Horse racing: Glory for Godolphin at Ascot

English 2000 Guineas runner-up Barney Roy gave the Godolphin team a huge boost on Tuesday landing the feature St James's Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

Barney Roy, trained by Richard Hannon junior, picked up when asked the question by James Doyle and swept past another Godolphin runner Thunder Snow and O'Brien's second string

Doyle passed the post shaking his fist in celebration.

Lancaster Bomber fought back to take second with Thunder Snow - who was so disappointing in the Kentucky Derby before finishing second in the Irish 2000 Guineas - third.

Churchill never looked like the horse that had been so imperious in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas finding nothing in reserve when Ryan Moore went for the whip.

Earlier, the most glamorous week in the racing calendar Royal Ascot opened on a sombre note on Tuesday with a minute's silence for victims of the London tower block fire and terror attacks in Britain.

The estimated 45,000 crowd paid their respects after Queen Elizabeth II had come down the track in a carriage leading the traditional Royal Procession.

Security was heightened as a result of the terror outrages with sniffer dogs on the approaches to the racecourse and armed police on hand as they have been at other recent major British sporting events.

The minute's silence honoured the memories of the estimated 79 people to have perished in the tower block fire in west London last week and the scores killed in attacks in Manchester and London.

Ascot Racecourse has made a donation of £100,000 ($127,000) to The British Red Cross UK Solidarity and London Fire Relief Funds.

There will also be collections at the exits on all five days of racing for spectators to contribute.

Ascot are following the example of British tennis star Andy Murray who has according to Tuesday's edition of 'The Times' pledged any prizemoney he wins at the Queen's tournament this week to the victims' appeal.

"We have all been deeply saddened by recent tragic events around the country," said Johnny Weatherby, chairman of Ascot Racecourse.

"At the beginning of this important week for racing, we at Ascot Racecourse wish to pay our respects to the victims and offer support to the families who have been so terribly affected."

The Queen - a noted turfiste and owner/breeder - was accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

The British monarch may miss the start of proceedings on Wednesday as she has to attend the State Opening of Parliament and deliver Prime Minister Theresa May's minority Conservative government's legislative programme.

A high proportion of the crowd were dressed up to the nines - men sporting top hats and tails and the women in their most elegant finery.

With boiling temperatures expected there could even be a slight relaxation of the dress code with men allowed to remove their jackets and the horses won't be forgotten either with extra water on hand to cool them down and misting fans in the unsaddling enclosure.

However, while the fans are a novelty one timeless feature of the meeting over the past 20 odd years the celebratory leap from the saddle of charismatic Italian Frankie Dettori will be missing.

The 46-year-old - with 56 Royal Ascot winners - had to admit defeat early on Tuesday in his bid to recover from an arm injury which he suffered at Yarmouth racetrack last week.

He rode in the French Oaks on Sunday but did not feel his fitness level was such he could see out the five days of Ascot.

"I've got to have physio and get it properly looked after so won't be at Ascot this week," Dettori said in a statement.

"For me that's soul-destroying as it's the most important week of the year. I'll be counting the days until next year."

Dettori didn't have a ride in the feature race of the first day the mile Group One contest the St James's Palace Stakes for which English and Irish Guineas champion Churchill is the hot favourite.

Source: Khaleej Times