Snellen (12-1) just narrowly beat 7-4 favourite Pearls And Rubies to grab the opener, the Chesham Stakes, on the final day of Royal Ascot 2023.
Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien had won four of the last seven runnings of the seven-furlong Listed contest and his two-year-old daughter of No Nay Never was just denied giving him a seventh victory as Gavin Cromwell's Snellen scored by a neck under Carroll with Golden Mind (12-1) and 125-1 outsider Oddysey dead-heating for third a further half-a-length back. Dallas Star had made the running on the farside group with Pearls And Rubies just sitting off the pace, but Snellen was ahead of the nearside and both of the principals broke free of the field. They were separated by the much of the track but it was Snellen on the stands' side who prevailed.
County Meath dual purpose trainer Cromwell has had big success in National Hunt racing with winners at the Cheltenham Festival and he also saddled Vanillier to finish second to Corach Rambler in the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in April. But having shown his ability to send out stayers over the Jumps, he is adaptable enough to score at the top meetings on the Flat too. Cromwell was landing a second Royal Ascot success after Quick Suzy won the Queen Mary Stakes in 2021.
Cromwell said: Cromwell said: "She's been nice from the word go and is just progressing all the time. Her dam won over a mile and a half so I think she'll stay further. I haven't thought about Classics, we'll enjoy today first. I've been very fortunate to have had two runners at this meeting and both are winners. Quick Suzy was a very different type of filly. She won the Queen Mary and was very much a two-year-old. This filly has more scope and is much more of a long-term prospect."
He added: "She's in the Moyglare and that's the obvious race for her."
Winning jockey Carroll, who also rode Quick Suzy to victory two years ago, added: "I thought I was beaten to be honest. I thought we would all be staying stands' side, but the fancied horses all ended up further away from me. The last half furlong was a very long half furlong for me – she was looking for company and started to lean a bit, but she's a very good filly. She's only really after coming to herself in the last month. We were going to run her in this race first time out, but after running in a barrier trial the Limerick race presented itself and seemed an ideal starting point. She was very green that day so I'm glad we gave her that run. (At Royal Ascot) When you get inside the three (furlong) pole there's an energy which comes at you – it gets me going, anyway."
Richard Henry, owner of runner-up Pearls And Rubies, said: "She went to win her race, maybe got a bit lonely on her own. She has run a great race. She come on for the run, sweet filly. Ryan thinks she could be very good."
Patrick Owens, trainer of Oddyssey – who dead-heated for third, added: "This is just unbelievable, I have had a lot of faith in this horse – we've only been beaten three and a bit lengths. We were completely overlooked! I am so proud of him, I have had faith in this horse since we got him. I gave him a couple of easy breezes in February just over a furlong, turned him away for two weeks, I am so proud of him. We had a line through a few of these runners, I was happy with the draw, happy with the ground, we had Jim (Crowley) on board, brilliant. Jim has done a fantastic job. This horse loves to run, he is so happy!"
"It it wasn't for every horse we wouldn't be here, we won't be going to Yarmouth or wherever. he brings me to a place like Royal Ascot, a Tour de France for racing! Each race is like a tag and we are getting up there and competing with the best. And we have proven we can do it."
