Candleford won the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at 11/2 by six lengths as Tom Marquand destroyed the rest of the field for William Haggas.
It was another disappointing race for Her Majesty the Queen as her favourite jockey Ryan Moore failed to get going on pre-race favourite Just Fine, while her grandson Prince William watched on from the Royal Box. Having watched Frankie Dettori struggle on another favourite Reach For The Moon yesterday, hopes were high that Just Fine could get the job done, but he was caught up in midfield for the entirety of the race.
That meant it was left to Candleford to take initiative and he hit the front in contention for the win with Ajero, but then blew him away with a remarkable finish that saw him end six lengths clear. It was a phenomenal performance from a horse many had overlooked heading into this race.
“That was unbelievable,” Marquand said on board the winner after the race. “Obviously when he was brought here without having had a run this year it was a bold thing to do. But he knew where this chap was and he rang me up and said he was feeling great. Just enjoy it, this week hasn’t quite gone as I had hoped so far but it is just great to get one on the board.”
Quite some margin of victory for @TomMarquand & @WilliamHaggas, they couldn't hold a candle to him!
#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot
18* | BeGambleAware