Royal Ascot: Manduro struck a blow for France when decisively beating Dylan Thomas in yesterday's Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and the only surprise about it was that it was Stephane Pasquier on his back and not Jimmy Fortune.
In almost everything else besides the Group One feature, it was the 35-year-old Wexford-born rider who dominated, and his treble on the day brought his tally for the week to four winners and had many believing the leading-rider award is already wrapped up.
For Irish fans though, there was also the 20 to 1 success of Elletelle in the Queen Mary Stakes, a first Royal Ascot victory for Co Meath trainer Ger Lyons, who got home by half a length from the favourite, Starlit Sands, under Johnny Murtagh.
Lyons, however, wasn't present for the dramatic finish, which saw Tommy Stack's The Loan Express finish a short head back in third.
"It's great for Ger to get a first Group Two and a first Royal Ascot winner," said Murtagh. "My filly stays six furlongs but this is a stiff five and takes getting."
Fortune missed out on the Queen Mary but it was his only miss in four rides yesterday.
"A treble at Royal Ascot is fantastic," grinned the former champion apprentice after Royal Oath ran out a hugely impressive four -length winner of the Royal Hunt Cup. "This horse is growing up all the time and I think he's a Group horse."
It added to earlier victories in the Jersey Stakes aboard Tariq, who beat the heavily backed favourite, US Ranger, and aboard Nannina, who added to last year's Coronation Stakes victory by running a smooth winner of the Windsor Forest Stakes.
There was nobody begrudging Fortune's success either. The popular Irishman, another product of the Jim Bolger school, overcame a back problem that threatened his career three years ago but this season he has had to cope with missing out on the Derby winner Authorized after that colt's owners elected to side with Frankie Dettori. Yesterday will have greatly softened the blow.
"Jimmy's a top-class rider and I'm delighted he's able to ride the horse," said Tariq's trainer, Peter Chapple-Hyam, who will aim his colt at the Sussex Stakes.
It was an equally memorable day for Pasquier, who secured his very first Royal Ascot winner after a duel with the Irish star Dylan Thomas ended with a comprehensive success in the day-two feature.
The 29 year-old French jockey maintained his unbeaten record in his fourth start on the Andre Fabre-trained runner, who improved on a third in the race last year.
"Today he proved how good he is," Pasquier said. "My horse made a good run with Dylan Thomas but I have a lot of confidence in my horse and I know everything he can do."
Christophe Soumillon on Dylan Thomas was Manduro's former rider and came in for some criticism last year.
"I don't want to blame jockeys who have ridden him before but today he got a clear run," Fabre said. "He had no problem with the pace as he is a top miler but now I am convinced he will also stay. He is in the King George and the Arc is an obvious target."
Dylan Thomas had to settle for the runner-up spot for the second time in a row in a Group One but Aidan O'Brien was not too downcast.
"I'm delighted with that. He ran really well. There are no excuses with the ground, as it was ideal for him. There's nothing planned at the moment," he said.
