Ribblesdale Stakes
Group 2, Ascot 15:40
£200,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 3f 211y, Class 1   
Thursday 16th June 2022

1 Magical Lagoon 11/4
2 Sea Silk Road 15/8F
3 History 13/2
6 ran Distances: ½l, 2¾l, nk
Time: 2m 31.36s (slow by 1.36s)

Magical Lagoon turned what looked a sure-fire defeat into an unlikely victory when she dug deep to get back past Sea Silk Road in a thrilling race.
 
Sea Silk Road appeared to have put the race to bed when hitting the front entering the final furlong, hitting a low of 1/20 in running. However, Tom Marquand’s mount drifted to her left, allowing the gutsy Magical Lagoon to battle back under a strong Shane Foley drive. The winning margin was half a length at the line, with almost three lengths back to History in third.
 
Winning trainer Jessica Harrington said: “Magical Lagoon won a Group 3 as a maiden last year and she battled in that. I always knew that if she got into a battle, she’d be really tough. She’s a beautiful, powerful filly, she really is. She loves that quick ground – she really enjoys it.
 
“There were plenty of moments inside the final furlong when I thought she might be beaten – I was making an awful lot of noise and a show of myself watching it on the big screen!
 
“She’s very straightforward and just gets on with it. She’s very easy to train – she has a lovely temperament and is very relaxed about life. It is absolutely fantastic to get another Royal Ascot winner, it really is.
 
“The plan was to come here and then go to the Irish Oaks. All being well, that’s the plan. She’s a proper mile and a half filly.”

Trainers Quotes

Foley, enjoying his first Royal Ascot winner, said: “I have been coming here for a long time now. I have knocked on the door with a couple of seconds, and it is the place you want to be riding. However, when you are not winning, it is not the place you want to be. I am just so grateful to everybody. I said to my wife earlier this week that if I was to have a Royal Ascot winner, it would be this week.
 
“This filly responds really well for pressure. The day she won at the Curragh, she was the same. She really fights for you and digs deep. The pace was on and she wasn't travelling as nicely as I thought. I was happy enough and I was hoping William would take me into the race a bit better because this filly does not do a lot when she gets there.
 
“Mrs Harrington – what a trainer. Gold Cups, Champion Hurdles, Royal Ascot it doesn't matter. A big mention to the owner Mr Zhang who has supported me for a long time and I'm just so happy to be able to repay him with a good winner.
 
“Magical Lagoon is a very good filly. She stays very well and only goes through the motions. I'm over the moon.”
 
Sea Silk Road’s trainer William Haggas said: “She ran well. She came to win and the other horse outstayed her, that was my take on the race. She has run a good race – we thought she'd prefer the ground and she did.
 
"It didn't quite look like she is a real true stayer to me, maybe the other horse is... But she was only beaten half a length, so it was a commendable effort. It is only her fourth run, the other horse has run a few times, she'll learn. She is a stakes filly.
 
"I haven’t a clue really where we go next. She is entered in a few places and it is whether it will be 10 furlongs or a mile and a half. We need to try and make her a Group winner and then onwards and upwards.
 
"The Yorkshire Oaks is quite a tough thing. I don't think that will be on the agenda, maybe the Lyric Stakes at the track. The Prix de Malleret on July 14 might be possible. I need to work out whether she is a true stayer, but she should stay.
 
"When you get beat half a length you can make a bucket load of excuses, all of which are fairly creditable but, realistically, she did not run fast enough. That is why she did not win!”

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Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
£200,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 3f 211y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (6)     Magical Lagoon 3 9-2 Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley 11/4
2 (4) ½ Sea Silk Road 3 9-2 William Haggas Tom Marquand 15/8F
3 (3) 2¾ History 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 13/2
4 (1) nk Mukaddamah 3 9-2 Roger Varian Jim Crowley 8/1
5 (5) 4 Life Of Dreams 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 4/1
6 (2) 2½ Mystic Wells 3 9-2 George Boughey Ben Curtis 18/1

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RIBBLESDALE STAKES WINNERS

YEAR GR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2021 2 LOVING DREAM 3 9-0 John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin Lordship Stud 18/1
2020 2 FRANKLY DARLING John Gosden Frankie Dettori Anthony Oppenheimer 3-9-00 11/8F
2019 2 STAR CATCHER John Gosden Frankie Dettori Anthony Oppenheimer 3-9-00 4/1
2018 2 MAGIC WAND Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Markus Jooste 3-9-00 10/3
2017 2 CORONET John Gosden Olivier Peslier Denford Stud 3-9-00 9/1
2016 2 EVEN SONG Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith 3-9-00 15/8F
2015 2 CURVY David Wachman IRE Ryan Moore Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith 3-9-00 9/2
2014 2 BRACELET Aidan O’Brien IRE Joseph O’Brien Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith& Sue Magnier 3-9-00 10/1
2013 2 RIPOSTE Lady Cecil Tom Queally Khalid Abdullah 3-8-12 9/2
2012 2 PRINCESS HIGHWAY Dermot Weld IRE Pat Smullen Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd 3-8-12 17/2
2011 2 BANIMPIRE Jim Bolger IRE Kevin Manning Jackie Bolger 3-8-12 3/1F
2010 2 HIBAAYEB Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-12 4/1JF
2009 2 FLYING CLOUD Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-12 5/1
2008 2 MICHITA John Gosden Jimmy Fortune Stonerside Stable LLC 3-8-12 100/30F
2007 2 SILKWOOD Michael Jarvis Philip Robinson Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-12 4/1
2006 2 MONT ETOILE William Haggas Michael Hills Tony Hirschfeld/Des Scott/Lester Piggott 3-8-12 25/1
*2005 2 THAKAFAAT John Dunlop Willie Supple Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-8-11 22/1
2004 2 PUNCTILIOUS Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-11 9/2
2003 2 SPANISH SUN Sir Michael Stoute Richard Hughes Khalid Abdullah 3-8-11 9/2
2002 2 IRRESISTIBLE JEWEL Dermot Weld IRE Pat Smullen Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd 3-8-08 12/1
2001 2 SAHARA SLEW John Oxx IRE Johnny Murtagh Lady O’Reilly 3-8-08 14/1
2000 2 MILETRIAN Mick Channon Michael Roberts Miletrian Plc 3-8-08 10/1
1999 2 FAIRY QUEEN Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-08 8/1
1998 2 BAHR Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 3-8-08 13/8F
1997 2 YASHMAK Henry Cecil Kieren Fallon Khalid Abdullah 3-8-08 7/2
1996 2 TULIPA Andre Fabre FR Sylvain Guillot Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-08 15/2
1995 2 PHANTOM GOLD Lord Huntingdon Frankie Dettori H M The Queen 3-8-08 5/1
1994 2 BOLAS Barry Hills Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 3-8-08 3/1F
1993 2 THAWAKIB John Dunlop Willie Carson Hamdan Al Maktoum 3-8-08 5/2F
1992 2 ARMARAMA Clive Brittain Michael Roberts Charles Olley 3-8-08 5/2F
1991 2 THIRD WATCH John Dunlop John Reid Peter Goulandris 3-8-08 20/1
1990 2 HELLENIC Michael Stoute Walter Swinburn Lord Weinstock 3-8-08 6/1
1989 2 ALYDARESS Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-09 4/1
1988 2 MISS BONIFACE Paul Kelleway Cash Asmussen Paul Kelleway 3-8-08 12/1
1987 2 QUEEN MIDAS Henry Cecil Willie Ryan Louis Freedman 3-8-08 9/1
1986 2 GULL NOOK John Dunlop Pat Eddery Lord Halifax 3-8-08 8/1
1985 2 SALLY BROWN Michael Stoute Walter Swinburn Bob Cowell 3-8-07 7/1
1984 2 BALLINDERRY Jeremy Tree Tony Ives Khalid Abdullah 3-8-07 9/2
1983 2 HIGH HAWK John Dunlop Willie Carson Sheikh Mohammed 3-8-07 7/1
1982 2 DISH DASH Robert Armstrong Bruce Raymond John Bryce 3-8-07 6/1
1981 2 STRIGIDA Henry Cecil Lester Piggott Lord Howard de Walden 3-8-07 5/1
1980 2 SHOOT A LINE Dick Hern Willie Carson R Budgett 3-8-11 5/2JF
1979 2 EXPANSIVE Dick Hern Willie Carson H M The Queen 3-8-03 11/2
1978 2 RELFO Paddy Prendergast IRE Christy Roche Lord Granard 2-8-10 12/1
1977 2 NANTICIOUS Dermot Weld IRE Walter Swinburn Mrs Bertram R Firestone 3-8-10 15/2
*run at York

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