Ribchester Runs to His Class in Queen Anne Stakes

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation has been prominent in the headlines recently. At the conclusion of the June 20 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on opening day of Royal Ascot, Ribchester and the royal blue silks were again in racing's spotlight—this time for positive reasons.

A month of tumult for Godolphin took a turn for the better Tuesday as Ribchester struck the front over a furlong out and drew off as his class suggested he would to capture the one-mile Queen Anne by 1 1/4 lengths over Mutakayyef, while American runners Miss Temple City and American Patriot faltered.

The celebration in the winner's enclosure for Sheikh Mohammed's team comes just weeks after tensions within the organization were made public, prompting John Ferguson to resign as chief executive and racing manager at Godolphin. Already a multiple group 1 winner, Ribchester provided some salve when he ran up to his billing as the 11-10 favorite in the 16-horse field, tracking along in fifth in the pack behind pacesetters Toscanini and Dutch Uncle before powering forward under William Buick despite drifting out.

"You've got to hand it to the horse, he's an absolute jockey's dream," Buick said. "It doesn't get much better than this. This is the biggest week for our sport and to wear the royal blue here. ... we're all working towards one goal. We're all working to get to the winner's enclosure. That's what Sheikh Mohammed deserves."

Ribchester covered the distance in a track record 1:36.60 over a course rated good to firm, beating Integral's 2014 record time of 1:37.09.

"Look Ribchester is just an exceptional horse. He has to be the best horse I have ever trained," winning trainer Richard Fahey said. 

"He broke the track record here today and that's not being disrespectful to the others, but he is just exceptional.

"William doesn't feel that the tank is empty with him and that he is getting stronger the whole time. The Sussex Stakes is where he has to go really. I was always hoping that he would stay further but at the moment, I don't need to go further."

Buick also rode Ribchester to win the group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury May 20 and the group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard-Jacques Le Marois at Deauville last August. Prior to his Lockinge triumph, the 4-year-old bay son of Iffraaj (GB) finished third in the Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World (G1) at Meydan Racecourse March 25. His victory in the Queen Anne makes him the first Godolphin runner to capture the race since Ramonti prevailed in 2007.

Aidan O'Brien trained Deauville, winner of the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park last July, got up for third in the Queen Anne. WinStar Farm's homebred grade 1 winner American Patriot never threatened and finished 11th while multiple grade 1 winner Miss Temple City—who was making a start at Royal Ascot for a third straight year—faded after sitting in the first flight behind the early pace makers and hit the wire in 13th.

"They ran fast and she was too sharp today," Graham Motion, trainer of Miss Temple City, posted on his Twitter account after the race.