The Down Under challenge on the world’s most prestigious horse racing meeting was blown away on an opening day when a new superstar emerged at Royal Ascot.
The Australian-trained sprinters Coolangatta and Cannonball finished well back in the Kings Stand Stakes, a race won in slightly controversial circumstances by Bradsell.
The winner drifted out in the last 150m and impeded hot favourite Highfield Princess but stewards ruled it was not enough to reverse the placings.
None of that was of great concern to the Australian raiders, with Coolangatta, who was ridden by ex-pat Kiwi superstar jockey James McDonald, in contention at the 300m mark before fading to 10th.
While there was no joy for the Australasian challengers the first day of the mammoth meeting saw the anointing of a new buzz horse for the sport when Paddington was a stunning winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The mile race for the elite three-year-olds saw a remarkable performance from Paddington who sat three wide on a hot speed yet raced clear of last-start English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean.
Classic winners are rarely thrashed so easily after having a more economical run than their conqueror and with Paddington having already won the Irish 2000 Guineas he now shapes as the potential champion of his crop.
His win was an historic one for training legend Aidan O’Brien, who having earlier won the Coventry Stakes with River Tiber, meant Paddington’s win took him to a career tally of 83 Royal Ascot wins, the new record for the mega meeting.
The Royal meeting continues for the next four days (overnight NZ time) with McDonald’s best chance of a major victory Artorius in the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes on Sunday morning (NZ time).
