3 minute read
Berkshire Shadow makes a storming run to win the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Berkshire Shadow was a winner in Berkshire itself when finishing best of all in the G2 Coventry Stakes for trainer Andrew Balding.
The six-furlong contest for two-year-olds looked up for grabs at the furlong pole, but the Oisin Murphy-ridden winner came with a storming run up the stands' side rail to win by a length and a quarter at odds of 11/1.
In a race where those at the top of the market disappointed, outsiders Eldrickjones (66/1) and Vintage Clarets (25/1) filled the places, with a neck between them.
Winning owner Paul Spickett said: "I am feeling ecstatic! This is a childhood dream come true. I can't thank everyone enough - it's been a magical day and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
"We haven't owned horses for very long - this is our seventh year - so we started off with Berkshire Beauty and Berkshire Honey, whom I still own as mares. I've just got a passion for it, big time.
"I had a very good mentor in Andrew's mother [Lady Emma Balding] who told me in no uncertain terms, do not spend a lot of money. I took that on board from Emma and we started off. I should have come back with one but I got two, to my wife's horror.
"But the good thing about today is that this horse was bought for my wife. She loves greys and wanted to get back into racing after two years. It couldn't be a better day. Back home we have all the family, the work guys, Charles - my unofficial racing manager, my Dad, and thank you to everyone at Kingsclere; they've been amazing.
"The pre-race vibes were we're going to win! But there were a lot of good horses. We wanted to run again after Newbury but we couldn't, and Andrew said let's go straight to Ascot. Win or lose, and we won. It's very special."
Murphy said: "This is a special horse. He was bought inexpensively by Andrew and his mother, Mrs. B. He is a star. That was an incredible performance on his second start.
"My hand was forced to little from the draw [17]. For a furlong-and-a-half I pondered coming back because I wasn't sure I wanted to follow Paul Hanagan and Adam Kirby, but eventually I thought he's not going to settle out there, so just bide my time.
"To look at, he looks big and immature. It's only his second career start, he's a big imposing horse who is going to improve a lot with time. He has done incredibly well. What a massive result for Kingsclere.
"It's a special story - his owner has only owned horses for maybe five or six years, and to have a Royal Ascot winner is incredible."
Danny Tudhope said of the runner-up: "Eldrickjones is a horse that we liked a lot at home, so this performance was no surprise. I'm delighted with him, he's still a baby, is raw and green. There's still lots of improvement in him."
The first US-trained runner of the week, Kaufymaker, finished eighth under John Velazquez. He said: "She broke lovely and I was happy with my position, but over that trip, she just found too many quicker than her."