At the end of a day’s racing as packed as this one it’s easy to forget what would have been a highlight of many a day’s sport. You just don’t get Royal Ascot winners winning by about ten lengths – unless they are the greatest of all-time in Frankel. And then this day we have the daughter of that illustrious horse victorious in similarly scintillating style. The two-year-old Bedtime Story won the Chesham Stakes in remarkable fashion and given she’s with Aidan O’Brien you can expect many more successes.
Her winning time was within one-tenths of a second of Haatem, a three-year-old who won the Jersey Stakes later – and that’s amazing for a juvenile.
The winning trainers said afterwards: “We [have] never let Bedtime Story go before. This was the first time she was asked to stretch. Ryan said he couldn’t believe it; he said everyone fell away, he said ‘go on’, and she just took off. He didn’t even give her a slap down the shoulder.
“We thought she was probably a Group One filly, but we hadn’t looked – thinking is one thing and seeing is another, so everyone saw it together today. It was the first time she was ever dropped down, really.”
Asked how she compares to Fairy Godmother, who won so impressively earlier in the week, O’Brien said: “They haven’t ever worked together. We treated her gently. She’s got an unbelievable pedigree, she’s a homebred. She’s very special, isn’t she?
“The lads are great and they never put anyone under pressure, so we didn’t have to look. We felt she had done enough to come here for her second run, and it’s a lovely way to be.
Asked how they will keep Bedtime Story and Fairy Godmother apart, O’Brien said: “There are plenty of races for them all I think. Bedtime Story will be staying at seven furlongs.
“It is unusual on fast ground to do that [win by so far]. She was very impressive when she won first time. We had another filly in it and she got banged off at the rails, and this one won nicely; there were obviously some nice fillies in it. You’ve all seen what I saw today – we won’t be looking again!”
Racing followers cannot wait to see her again. She’s already favourite for next year’s Guineas and given the way she won today as a two-year-old then the Oaks could be within her compass. Can’t wait to find out. That’s it for this year from Royal Ascot. See you next on Arc Day. Enjoy the racing till then!
Updated
Uxmal romps home in the Queen Alexandra Stakes (6.15pm)
Result:
1 Uxmal (D McMonagle) 2-1 Fav
2 Run For Oscar (M Guyon) 4-1
3 Dawn Rising (W Buick) 3-1
9 ran
Non Runners: 1,7,12,13,14
Updated
