American raider Crimson Advocate (9-1) just held on for a narrow victory in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot 2023.
The George Weaver-trained two-year-old, under John Valezquez, blazed a trail on the nearside group in the five-furlong sprint and looked to be heading for a blistering success. But from out of the pack Willie Haggas' Relief Rally (5-1), under Tom Marquand, flew late and as the pair battled close to the line it was Crimson Advocate who just grabbed the verdict on the bob of the head. Crimson Advocate scored by a nose to give trainer Weaver a first winner at the Royal meeting. Karl Burke, who is a Liverpool FC fan and took the five-furlong Queen Mary with recent Haydock Park winner Dramatised last year, sent out the 11-4 favourite Beautiful Diamond. And under Clifford Lee, the daughter of Twilight Son initially was close in behind the eventual winner but couldn't keep up with the pace and was a further two lengths behind back in third. Eve Johnson Houghton's Juniper Berries (18-1) was in fourth, another two lengths away.
Fellow US trainer Wesley Ward has blazed the trail for those who cross the Atlantic and he had won this race four times in the past with Jealous Again (2009), Acapulco (2015), Lady Aurelia (2016), Campanelle (2020) – his first also ridden by top rider Velazquez. But Kentucky-born Weaver, who had only saddled one previous runner at the Royal meeting with the Velazquez-ridden Cyclogenisis finishing down the field in the 2015 Commonwealth Cup, was delighted to have his first.
