The rise of older jockeys

There are many facets to Royal Ascot’s appeal. For some it is glamour, style and opulence. For some it is the betting opportunities afforded by large fields, for others an opportunity to pay tribute to a revered monarch and to share her obvious pleasure in its equine stars. What I love is the sheer intensity of the competition. The immeasurable kudos afforded to owners, trainers and jockeys of being able to say you have had a Royal Ascot winner ensures the fiercest effort from all concerned: there is no such thing as an easy victory at Royal Ascot.

Few this year will forget the spectacle of Frankie Dettori and the current champion jockey Oisin Murphy battling eyeball to eyeball through the last two furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup sprint on their mounts Campanelle and Dragon Symbol. As they flashed past the post a mere head apart, Dragon Symbol was in front but he had pushed Campanelle across the track and bumped him so the stewards reversed the order and gave the prize to Campanelle. When his valet put a consoling arm around him in the weighing room afterwards, Oisin’s response was: ‘There’s no room for tears in here. There are far worse things going on in the world. We’re in the entertainment industry and I’m steering these marvellous animals.’ He showed the quality of his professional cool by winning the very next race, the Coronation Stakes, on Alcohol Free. Oisin deserved consolation, but I was pleased too that by awarding the race to Campanelle the Ascot stewards ensured that trainer Wesley Ward went home to America with his 12th Ascot victory. Ascot is Britain’s centre of international racing and Wesley Ward has been a major contributor with his regular team of raiders since Strike The Tiger won the Windsor Castle Stakes at 33-1 in 2009.

The stewards were busy last week: the outcome of the Group 2 Hampton Court Stakes also had to be decided in the stewards’ room when Mohaafeth, ridden by Jim Crowley, came home 1¼ lengths clear of Roman Empire, whose jockey Ryan Moore had to snatch up his mount as Mohaafeth drifted right across him in the final furlong.