Gary Carroll I’m still replying to all the messages I have received since riding my first Royal Ascot winner on board Quick Suzy in the Queen Mary Stakes for Gavin Cromwell. That reaction was unbelievable and very nice. Of course it was a brilliant experience. It’s what jockeys dream of and I always hoped it would happen. You never know what’s coming around the corner in this game. You always have a chance of getting one. It was only my third or fourth ride at Ascot but from when I got off her at Naas, I just thought it would take a good one to get by her in the Queen Mary. She had stepped up from the Curragh, after winning her maiden. It was six furlongs on soft ground in Naas and I let her use her speed and she probably just didn’t get home but she showed real, good natural speed. I thought she would be tailor made for that. But I’d have no problem going six with her again. It would just be a case of controlling her speed. I let her use it that day in Naas. There’s no doubt that she improved again from Naas. Everything during the race at Ascot went perfectly. We’d a good draw. The favourite, the American horse, Twilight Gleaming was two stalls away from me so I knew that would be my lead into the race. I’d nothing around me. I had stand-side, I had everything in my favour. I knew I was going so well at halfway. I thought beforehand I’d be chasing the American horse the whole way whereas if anything, I was keeping a hold of Quick Suzy not to go too soon. I know when I got to the two, I knew she’d get to the line well and she did. To be honest, there’s no initial feeling when you cross the line. It’s nearly relief, that you’ve got there and done everything right. But coming back in was great, especially with the crowd, getting clapped in again. It was a year and a half since we had a crowd. You’d forget it. And then the interviews and that. Sure it’s great. It was great to talk to my parents after. It probably meant more to them than it did to me. I don’t think my dad (Raymond) had a winner at Royal Ascot — he wouldn’t tell you anyway! But they were hoarse from shouting and everyone is congratulating them. My brother put a video on Instagram of them watching the race, they were going mad. So they got a great kick out of it. My father’s really good to me. I speak to him every day and go through my rides after racing. They’re both a big part of it. When Quick Suzy was sold to the American syndicate after winning her maiden, the deal was that she would go to Royal Ascot and then to America. We’re trying to convince them to leave her here and the Breeders’ Cup be her final aim. I said to them, I’d love to send her over to America a Group 1 winner and I think there’s every chance she would be. There’s races like the Phoenix Stakes or the Cheveley Park that would really suit her. It was a great win for Gavin too. I’ve been going in there the last couple of years. His flat string is getting stronger all the time. This year is his nicest bunch of two-year-olds. He’s going from strength to strength. He’s invested plenty of money into the facilities, he put in a new gallop. He’s everything he needs and it’s paying dividends now. It’s been a great season for me so far. Usually I wouldn’t get off to such a flier. The month of May has been great and so far I’ve been keeping it going. Long may it last.
