Anna wins but Heffernan gets 9 day ban Brave Anna defied her lengthy odds to win the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot for Aidan O'Brien, in a race which saw winning rider Seamie Heffernan banned for nine days over his use of the whip. Having missed the break Brave Anna and Heffernan had plenty of ground to make up on the likes of Create A Dream and Sea Of Snow, but the daughter of War Front knuckled down well. She had to live up to her name close home, as Ralph Beckett's Bletchley and Richard Fahey's Frankel filly Queen Kindly made her pull out all the stops. The 16-1 winner crossed the line just a short head in front of Bletchley, with half a length back to Queen Kindly. O'Brien also supplied the 2-1 favourite for the race in Cuff but the Ryan Moore-ridden filly could not quicken in the final furlong. The winner is a full-sister to the same owner's Breeders' Cup winner Hit It A Bomb and it was a third Royal Ascot winner for Heffernan, who is a crucial part of the Ballydoyle operation but was adjudged by the stewards to have used his whip above the permitted level. He was also fined £1,250. Oisin Murphy, partner of Bletchley, was handed a four-day suspension for the same offence. Heffernan said before learning of his punishment: "She's a lovely filly and came here on the back of a good win at the Curragh. It's nice we can pitch up here on the big day and win again. "Aidan told me to give her a chance and hopefully she'd finish out well and that's what she's done." O'Brien said: "She works like a good filly, but I thought she'd improve going up to seven furlongs and we nearly left her at home. "Mrs Stockwell (owner) said 'let her take her chance' and that's why we're here. "She is brave, but she'll be better when stepped up to seven furlongs and Seamie gave her a fantastic ride. "She did the same at the Curragh - she was the second string there and defeated a more fancied runner of ours (How). "A mile should be no problem. She could be a Guineas filly, as she's a big filly who is developing all the time." Beckett said of the runner-up: "She lacked, as Oisin put it, gate speed. Lack of experience, she just wasn't street-wise enough early." Fahey felt Queen Kindly ran well but was clearly disappointed she did not win. He said: "She was ready to come to Ascot and entitled to come here. There will be better days in her. It was only her second race. "She wasn't comfortable on the ground. She's pure speed. It's tacky ground and on a better surface you'll see a better filly."
