Naval Crown on Saturday won on the fifth day of Royal Ascot in the £1 million marquee race – the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. The race saw Creative Force finish second and dead-heat Artorius third.
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James Doyle rode Naval Crown, as the horse pipped his stablemate Creative Force in a thrilling finish. A length-and-a-quarter separated the two colts trained by Charlie Appleby.
“There wasn’t a lot between them at home. Will rode the winner in a gallop the other day and said there wasn’t much between them. Both were in great nick, but Naval Crown is still learning about the sprint division and he was all at sea in Saudi. But he finished fourth in the Guineas and is a rock solid horse, and over that stiff six furlongs we saw his natural pace,” Appleby said.
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Home Affairs, trained by Australia’s Chris Waller, started as 5-2 favourite. It could only finish in 20th place.
Naval Crown had won his first British Classic Coroebus in the 2,000 Guineas last month.
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“He was favourite over seven furlongs in Saudi Arabia and ran away with me. We were hopeful dropping back in trip,” his jockey Doyle said.
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Naval Crown had started at odds of 33-1.
The colt had settled for second place, behind Creative Force, in last season’s Jersey Stakes. The latter, ridden by William Buick, started at 12-1 odds.
1 Naval Crown (James Doyle) 33-1
2 Creative Force (W Buick) 12-1
3 dead-heat Artorius (J P Spencer) 17-2
3 dead-heat Campanelle (Irad Ortiz Jr) 10-1
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Naval Crown is a four-year-old Bay colt, who was bred in Dubawi, Ireland. It is owned by Maktoum family’s private Thoroughbred horseracing stable Godolphin.
In six runs, it has one first place and two second and third place finishes.
