Kizlyar leads home Joseph O’Brien one-two in Ascot Stakes

Kizlyar got the better of stablemate Defiantly to lead home a one-two for Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes. Lavender Hill Mob took field along at a steady pace over the two and a half miles, before Defiantly (25-1) was the first to lay down a challenge and took it up two furlongs from home.

But Kizlyar — also a 25-1 chance — did not let him have it all his own way and went off in pursuit heading into the final furlong, getting up by a head to give Joey Sheridan a first-ever Royal Ascot winner.

Sheridan said: “It just means everything. I only started riding for Joseph last year and it’s what kept me in Ireland really and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s given me. Dylan (Browne McMonagle) was out for the first two months of the season and Joseph fired everything at me so to pay him back to ride a Royal Ascot winner is brilliant.”

O’Brien will wait to see how the handicapper assesses the winner before deciding where to go next.

He said: “He’s off the back of a good win last time. We didn’t get into the Fred Winter, unfortunately! This was obviously the next target for him, and I’m delighted to win such a good race with him.

“It looked like Defiantly maybe had outbattled him at one stage, but he battled back hard in the final furlong. He might be one to go abroad with — we’ll see what the handicapper does and go from there.” Map Of Stars (13-2) displayed a sharp turn of foot and advertised the true international nature of the meeting in the Wolferton Stakes.

Map Of Stars Shines Internationally

Owned by Qatar-based Wathnan Racing, trained by France by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by a New Zealander based in Australia in James McDonald, he returned to something like his best.

Second in two Group Ones last season, first-time cheekpieces sparked him back to life and he ran down Wimbledon Hawkeye to win by half a length at 13-2.

McDonald said: “He’s an absolutely beautiful horse. I’m very grateful to James (Doyle, Wathnan’s retained jockey) who gave me a good rundown on the horse and to Mr Graffard, he’s obviously the Chris Waller of France!”

Graffard said: “I said to Richard Brown (Wathnan’s racing adviser) there was a nice Listed race in France for him, but he said ‘no chance, he’s running at Ascot’ and he was right.” Daiquiri Bay (6-1) got the better of Gamrai for the second time this season when winning the Copper Horse Stakes.

Daiquiri Bay Fights Off Gamrai Again

The pair fought out the finish at Newmarket in early May when Alan King’s chestnut won by a length and while Gamrai got closer this time, Rossa Ryan always looked to be holding off Oisin Murphy on Gamrai.

King said: “Rossa is a master, we had a bad draw today so were much further back than we wanted to be.

“I think he wants the ground a bit softer but we got away with it today.

“He could be quite exciting over hurdles. I don’t like sending them hurdling as three-year-olds so he’s having another year on the Flat, but thoughts of jumping are for another day. This is very special.”