Magical Lagoon (11-4) grabbed victory for trainer Jessica Harrington in the Ribblesdale Stakes on the third day of Royal Ascot 2022.
Under Shane Foley, the daughter of Galileo, galloped on all the way to the line to hold off the challenge of 15-8 favourite Sea Silk Road, who drifted across the track late on, to score by half-a-length.
It was a first Royal Ascot winner for Foley but a third for Harrington, who continues to strike at the biggest meetings over the jumps and on the Flat.
Harrington, who saddled both Alpha Centauri and Alpine Star to win the Coronation Stakes at the meeting in 2018 and 2020 respectively, said; "Magical Lagoon dug really deep and she stays very well – that is the great thing with her.
"The race worked out great, she got a lead and then she was able to come upsides William Haggas' horse who headed her and then she battled back.
"She's a lovely filly, very straightforward, very easy to train, she's a lovely relaxed horse.
"It's absolutely fantastic to get another one (Royal Ascot winner), they always mean a lot."
The Irish Oaks at the Curragh next month and stepping into Group One company appears next for Magical Lagoon.
Harrington said: “Magical Lagoon won a Group Three as a maiden last year and she battled in that. I always knew that if she got into a battle, she’d be really tough. She’s a beautiful, powerful filly, she really is. She loves that quick ground – she really enjoys it.
“There were plenty of moments inside the final furlong when I thought she might be beaten – I was making an awful lot of noise and a show of myself watching it on the big screen!
“She’s very straightforward and just gets on with it. She’s very easy to train – she has a lovely temperament and is very relaxed about life. It is absolutely fantastic to get another Royal Ascot winner, it really is.
“The plan was to come here and then go to the Irish Oaks. All being well, that’s the plan. She’s a proper mile and a half filly.”
On riding a first Royal Ascot winner, Foley added: “I have been coming here for a long time now. I have knocked on the door with a couple of seconds, and it is the place you want to be riding. However, when you are not winning, it is not the place you want to be. I am just so grateful to everybody. I said to my wife earlier this week that if I was to have a Royal Ascot winner, it would be this week.
“This filly responds really well for pressure. The day she won at the Curragh, she was the same. She really fights for you and digs deep. The pace was on and she wasn't travelling as nicely as I thought. I was happy enough and I was hoping William would take me into the race a bit better because this filly does not do a lot when she gets there.
“Mrs Harrington – what a trainer. Gold Cups, Champion Hurdles, Royal Ascot it doesn't matter. A big mention to the owner Mr Zhang who has supported me for a long time and I'm just so happy to be able to repay him with a good winner.
“Magical Lagoon is a very good filly. She stays very well and only goes through the motions. I'm over the moon.”
On the runner-up Sea Silk Road, trainer Willie Haggas said: "I haven't got a clue (where she will go), really. We have got her in a few places, but whether it will be a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half, I don't know.
"The French Oaks is too early, so we will see. We will try to make her a Group winner first and then we will look at options.
"The Yorkshire Oaks is a tough race, so I would think York won't be on the agenda. Maybe the Lyric at York might be the way forward, but that is only a Listed, so we will have to go a bit bigger than that. I need to work out if she is a true stayer yet. She should stay.
"When they get beat half a length, you can make a bucket-load of excuses, all of which are fairly credible, but realistically, she didn't run fast enough – that is why she didn't win."
Thesis (14-1) gained a first career win when just holding off the Queen's Saga in the Britannia Stakes.
The Roger and Harry Charlton-trained three-year-old, under Ryan Moore, went clear inside the final furlong and just held off the fast-finishing Saga and Frankie Dettori by a head (12-1). Jimi Hendrix (20-1) was a further length-and-a-quarter back in third with recent Haydock Park winner Whoputfiftyinyou (6-1) another head back in fourth.
Harry Charlton said: "Thesis is unbelievably talented. He was second to My Prospero at Newbury and we then got beat in a slowly-run race at Lingfield. He tried to make all at Doncaster and got caught late. Nothing has really gone as we would have liked.
"It was quite a bold call coming here from Juddmonte (owners) with a five-race maiden who we always thought was our best horse. They said give it a go and Ryan said enter the horse, I want to ride him."
John Gosden said of Saga: "Unlucky, just ran out of racing room."
