The 2021 Royal Ascot meeting benefitted from a relaxation in COVID rules which mean that 12,000 people could attend. They were treated to a business-as-usual start to the meeting as the ever-popular Frankie Dettori landed the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race, on Palace Pier.
As they approached the final stages of the race Palace Pier looked vulnerable at one stage but his tendency to idle belied his superiority and in the end he was a comfortable winner.
Trained by John Gosden, in partnership with his son Thady, it was a first winner in the race for the Newmarket based trainer. Commenting after the race he said of the race “no pace, hit the front early enough and he looks around.”
Dettori was also at pains to stress that the colt had idled a little when in front. “He got a little bit lazy with me,” he said of the son of Kingman adding, “first time firm ground, wasn’t too sure about it.”
The race clearly brought back plenty happy memories for Dettori as he reflected that his first Ascot winner had come in the same race, 31 years ago in 1990 when he won on Markofdistinction. The evergreen Italian was also reveling in the return of crowds to the racecourse, “it’s a mirage…Ascot with people is amazing.”
Plans for the winner remain fluid with a range of entries over a mile and up to 10 furlongs. Asked whether they would consider stepping him up in trip Gosden was non-committal. “He could, you could see how relaxed he is…he is in races like the Juddmonte International but he is in the Sussex and the Jacques Le Marois.”
Palace Pier has now matched his sire Kingman in notching up his fourth Group One.
