Royal Ascot - Day One

The opening day of the Royal meeting has been a happy hunting ground for the Darley stallions during their own racing careers. Click to read more.
Shamardal wins the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at York in 2005

Emotionless lines up in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes bidding to emulate his sire Shamardal who triumphed exactly 11 years ago today, albeit not on the Royal turf in Berkshire but instead in Yorkshire.

In 2005, the Royal meeting was billeted to York while Ascot underwent its extensive refurbishment, meaning Shamardal’s victory was a unique success, taking place on the Knavesmire. Shamardal was no stranger to Yorkshire, having been based with Mark Johnston as a juvenile when his unbeaten career included success in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Under the tutelage of Saeed bin Suroor for his Classic season, Shamardal proved himself a top-notch miler when triumphing in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp. He went on to become the first horse to win the G1 Prix du Jockey Club over ten furlongs, as 2005 marked the first year that the French Classic had been reduced from the usual distance of a mile and a half.

So it was as a dual Classic winner that Shamardal arrived on the Knavesmire, ready to step back to a mile in trip and added further lustre to his glittering race record. His seven rivals included two fellow juvenile G1 winners in Ad Valorem and Oratorio, both of whom would go on to triumph at the highest level later in the their careers, as well as Kandidate who had been placed in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The race proved to be something of a formality for Shamardal who was in command throughout, quickening well in the straight to draw away and score by an easy three lengths. Sadly, the St James’s Palace would be Shamardal’s last racecourse appearance, but his speed and talent has been passed to a succession of his progeny, which include 17 G1 winners worldwide.

Dawn Approach out-battles Toronado in the final furlong of the 2013 St James's Palace Stakes

Dawn Approach, whose oldest progeny are yearlings, twice triumphed on the opening day of the Royal meeting. At two, he stormed clear of the subsequent G1 winner Olympic Glory to land the G2 Coventry Stakes.

That victory was the first leg of an unprecedented treble for his sire New Approach, who became the first stallion in history to sire the winners of three juvenile Stakes winners at Royal Ascot in the same year.

When Dawn Approach returned to Royal Ascot a year later, he did with the title of Champion two-year-old under his belt thanks to a brace of G1 wins, and having become his sire’s first Classic winner when triumphing in the 2,000 Guineas. Just 17 days earlier, Dawn Approach had failed to settle in the Derby and was far from certain to run at Ascot after those exertions. However a brilliant piece of work at home persuaded his trainer Jim Bolger that the colt was ready to run again, and what followed was a spectacular battle royal with Toronado, with Dawn Approach prevailing by a short head.

Cape Cross prevails over Docksider in the 1999 Queen Anne Stakes

The Queen Anne Stakes is now the opening race of the Royal meeting and is run as a G1, but when Godolphin enjoyed a great run of success in the one mile contest in the 1990s, the race was a G2 and would remain so until 2003. Cape Cross, who retired from stud duty this year but still has plenty of youngstock to represent him in the coming seasons, gave Godolphin its fourth consecutive victory in the race when he prevailed by a head over Docksider.

Cape Cross was carrying a 5lb penalty for his success in the G1 Lockinge the previous year, but fought tooth and his nail with Docksider throughout the final two furlongs, finally getting his head in front with 100 yards to go and holding his advantage to the line to score by a short head.

Cape Cross had cemented his place in history as the sire of two Derby winners, including Golden Horn, and an Oaks heroine in Ouija Board who also triumphed at Royal Ascot in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. He will be seeking further Royal Ascot success today with his Irish 2,000 Guineas winning son Awtaad.

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