Royal Ascot 2013 Results 

Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, Royal Ascot is the most popular flat race meeting in all of Britain. The 2013 edition took place from Tuesday, 18 June through Saturday, 22 June, with each day offering at least one feature race and a horse-drawn procession from Windsor Castle to Ascot Racecourse led by the royal carriage. As ever, it was all about fast horses and fancy hats as well as unmatched tradition, heritage and pageantry.

Three prestigious Group 1 contests kick-started the opening day, beginning with the Queen Anne Stakes. The exciting mile featured America’s 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom as a heavy favourite at even odds, but the local talent was too much for him. Trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Declaration Of War found the finish line first at 8/1, three-quarters of a length ahead of 12/1 Aljamaaheer, while 15/1 Gregorian took third.

Next came the King’s Stand Stakes, which saw a field of 19 start off for a thrilling 5-furlong sprint. With four wins in six starts, Shea Shea led the wagering at 5/2, but as they came down the final stretch, jockey Christophe Soumillon couldn’t quite push his mount past Sole Power ridden by Johnny Murtagh, and the Edward Lynam-trained stallion paid 8/1. Pearl Secret was third at 15/1.

The final Group 1 on Tuesday was the St. James’s Palace Stakes. The famous mile was a target for the 2,000 Guineas winners from Britain and Ireland, respectively: Dawn Approach at 8/5 and Magician at 5/2. However, Aidan O’Brien’s Irish luck didn’t hold and his horse was never a factor. Instead, Sheikh Mohammed’s British champ held off a late charge by 4/1 Tornado to win the race, and O’Brien’s back-up Mars paid 10/1 in the third position on the podium.

Wednesday’s big moment was delivered by the £500,000 Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Last year’s Derby winner, another product of O’Brien’s training called Camelot, was expected to give 5/2 favourite Al Kazeem a good run over the mile and a quarter. But jockey James Doyle fulfilled his promise, beating 15/1 Mukhadram and 6/1 The Fugue across the line atop Al Kazeem, while Camelot could do no better than fourth.

The true highlight of Royal Ascot 2013 was the Gold Cup, run on Thursday. It was staged over two and a half miles, making it the longest Group 1 contest in Britain. With 14 runners vying for the honours, it all came down to a pair of 6/1 co-favourites, Simenon and Estimate. But as the Queen’s own four-year old filly, Estimate had a little something extra going for her and jockey Ryan Moore rode her in ahead of Simenon and 15/1 Top Trip to the delight of the monarch and the crowd.

Friday saw three-year-old fillies take centre stage in the Coronation Stakes for a clash over Ascot’s round mile. The race featured plenty of pre-race speculation regarding the fitness of the British 1,000 Guineas winner, Sky Lantern, in a match against the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner, Just The Judge, favoured at 5/2. In the end, Sky Lantern prevailed at 4/1 with Richard Hughes in the saddle. An upstart named Kenhope running at 20/1 finished second, and Just The Judge was left in third.

Saturday climaxed with a spectacular sprint over six furlongs—the £500,000 Diamond Jubilee. Much attention was focused on an Irish speedster named Gordon Lord Byron at 6/1 to rival the favoured Society Rock at 4/1. But with 16 other runners in field, it was likely to be a mad dash to be won by whatever sprinter could grab the lead immediately and never relinquish it. That horse turned out to be Lethal Action at 10/1, winning by two lengths in a burst of speed called “brilliant” and “hugely impressive” by the press. Society Rock came in second, 15/1 Krypton Factor was third and Gordon Lord Byron finished fourth.

The remaining 23 races of the royal meeting were made up of lesser Group events and cracking handicaps. There were plenty of fun seekers and royal watchers on hand as the Queen attended each and every day.

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