The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot delivered not only a thrilling race but also an unexpected post-race drama. Lazzat, the 9-2 favorite, crossed the finish line first but immediately threw his jockey, James Doyle, and then galloped loose around the track for about 15 minutes, causing a delay in the presentation ceremony.
Doyle, who had already enjoyed a successful meeting with three wins for Wathnan Racing, added a Group One victory on Lazzat, a horse purchased by Wathnan less than a month prior. The race saw Lazzat break quickly and lead a pack of ten horses down the middle of the track. Despite a fierce challenge from the Japanese contender Satono Reve, ridden by João Moreira, Lazzat held on to win by half a length, with Flora Of Bermuda, another recent Wathnan acquisition, finishing three lengths behind in third.
The race was hailed as a phenomenal spectacle, with Wathnan’s racing manager describing it as an incredible contest between two powerful horses sprinting over six furlongs. Satono Reve’s strong performance, despite coming up short, showcased the Japanese team’s continued efforts to claim a first Royal Ascot win, a feat that still eludes them. Positioned closer to the rail, Satono Reve may have been disadvantaged by not getting a better tow during the race.
Meanwhile, trainer Charlie Appleby ended a tough run at Royal Ascot with a win in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes, thanks to Rebel’s Romance. The seven-time Group One winner, ridden by William Buick, took the lead over a furlong from the finish and never looked back, winning by one and three-quarter lengths. This victory lifts Rebel’s Romance’s career prize money beyond £11 million and sets him up for an attempt at an eighth Group One title in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes next month.
Appleby expressed deep affection for Rebel’s Romance, calling the horse a stable favorite and crediting both the animal and the entire team for their efforts. He acknowledged the difficulty of winning at Royal Ascot, likening it to the Olympics of horse racing where strong contenders can walk away empty-handed. The success came as a relief after a challenging week for Appleby, underscoring how much the victory meant to him and his stable.
Rebel’s Romance, a gelding, has a relatively open future racing career and is expected to target the King George Stakes and possibly aim to become the first three-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Appleby emphasized how rare it is to encounter horses of Rebel’s Romance’s quality and how vital the horse was to the stable’s morale and success.
The meeting also saw Ryan Moore finish as the top jockey with seven winners, marking his 12th time leading the Royal Ascot jockey standings. The trainers’ title was shared by John and Thady Gosden, who, despite no wins on the final day, clinched the award thanks to a strong overall performance. The trainers’ crown has alternated between the Gosdens and Aidan O’Brien’s stable for the last eleven Royal Ascot meetings, highlighting the intense rivalry at the top level of flat racing.
