David Ord was our man at the track on day one of Royal Ascot as he witnessed Rosallion take his revenge on Notable Speech in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in the world of dancing, what with the Strictly expulsion tool being brandished to Giovanni Pernice.
On racing’s own dance floor if you find yourself waltzing to the Ballydoyle tune then the ten paddles are usually reserved for their runners. But not in the 2024 St James’s Palace Stakes. Not with Rosallion’s rapid turn of foot.
When Unquestionable led stablemate Henry Longfellow to the two furlong pole with the latter swiftly taking over from there it was a race we’d seen countless times before.
But in behind Sean Levey was finding clear blue water aboard the winner and once he had that, the son of Blue Point conjured up the gear change required to cut down the leader and score by a neck.
Two Group Ones in a row now for Rosallion and sweet revenge for his QIPCO 2000 Guineas defeat at the hooves of Notable Speech.
On that afternoon trainer Richard Hannon was forced to grin and bear it, take pride in saddling the second and third home in a Classic but returned to his Wiltshire yard in the knowledge that people rarely remember the second and third home in a Guineas.
But here, in front of a myriad of TV cameras, with well wishers who included Kevin Ryan and Karl Burke, who also train for winning owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, a man not immune to holding aloft the odd red card himself, he wore beaming smile of the victor. People do remember Irish 2,000 and St James’s Palace Stakes winners.
“I should have learned by now not to be too confident as I was before Newmarket, but he’s always looked a little different. I was just gutted to get beaten in the Guineas where he travelled so well but he might not have been race fit when he went there. He was race fit in Ireland and he was race fit here,” Hannon said in his final round of interviews.
“I couldn’t be happier. It was a deep field, there were three Guinea winners in there, and I’m so proud of him and so proud of the team at home. It means a lot to all of us.”
There were quotes too that were almost O’Brien-esque.
“Physically he looks like Superman. When you work him, he does it so easily, whoever is riding him looks like they’re riding a motorbike,” Hannon continued.
“It’s lovely for him to show it here. He had a question to answer today against Notable Speech who did beat him fair and square the last time. It’s great to be involved in a race like this and even better to win it. It means so much. It’s a great day.
“Racing gives us a lot of great moments but also a lot of disappointments too, they’re an occupational hazard as a trainer. You get a lot of those days. But without the bad days these days aren’t as amazing – and this one is amazing.”
For Levey this was another afternoon in the sun, his reputation as a big-race jockey growing year on year.
He added: “I think once I had him out in the open I always thought I would pick the leader up. This horse really has to have something to aim at, I think he showed that at the Curragh. As soon as I got him out, there was always going to be plenty in the tank.
“I just really hope that one day they go a really good gallop so that we get to see him really show his true potential. It means the world to me, and everyone at home, there is a lot of work that goes into this horse.
“I always said I always had great belief in the horse. I always hoped he would be that horse I’ve been waiting for all my career. People say to me you remember the horse along with who rode it.”
As ever in the moment of victory there was the rush to find out what’s next, we’ve seen the Ascot trick, where is his next challenge?
The Sussex Stakes is the obvious port of call and as admirable as Charyn is, his victory in the Queen Anne would suggest the Classic generation have a fair chance of ruling this particular roost.
The spring champion has been dethroned and in the warm Berkshire sunshine we were hailing a new king.
Hannon and Levey have been for a while. Rosallion has the chance to build on this, develop the sort of CV that the great milers of yesteryear retired to stud with.
The road has opened up to him now. And that’s what this week is all about.
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