Shock result: 16-1 outsider Royal Dornoch breaks track record in Royal Lodge
Aidan O'Brien had three runners in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes but it was the outsider of his trio Royal Dornoch who gamely won the Group 2 at Newmarket, breaking the juvenile track record in the process.
Prominent throughout, Royal Dornoch strode forward a few furlongs out under Wayne Lordan and came home in front after a prolonged duel with 6-5 favourite Kameko to score by a neck. The winner's stablemate Iberia was third.
Royal Dornoch was handing O'Brien a seventh win in the race following the victories of Royal Kingdom (1999), Mutinyonthebounty (2001), Admiralofthefleet (2006), Joshua Tree (2009), Daddy Long Legs (2011) and Mohawk (2018).
Speaking to ITV, Lordan said: "He has ability, he was third in a Group 2 over six furlongs so he has the pace, but we always felt he wanted the mile. He’s a very straightforward colt, he had to dig deep and he did."
O'Brien was similarly pleased and said: "We were delighted with him, he’s a lovely horse. He was able to compete at a top level over six furlongs and when they can do that and do the same over a mile it’s very exciting.
"He’s like all of the Gleneagles, they have speed and they’re very tough, very genuine. I’d say there’s more to come from him, definitely. Wayne was very happy with him."
Betfair introduced Royal Dornoch at 12-1 for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and 33-1 for the Investec Derby.
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Published on 28 September 2019inReports
Last updated 14:35, 28 September 2019
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