Thrilled Aidan O'Brien off the mark as Little Big Bear lands major gamble

Wednesday: Royal Ascot

They say 13 is unlucky for some, but the 13th race of Royal Ascot week provided some welcome relief for Aidan O'Brien as his heavily backed Little Big Bear landed a gamble in the Windsor Castle Stakes to get the Ballydoyle trainer off and running for the week.

O'Brien saw both Blackbeard and Cleveland beaten as favourites when smashed in the betting on Tuesday and there was a sense of deja vu when the money came flooding in for Little Big Bear, who went off 6-5 having been available at 9-4 when leading the market in the morning.

However, the two-year-old Naas maiden winner displayed a good attitude when challenged by the George Scott-trained Rocket Rodney to score by a neck under Ryan Moore.

It was also a first win of the week for Moore, who had previously combined to take the Listed sprint for O'Brien with Washington DC in 2015 and Southern Hills in 2019.

"Ryan gave Little Big Bear a great ride," O'Brien said. "He was drawn a little away from the pace, but we were delighted with him. He just got beat the first time and won well the second time. Ryan rode him work in the week and was happy with him.

"He should get further in the future too and is in the Phoenix Stakes. He is a big horse. It is obviously a very fast race and horses need to know a lot in it and be very educated. He had only had the two runs, so we were a bit worried about that, but we're delighted really."

O'Brien, who has been leading trainer at the royal meeting a record ten times, added: "It is very tough to win races at Royal Ascot. It's so difficult I can't tell you and when it happens we are thrilled. It is the pinnacle of high summer racing. Everyone wants to be here and win here."

Moore said of Little Big Bear: "It was a good performance from a horse who is still learning. He was out on the wing and the horses in the middle were ahead. He got a bit lonely, but he has plenty of ability. He is a horse who showed a lot of speed. He will get better.

"He is a big horse and I thought he did that comfortably. I know he didn't win by far, but there was more in the locker. I am looking forward to him."

Callan's star rises again in Kensington Palace

Nine years on from his last Royal Ascot winner, Neil Callan announced his return on to the domestic big stage in style as he steered Marco Botti's outsider Rising Star to success in the Kensington Palace Stakes.

The rider, who took the 2013 Buckingham Palace aboard Lightning Cloud at the beginning of a decade-long hiatus in Hong Kong, got up by a neck aboard the four-year-old filly from fellow 40-1 shot Random Harvest and Saffie Osborne with the 22-1 Isola Rossa back in third.

Neil Callan celebrates after winning the Kensington Palace on Rising StarCredit: Mark Cranham

Callan said: "It's only a handicap, but Royal Ascot is beyond anything in the universe. It's a championship race and the filly was good today. I have to thank Marco because this is a great association, he approached me to ride for him this season and it's gone great."

Callan, who only returned to ride in Britain last August, added "I've been away for a long time. I rode two Group 1 winners the season I left, but when you come back you don't just pick these things back up. It doesn't matter how good you are, you have to work for it.

"You need these opportunities, these sort of days and winners to put you back up in the limelight, and I'm just so glad it's come now."

It was a second Royal Ascot winner for Botti, who took the 2018 Duke of Cambridge with Aljazzi, and the Newmarket-based trainer became the 14th different trainer from as many races to saddle a winner at this year's meeting, leaving the leading trainer title wide open with 21 races still to go.

Day two at Royal Ascot:

Frankie Dettori suffers 'absolute shocker' as he struggles to remove blindfold

Under-fire Irad Ortiz handed five-day careless riding ban by stewards

'This is an absolute dream' - State Of Rest downs Bay Bridge for ecstatic Crosse

Jane Chapple-Hyam plots global campaign for 'special filly' Saffron Beach

'This sport can humble you - but we'll be back' - non-runner heartache for Head

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