Stradivarius stays on song

Edited by Hannah Lemieux hannah.lemieux@futurenet.com @hannah_lemieux1

Royal Ascot, Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire

IN normal times, the top-class action on the track at Royal Ascot would have been a five out of five, but given the circumstances “behind closed doors” it deserved a six out of five.

Two weeks and a day in from the resumption of racing, everyone involved – from the racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) Resumption of Racing Group, to the trainers, the jockeys, the lads and ITV Racing – played a blinder and, above all, the horses were the stars of the show.

If this was racing’s shop window, this was one occasion when racing was the winner. The action on the course had a bit of everything and off it everyone adhered to the rules.

For the absent press, there was no shortage of stories; some big-priced winners, rags-to-riches tales of horses like King Edward VII winner Pyledriver – led out unsold