Record win for Sir Michael Stoute as Poet’s Word wins King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at

Jockey James Doyle took Poet’s Word past stablemate and race favourite Crystal Ocean – ridden by William Buick – inside the final half-furlong, to win by a neck.

Victory gave trainer Sir Michael Stoute a record sixth success, 37 years after his first King George win with Shergar.

Coronet finished third under Olivier Peslier for trainer John Gosden, whose main hope, Cracksman, was withdrawn from the race due to the hard ground and insufficient rain falling overnight.

It meant Evelyn de Rothschild’s Crystal Ocean, who provided Stoute with an 11th Hardwicke Stakes in June when he became Royal Ascot’s winning-most trainer, went into the race as slight favourite over Poet’s Word. That favouritism looked justified as Crystal Ocean appeared set to edge the race after being sent into a clear lead by Buick when Rostropovich dropped away with two furlongs to run.

However with about three lengths to make up Poet’s Word was being pushed to get up by Doyle, and pair began to close as the line approached. They eventually turned the deficit round getting on top only in the final 75 yards to win by a neck, with nine lengths the distance between the next finisher Coronet in third.

The triumph came five weeks after Doyle rode Poet’s Word to victory in the Prince of Wales’ Stakes over 10 furlongs at Ascot.

Doyle, who has won two out of three on Poet’s Word, their only defeat coming in last year’s Irish Champion Stakes, said: “He’s a star, there were questions over his best trip, what’s his best trip now? Winning the King George over a mile and a half – he’s so versatile.

“I ended up following Coronet, which wasn’t really the plan. I wanted to be in front of her and if I had have been I think I would have won a bit easier.

“I left him a bit of a task, they went quick and I didn’t want to start chasing a position.”

Victory for Poet’s Word means Stoute has moved ahead of fellow trainers Dick Hern and Saeed bin Suroor with his sixth King George win.
The trainer paid tribute to this year’s winner and runner-up. “Two wonderful brave athletes. The first reaction is you feel sorry for the one that got beaten,” he said. “It’s taken a long time [to get the sixth victory].”

Stoute added, “He [Doyle] was also second on him in the Irish champion Stakes last year and was probably a little unlucky that day when he just didn’t get the rub of the green.

“Soundness and temperament and an owner that’s let me be patient with him is the key.

“They are in all the decent races but I don’t know where they will go next. We have to take them home and see how they come out of this.”

Elsewhere on the busy seven race card at Ascot, Gosden was successful in the day’s opener, Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes.

Angel’s Hideaway, ridden by Robert Havlin, won the Group 3 encounter for fillies over six furlongs in comfortable fashion, coming in two and half lengths clear of favourite Royal Intervention in second and The Mackem Bullet in third.

Jockey Silvestre De Sousa steered Victory Command to a similar useful win in the Pat Eddery Stakes (formerly The Winkfield Stakes).

Run over a slightly longer distance of seven furlongs, the Mark Johnston-trained horse came in two lengths clear of Glorious Lover in second and favourite Nate The Great in third.

There was a similar winning margin in the Longines Handicap (for Lady Amateur Riders) as the Jamie Osborne-trained Cliffs Of Capri took the honours in the seven furlong contest.

Ridden by Miss Gina Andrews, the winner led home the other eleven runners in the field with Normandy Barriere taking second by a neck from Nick Vedder in third.