First royal winner for Marquand as Who Dares Wins lands Queen Alexandra

Tom Marquand celebrated his first royal winner after Who Dares Wins showcased his versatility on Flat racing’s biggest stage to land the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

The eight-year-old, who boasts a tremendous CV over both codes, including a Grade 2 chase success at Kempton in February, was prominent throughout but really turned on the gas inside the final furlong to hold off The Grand Visir by a neck.

The victory was trainer Alan King's third of the week after Coeur De Lion took the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday before Scarlet Dragon, ridden by Hollie Doyle, won the Duke of Edinburgh on Friday.

Doyle is Marquand's partner, and he admitted seeing her win the previous day made him even more motivated to ride his own winner.

He said: "It sounds bad but watching her ride a winner on Friday just made me want it even more. I'm delighted for both of us, it's a fairy tale end to the week. We'll go home tonight and celebrate.

"Royal Ascot is home for us jockeys and it's where we want to taste success, where we dream of riding winners. I’m extremely fortunate to have done it."

Who Dares wins holds off The Grand Visir to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Marquand has teamed up with Who Dares Wins plenty in the past, including when winning last year's Northumberland Plate, and the rider paid tribute to both the horse and King for his career success.

"It's extra special to get my first royal winner riding Who Dares Wins for Alan. This horse helped me get on the big stage, and I think Alan is one of the most underrated Flat trainers going. It's about time he gets deserved recognition for what he's managing to do."

Dream 35 minutes for Stott as Hey Jonesy hangs on to Wokingham

Hey Jonesy continued a dream day for Kevin Stott and Kevin Ryan after the 18-1 shot won the Wokingham Stakes by the finest of margins.

The victory followed Stott's Diamond Jubilee success aboard Hello Youmzain, and the jockey was overwhelmed with emotion.

Hey Jonesy: won the Wokingham at Royal Ascot under Kevin StottCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"I'm so delighted, I can't put it into words," said Stott. "To think my dad's sat at home watching all this with my family is just an incredible feeling. The fact there isn't a crowd doesn't change it, it's still Royal Ascot. You can't describe it, it's just amazing."

Stott took Hey Jonesy forward in the early going and while others began to falter, the son of Excelebration battled on gamely to hold off the late charge of the well-supported Summerghand, who just failed to pass the winner from the other side of the track, and secure his first success in nearly three years.

Of Hey Jonesy's performance, Stott said: "He's just one of those characters. Putting the blinkers on and dropping him back to six furlongs seemed to suit him and he absolutely loved the ground.

"He lost his way a bit as a three-year-old but we always had high expectations for him and it's great to see him finally come good."

Only a nose separated Hey Jonesy and Summerghand, while Spanish City finished a length behind the pair in third.

Hey Jonesy (far side) beat Summerghand by a nose in the WokinghamCredit: Julian Finney (Getty Images)

Chiefofchiefs lands Silver Wokingham after 'worst training performance you'll see'

Charlie Fellowes declared his second winner of the behind-closed-doors Royal Ascot as "the worst training performance you’ll see here" after Chiefofchiefs landed the Silver Wokingham Handicap.

The Mervyn Ayers-owned seven-year-old has been mainly campaigned over a mile but ran well over seven furlongs at Meydan in the winter and took another drop in trip with aplomb.

Chiefofchiefs (black spots) wins the Silver WokinghamCredit: Edward Whitaker

William Buick’s mount made stylish headway inside the final two furlongs and stayed on best to defeat Burmese Waltz by a length and a quarter. Nahaarr was a head back in third with Louie De Palma three-quarters of a length behind in fourth.

Fellowes, successful with Onassis in the Sandringham Stakes on day three, said: “I'm furious with myself – that's the worst training performance you'll see here. He's seven and it's taken this long for us to finally get his trip right and I've called him every name under the sun thinking he was a monkey and not putting it all in. Actually it's all been my fault but all's well that ends well!

"He's owned by the most lovely family who have a few mares and I know how much this will mean to them. I know they'll be devastated they're not here. They're not Sheikhs so it's hard paying training fees and not running the horse. So for them to breed a Royal Ascot winner will mean the world to them.”

Chiefofchiefs was a 25th Royal Ascot winner for Buick and second this week after steering Dark Vision to success in the Royal Hunt Cup.

Get £30 in free bets when you sign up to a new Sky Bet account and place a £5 bet. Details of the offer are in the image above. Click here to take advantage of the offer