American Affair completes journey from 67-rated handicapper to King Charles III Stakes hero for ecstatic Jim Goldie

The progressive American Affair produced a powerful performance to hold off Frost At Dawn and strike in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes for Scottish trainer Jim Goldie.

Frost At Dawn was the first to break away from the pack when approaching the final stages, but it was Paul Mulrennan and American Affair who stayed on the strongest to land the top-level contest.

For Goldie, who has been training since 1995, it was a first Royal Ascot and Group 1 winner, while it was Mulrennan's first victory at the royal meeting since Dandino landed the King George V Handicap in 2010.

Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan after American Affair's Group 1 breakthroughCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Speaking to ITV Racing, Goldie said: "I've trained the family for two generations so it's very sweet. This horse's grandfather had his day here so we're pretty lucky that we can breed horses like that.

"He's just getting faster. We went seven furlongs at Wetherby in his maiden, we've learnt to run him over the right trip, we took him back to five and he's just getting better and better."

Goldie added: "I was quite confident he could do it today. He had the talent and we got it wrong at Haydock. 

"I knew he was probably one of the fastest horses in the race, but it's how you control that. We've come down a day early and got him relaxed and it all fell into place. It means a lot."

For Mulrennan, this was also a special victory: "I’m a northern jockey riding Monday to Friday horses," he said. "To get here, just to come here and have a ride here is special. But to win a Group 1, this is our Olympics. You’re riding with Ryan Moore, Christophe Soumillon and William Buick, the best jockeys in the world. The best horses, trainers, owners are all here – it’s a big stage. 

"At this stage in my career, I’m 43, the last time I had a Royal Ascot winner here I had jet black hair! 

"It’s extra special. Jim has been very good to me the last five years since I’ve linked up with him and we’ve had some good days, but this tops it. This is the best day of them all." 

Mulrennan added: "The race all went pretty smoothly. He got a lovely tow along there and we tweaked a couple of things. We put a hood on him because nothing went right the last day at Haydock."

American Affair was recording his eighth win in 22 starts for Goldie, the five-year-old having climbed through the ranks after winning a Carlisle handicap off a mark of 67 in September 2023.

The Washington DC gelding finished a neck clear of Frost At Dawn with Regional a length further back in third. The Ed Walker-trained Mgheera was withdrawn moments before the race after pulling a shoe off.

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