 Kevin Ryan Neil Callan
13 (1) 1 Epictetus 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori
14 (2) ¾ Tony Montana 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Kevin Stott
15 (3) 1½ Brave Emperor 3 9-6 Archie Watson Luke Morris
16 (4) 1½ Dear My Friend 3 9-2 Charlie Johnston Andrea Atzeni

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HAMPTON COURT STAKES WINNERS

YEAR GR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2022 3 CLAYMORE Jane Chapple-Hyam Adam Kirby Mary Slack 3-9-02 7/1
2021 3 MOHAAFETH 3-9-00 William Haggas Jim Crowley Shadwell Estate Company Ltd 3-9-00 11/8F
2020 3 RUSSIAN EMPEROR Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Laurie Macri, Sue Magnier et al 3-9-00 100/30
2019 3 SANGARIUS Sir Michael Stoute Frankie Dettori Khalid Abdullah 3-9-00 13/2
2018 3 HUNTING HORN Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith 3-9-00 5/1
2017 3 BENBATL Saeed bin Suroor Oisin Murphy Godolphin 3-9-00 9/2
2016 3 HAWKBILL Charlie Appleby William Buick Godolphin 3-9-00 11/2
2015 3 TIME TEST Roger Charlton Frankie Dettori Khalid Abdullah 3-9-00 15/8F
2014 3 CANNOCK CHASE Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore Saeed Suhail 3-9-00 7/4F
2013 3 REMOTE John Gosden William Buick Khalid Abdullah 3-9-00 9/4F
2012 3 ENERGIZER Jens Hirschberger GER Adrie de Vries Gestut Schlenderhan 3-9-00 15/2
201 3 PISCO SOUR Hughie Morrison Jimmy Fortune Michael Kerr-Dineen 3-9-00 20/1
2010 L AFSARE Luca Cumani Kieren Fallon Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum 3-9-05 9/4F
2009 L GLASS HARMONIUM Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore Ballymacoll Stud 3-9-02 8/1
2008 L COLLECTION William Haggas Kerrin McEvoy Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 3-9-02 13/2
2007 L ZAHAM Mark Johnston Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-9-02 7/2F
2006 L SNOQUALMIE BOY David Elsworth John Egan Jeff Smith 3-8-11 33/1
*2005 L INDIGO CAT Aidan O’Brien IRE Kieren Fallon Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 3-8-11 3/1F
2004 L MOSCOW BALLET Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 3-8-11 8/1
2003 L PERSIAN MAJESTY Peter Harris Johnny Murtagh Dr Jamal Ahmadzadeh 3-8-11 8/1
2002 L BURNING SUN Henry Cecil Richard Quinn Khalid Abdullah 3-8-11 14/1
*run at York

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