Jersey Stakes |
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| Group 3, Ascot 16:20 £150,000 guaranteed, 3yo, 7f, Class 1  |
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1 Noble Champion 25/1
2 Spy Chief 20/1
3 Comanche Brave 11/4F
15 ran Distances: 3¼l, 2¾l, 1l
Time: 1m 24.99s (fast by 0.81s)
NOBLE CHAMPION IS THE JERSEY STAKES HERO! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/byzYHkfV2m
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 21, 2025
“Noble by name, dominant by nature!” – and for the second time this week, the Ed Walker–Kieran Shoemark combination stunned Royal Ascot with another deep-digging outsider as Noble Champion, sent off at 25/1, took the G3 Jersey Stakes apart in some style.
Back up to seven furlongs after a couple of misfires at shorter, the son of Kingman travelled sweetly throughout, getting the perfect tow into the race courtesy of the freewheeling Spy Chief down the centre. Shoemark sat chilly, then squeezed the trigger just inside the two, and from there it was all over bar the waving. Despite wandering late, Noble Champion surged three and a quarter lengths clear, with Spy Chief boxing on for second and the well-fancied Commanche Brave left treading water in third, nearly three lengths further back.
The same duo had lit up Friday’s Sandringham with Never Let Go at 22s, but this one felt personal – a cathartic release of months of frustration for trainer Ed Walker.
“We’ve had a few knocks this week,” Walker admitted, “but this… this makes up for it. I’ve always believed Noble Champion was top class – he’s been doing things at home that only the really good ones do. But it just didn’t go right. A setback in January knocked the stuffing out of our Guineas prep, then we got tactics wrong at Goodwood, and tried sprinting at Newbury. I nearly lost faith – but today he showed exactly why we’ve stuck with him.”
Shoemark, cool as you like in the saddle, echoed the sentiment. “He’s a serious horse. Ed’s always rated him and today we finally saw the real version. He found a great rhythm and, when I asked him, he picked up like a machine. It can be a lonely place in front at Ascot – all that noise, the stands – but he kept his focus and hit the line hard.”
Much credit was also given to owner Simon Sadler, whose faith, generosity, and support have clearly meant a lot. “He’s a class act,” Walker said. “And he’s donating all his prize money this week to a pancreatic and liver charity – that tells you all you need to know. But it’s not just Simon – every owner I’ve got plays a part. We’re nothing without them.”
Spy Chief, still raw but full of promise, earned an honourable mention from rider Rab Havlin: “A huge effort. He’s learning, still green, but he’ll sharpen up and there’s more to come.”
Commanche Brave, meanwhile, found little when it mattered. Trainer Donnacha O’Brien offered no excuses: “He ran fine. No hiding places here – the first two were just better on the day.”
But the headlines belong to Noble Champion, the horse who made Ed Walker believe, then made him wait – and now, finally, has made it all worthwhile.
Jersey Stakes
£150,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1
15 ran
Going: Good to Firm
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4) Noble Champion 3 9-3 Ed Walker Kieran Shoemark 25/1
2 (3) 3¼ Spy Chief 3 9-3 John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin 20/1
3 (6) 2¾ Comanche Brave 3 9-3 Donnacha O'Brien Ryan Moore 11/4F
4 (5) 1 Remmooz 3 9-3 Owen Burrows Callum Rodriguez 7/2
5 (8) 1 Yah Mo Be There 3 9-3 Richard Spencer Jamie Spencer 33/1
6 (15) ½ Seagulls Eleven 3 9-3 Hugo Palmer Harry Davies 22/1
7 (1) 1 Pellitory 3 9-3 James Owen Silvestre De Sousa 66/1
8 (7) nk Dhitjari 3 9-3 P Schiergen Andrasch Starke 80/1
9 (14) 1¾ Marvelman 3 9-3 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 7/2
10 (9) 1 Brian 3 9-3 J S Moore Billy Loughnane 22/1
11 (2) shd Caburn 3 9-3 Jack Jones Dylan Hogan 66/1
12 (11) 7 California Dreamer 3 9-0 Adrian Murray David Egan 13/2
13 (13) 2½ Saracen 3 9-3 Joseph O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle 10/1
14 (10) 1¾ Benevento 3 9-3 Raphael E Freire Rossa Ryan 20/1
15 (12) 12 One Smack Mac 3 9-3 G M Lyons Colin Keane 33/1
JERSEY STAKES WINNERS
YR/DATE GR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP
2024 HAATEM Richard Hannon James Doyle Wathnan Racing 3-9-06 7/2
2023 AGE OF KINGS 3 9-03 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Brant 3 9-03 22/1
2022 NOBLE TRUTH Charlie Appleby William Buick Godolphin 3 9-03 4/1F
2021 CREATIVE FORCE Charlie Appleby James Doyle Godolphin 3-9-01 5/1J
2020 MOLATHAM Roger Varian Jim Crowley Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-9-01 11/2
2019 SPACE TRAVELLER Richard Fahey Danny Tudhope Clipper Logistics 3-9-01 25/1
2018 EXPERT EYE Sir Michael Stoute James McDonald Khalid Abdullah 3-9-01 8/1
2017 3 LE BRIVIDO Andre Fabre FR Pierre-Charles Boudot HRH Prince Faisal bin Khaled 3-9-01 2/1F
2016 3 RIBCHESTER Richard Fahey William Buick Godolphin 3-9-06 7/1
2015 3 DUTCH CONNECTION Charlie Hills Jim Crowley Susan Roy/Cheveley Park Stud 3-9-04 14/1
2014 3 MUSTAJEEB Dermot Weld IRE Pat Smullen Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-9-04 9/2JF
2013 3 GALE FORCE TEN Aidan O’Brien IRE Joseph O’Brien Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier 3-8-12 9/2F
2012 3 ISHVANA Aidan O’Brien IRE Seamie Heffernan Annemarie O’Brien 3-8-12 20/1
2011 3 STRONG SUIT Richard Hannon snr Richard Hughes Julie Wood 3-9-06 11/1
2010 3 RAINFALL Mark Johnston Ryan Moore Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 3-8-12 8/1
2009 3 OUQBA Barry Hills Tadhg O’Shea Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-9-01 12/1
2008 3 AQLAAM William Haggas Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-9-01 13/2
2007 3 TARIQ Peter Chapple-Hyam Jimmy Fortune Saleh Al Homaizi/Imad Al Sagar 3-9-01 15/2
2006 3 JEREMY Sir Michael Stoute Mick Kinane Betty Moran 3-9-01 9/2
*2005 3 PROCLAMATION Jeremy Noseda Johnny Murtagh Abdullah Saeed Belhab 3-8-13 7/1
2004 3 KHELEYF Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-10 6/1
2003 3 MEMBERSHIP Clive Brittain Gary Stevens Saeed Manana 3-8-10 20/1
2002 3 JUST JAMES Jeremy Noseda Olivier Peslier Lucayan Stud 3-8-11 20/1
2001 3 MOZART Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 3-8-11 7/4F
2000 3 OBSERVATORY John Gosden Kevin Darley Khalid Abdullah 3-8-11 11/2
1999 3 LOTS OF MAGIC Richard Hannon snr Dane O’Neill Peter Valentine 3-8-11 33/1
1998 3 DIKTAT David Loder Darryll Holland Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-10 3/1F
1997 3 AMONG MEN Michael Stoute Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 3-8-13 4/1F
1996 3 LUCAYAN PRINCE David Loder Richard Hughes Lucayan Stud 3-8-10 50/1
1995 3 SERGEYEV Richard Hannon snr Richard Hughes Brian Stewart-Brown 3-8-10 5/1F
1994 3 DH GNEISS= Julie Cecil Paul Eddery Matthew Oram 3-8-10 10/1
3 DH RIVER DEEP= Paul Cole Richard Quinn Fahd Salman 3-8-10 20/1
1993 3 ARDKINGLASS Henry Cecil Willie Ryan Sir David Wills 3-9-01 10/1
1992 3 PRINCE FERDINAND Matt McCormack John Reid Jill Winch 3-9-01 6/1
1991 3 SATIN FLOWER John Gosden Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-07 12/1
1990 3 SALLY ROUS Geoff Wragg Gary Carter Sir Philip Oppenheimer 3-8-07 20/1
1989 3 ZILZAL Michael Stoute Walter Swinburn Mana Al Maktoum 3-8-10 10/11F
1988 3 INDIAN RIDGE David Elsworth Cash Asmussen Anne Coughlan 3-8-10 10/1
1987 3 MIDYAN Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Prince A A Faisal 3-9-01 11/2
1986 3 CLIVEDEN Guy Harwood Greville Starkey Anthony Speelman 3-8-10 9/1
1985 3 PENNINE WALK Jeremy Tree Pat Eddery Stavros Niarchos 3-8-10 9/2F
1984 3 MISS SILCA KEY David Elsworth Brian Rouse E Aldridge & Son (Locksmiths) 3-8-07 15/1
1983 3 TECORNO Dick Hern Willie Carson Countess M Esterhazy 3-8-06 8/1
1982 3 MERLINS CHARM Barry Hills Steve Cauthen Robert Sangster 3-8-07 9/1
1981 3 RASA PENANG Robert Armstrong Lester Piggott U Wijewardene 3-8-10 11/1
1980 3 HARD FOUGHT Michael Stoute Lester Piggott Brook Holliday 3-9-02 15/8F
1979/ 3 BLUE REFRAIN John Benstead Brian Rouse Mrs L Wood 3-9-02 12/1
1978 3 CAMDEN TOWN Peter Walwyn Pat Eddery Sir Jules Thorn 3-8-10 4/1F
1977 3 ETIENNE GERARD Michael Stoute Paul Cook P Philipps 3-8-10 25/1
*run at York
