Reel Leads Them A Dance

Aidan O’Brien lands his 56th winner of the Royal meeting as Highland Reel repels all challengers

HIGHLAND REELS THEM ALL IN

Globetrotting superstar Highland Reel (9/4) stamped his class on the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes with a game performance to provide Ballydoyle handler Aidan O’Brien with his 56th victory at the Royal Meeting and his first success of the week.

Always prominent after breaking smartly under Ryan Moore, the five-year-old son of Galileo handled the drop back to 10 furlongs with aplomb, finding plenty in the home straight to repel the challenge of Roger Charlton’s Decorated Knight (10/1), who was a length and a quarter behind in second, with a short-head back to Sir Michael Stoute’s Ulysses (9/2) in third.

O’Brien said: “Highland Reel is a brilliant horse and Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. Davy has done a great job on him and Andrew was over the moon with him, so we were really looking forward to it. Seamus was very happy with his work and Davy, who rides him every day, felt he was getting better and better. They were very confident that he was on the upgrade.

“He is an incredible horse. Pace, courage, tactical speed, he has everything. He was back to a mile and a quarter today and we know he gets a mile and a half well, but was a very good Group Two winner over seven furlongs as a two-year-old. He always had that pace. A big credit and well done must go to everybody at home that is involved with him.

“He has never lacked pace so we were hoping today over this distance that courage would come into it. He is tactically very quick and unbelievably courageous.