John Gosden and William Buick teamed up to win three races at Royal Ascot on Friday but even that wasn’t enough to claim the honours.
Despite their sterling exploits on the penultimate afternoon of the five-day fixture, the Newmarket alliance was happy to cede the limelight to Estimate’s victory in the Queen’s Vase.
Estimate gained her triumph in the royal silks, in the process giving the Queen a Royal Ascot winner in her diamond jubilee year.
Hats were thrown skywards as Estimate galloped clear under Ryan Moore to give the racing-loving monarch her 21st victory at a meeting she has attended for 65 unbroken years.
Moore was visibly emotional as he returned to unsaddle his inaugural royal winner at the meeting.
The parade ring made a fitting stage for post-race celebrations, with Union Jack flags fluttering in the strong breeze. And to cap a memorable afternoon for the monarch, the winner’s trophy was presented to her by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Amid joyous scenes, Sir Michael Stoute, who trains Estimate, lamented that a royal victory proved beyond the Queen’s horse in the feature race on Wednesday.
“We hoped to do it with Carlton House but we have done it here,” Stoute said.
“The whole country would have appreciated this victory for Her Majesty.”
On a day when trainers based in Newmarket landed all six races, the hat-trick posted by Gosden and Buick included the afternoon’s highlight, the Coronation Stakes, with Fallen For You.
The winner may have been among the outsiders but Gosden was far from surprised.
“Last year I always thought she was my best filly,” the trainer said.
Buick kept Fallen For You towards the rear of the field behind the strong tempo set by Homecoming Queen.
He moved forward on reaching the straight, from where Fallen For You accelerated clear to win by 3-1/4 lengths from her stablemate, Starscope, with Irish History back in third place.
It was the jockey’s second winner of the day, which he embellished when he brought Gatewood through with a perfectly-timed run to land the Wolferton Handicap.
Buick had earlier landed the opening race aboard Newfangled, whose speed quickly carried her clear of her opponents in the Albany Stakes.
“I knew I had good rides going into the meeting,” the jockey reflected. “But you still need to go and win them. Today was one of those days where everything clicked.”
On a day when runners from Aidan O’Brien all-dominant Irish stable endured another chastening time, Sir Henry Cecil took advantage when he saddled the first two home in the King Edward VII Stakes.
Thomas Chippendale proved too resolute for Noble Mission, a full-brother to Tuesday’s sensational winner Frankel.
Thomas Chippendale’s triumph under Johnny Murtagh took Cecil’s lifetime Royal Ascot haul to 75.
