Sires With Winners - Friday June 20

The first two year-old race at Royal Ascot this year was the Group II Coventry Stakes (6f) with the Aidan O’Brien trained Starspangledbanner colt Gstaad sent out favoruite and duly cruising clear for an impressive win.

More glamour and galloping overnight at Royal Ascot with four Group races decided and the Coolmore juggernaut won three of them, but not the prized feature on the card, the Group I Ascot Gold Cup (2m4f) which was won in dazzling course record time.

Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan is known for sourcing nice yearlings and turning them over at the two year-old breeze up sales, but a Written Tycoon colt purchased from Inglis Easter for $425,000 has remained in the stable and made a winning debut at Gosford on Thursday.

It’s a busy time of year for late season juveniles looking get a run on the board before they turn three and eight heats at the Rosehill trials on Friday were won by two year-olds including some unraced youngsters by gun first season sires Wootton Bassett (GB), Ole Kirk and Farnan.

It was a roller coaster ride at Royal Ascot on Day 1with an Aussie owned and ridden victory, a glorious grey, a high profile mare that refused to load and a G1 winner with no pedigree!

More action and excitement at Royal Ascot on Day 2 with a Godolphin late bloomer winning his first G1, JMac in the winners circle on a speedy squib turned miler and 2YO stakes races produced a blueblood filly and a bargain 9000 guinea colt, whose 'Havana' sireline is coming to Australia this spring.

In the depths of our Aussie winter nights there is nothing better than tuning in to all the pomp and glory of Royal Ascot and as we have passed the halfway mark it's time to look towards Saturday night and the iconic sprint that has been won four times previously by an Aussie bred horse.

A sire of rare versatility Wootton Bassett (GB) made his mark at Royal Ascot on Day 2 when his unbeaten three year-old colt Carmers made it three wins from as many starts in the Group II Queen’s Vase (1m6f).

The Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) was one of the few age-group features in the lower North Island that was missing from Lisa Latta’s CV, but the fast-improving filly Platinum Diamond dealt to that unfinished business at Otaki on Friday.

Coolmore continued their domination of the juvenile features at Royal Ascot overnight with an impressive win in the Group II Norfolk Stakes (5f) for Charles Darwin, the full brother to 2022 Champion European 2YO Colt Blackbeard.