Estimate puts on diamond style at Ascot

John Gosden and William Buick teamed up to win three races at Royal Ascot on Friday but even that wasn't enough to claim the honours. Despite their sterling exploits on the penultimate afternoon of the five-day fixture, the Newmarket alliance was happy to cede the limelight to Estimate's victory in the Queen's Vase. Estimate gained her triumph in the royal silks, in the process giving the Queen a Royal Ascot winner in her diamond jubilee year. Hats were thrown skywards as Estimate galloped clear under Ryan Moore to give the racing-loving monarch her 21st victory at a meeting she has attended for 65 unbroken years. Moore was visibly emotional as he returned to unsaddle aboard his inaugural royal winner at the meeting. The parade ring made a fitting stage for post-race celebrations, with Union Flags fluttering in the strong breeze. And to cap a memorable afternoon for the monarch, the winner's trophy was presented to her by the Duke of Edinburgh. Amid joyous scenes, Sir Michael Stoute, who trains Estimate, lamented that a royal victory proved beyond the Queen's horse in the feature race on Wednesday. "We hoped to do it with Carlton House but we have done it here," Stoute said. "The whole country would have appreciated this victory for Her Majesty." On a day when trainers based in Newmarket landed all six races, the hat-trick posted by Gosden and Buick included the afternoon's lighlight, the Coronation Stakes, with Fallen For You. The winner may have been among the outsiders but Gosden was far from surprised. "Last year I always thought she was my best filly," the trainer said. Buick kept Fallen For You towards the rear of the field behind the strong tempo set by Homecoming Queen. He moved forward on reaching the straight, from where Fallen For You accelerated clear to win by three and a quarter lengths from her stablemate, Starscope, with Irish History back in third place. It was the jockey's second winner of the day, which he embellished when he brought Gatewood through with a perfectly-timed run to land the Wolferton Handicap. Gatewood was a first Royal Asot winner for his owner, the American George Strawbridge, a long-standing patron of British racing. Buick had earlier landed the opening race aboard Newfangled, whose speed quickly carried her clear of her opponents in the Albany Stakes. "I knew I had good rides going into the meeting," the jockey reflected. "But you still need to go and win them. Today was one of those days where everything clicked." Buick's fortunes contrasted sharply with his fate on opening day, when he was thrown violently from The Nile in the St James's Palace Stakes. Although Buick was bruised he was fortunate to escape serious injury. The Nile was not so lucky. He broke a leg so badly that he had to be euthanised. On a day when runners from Aidan O'Brien all-dominant Irish stable endured another chastening time, Sir Henry Cecil took advantage when saddling the first two home in the King Edward VII Stakes. Thomas Chippendale proved too resolute for Noble Mission, a full-brother to Tuesday's sensational winner Frankel. Thomas Chippendale's triumph under Johnny Murtagh took Cecil's lifetime Royal Ascot haul to 75. "He stays well and could be a horse for the St Leger (on September 15)," Cecil ventured of the winner. "We will see how he fares between now and then." The Royal Ascot curtain comes down on Saturday, when Black Caviar, the Australian sprinting sensation, bids to stretch her unbeaten sequence to 22 races in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. The six-year-old mare has never raced on ground as soft as she will encounter this time but trainer Peter Moody remains undaunted. Moody pointed out that Black Caviar posted a fast time in a trial on soft ground. "We are making no excuses in advance," he said.