Blue Point wins the King’s Stand Stakes for a second successive year

Just as in 2018, the Charlie Appleby-trained horse finished ahead of race favourite Battaash to become only the 12th horse to win the race twice.

With last year’s winning rider William Buick looking on from the sidelines, it was his friend James Doyle who guided the speedy five-year-old to another defeat of Battaash, on this occasion by a length and a quarter.

Mabs Cross was just pipped for third by Soldier’s Call to prevent a total repeat of last year’s result.

Speaking afterwards, Appleby said: “He is one of the old warriors in the yard and it has been a great effort from everyone at home.”

Doyle added: “It’s a real team effort and I’m immensely satisfied that I didn’t mess it up.”

Earlier, Lord Glitters, trained by David O’Meara and ridden by Daniel Tudhope, won the opening race of the meeting, the Queen Anne Stakes.

Laurens hit the front two furlongs out, but then faded and finished sixth as Lord Glitters won by a neck narrowly ahead of Beat The Bank in second and One Master in third.

Tudhope was to earn a second success on Tuesday even if he had to wait until the last race of the day – the Wolferton Stakes – to do so. The horse, trained by William Haggas, won by a comfortable margin of two and half lengths from favourite Magic Wand in second, who was a nose ahead of Elarqam in third.

The trainer / jockey combination of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore also secured an opening day double.

The first came in the second race of the day as favourite Arizona, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, finish strongly to win the Coventry Stakes, beating Threat by half a length, with Guildsman a neck back in third.

The pairing triumphed again in the fourth race of the day as Circus Maximus won the St James’ Palace Stakes. It was a close run thing as Circus Maximus finished ahead by a neck, with King Of Comedy second and race favourite Too Darn Hot coming third.

Moore was unable to claim his third win of the day as The Grand Visir, trained by Ian Williams and ridden by Richard Kingscote, won the Ascot Stakes, with Buildmeupbuttercup coming second and Time To Study finishing third.

Wednesday’s second day of Royal Ascot is headlined by the Prince of Wales’ Stakes where O’Brien and Moore will be hoping for more success with the favourite Magical who is unbeaten in three starts this year. However there will be fierce competition in a stellar field from the likes of Sea Of Class, Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist.

That race is followed by the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes with I Can Fly, again from the O’Brien stable and again ridden by Moore, among the leading contenders which will also include Rawdaa.