Malhub springs Ascot surprise

Malhub made virtually all to spring a 16-1 surprise in the #250,000 Golden Jubilee Stakes for Manton trainer John Gosden.

Kevin Darley had the Kingmambo four-year-old at the head of affairs from the off in the Group One feature and he dug deep as the challengers loomed two furlongs from home.

Three Points, runner-up in this event for Godolphin last year, had been up with the winner throughout but he just weakened inside the last as Danehurst came to launch the biggest threat to Malhub.

But Sir Mark Prescott`s filly (13-2), producing a fine effort on her seasonal debut, could not get nearer than one and a half lengths to the winner, and it was another half a length back to Three Points (4-1), who stuck on gamely for third.

Running in the third colours of owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Malhub was stepping up markedly in class after breaking the track-record in a four-runner affair at Yarmouth last time.

Trainer John Gosden told the BBC: 'He`s had problems with his breathing in the past and he had an operation over the winter.

'I felt a mile was too far for him so we thought we should give him one really smart entry, so we put him in three months ago but he took time to come to himself.

'He broke the track record at Yarmouth which showed he was a serious horse.'

Major disappointment of the race was 3-1 favourite Johannesburg, champion two-year-old of 2001.

Returning to sprinting after being beaten in the Kentucky Derby, Michael Kinane did not look comfortable on Aidan O`Brien`s charge at the halfway stage and he beat only three home at the finish.

Earlier, Mark Johnston continued his memorable Royal Ascot as Zindabad gave him a fourth victory of the meeting with a gutsy front-running display in the Hardwicke Stakes.

His six-year-old battled on well under Kevin Darley to hold off Storming Home by a length, with Millenary just a short-head away in third.

It was the third time in four years that Johnston has taken the Group Two event- which he reckons is ripe for upgrading.

'It should be a Group One,' the trainer said. 'Fruits Of Love won it twice and he was the best horse I have trained who didn`t win a Group One.

'This horse ran very well when third in the Group One Coronation Cup on ground too soft for him at Epsom last time and he was unlucky in the Canadian International last year.

'These are his conditions, this is his trip and that is how to ride him. This was his best performance.'