Trained in England by Ralph Beckett, last year’s Darley Irish Oaks runner-up, had to battle late to get past last season’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes winner Emily Upjohn in the one mile two furlongs contest.

With Lumiere Rock and Dylan Browne McMonagle cutting out the early pace, the John and Thady Gosden-handled Emily Upjohn looked a serious threat as she loomed up on the outside of the Joseph O’Brien-trained daughter of Saxon Warrior.

With rider Kieran Shoemark looking confident aboard Emily Upjohn, she was soon joined by the Juddmonte Farms’-owned Bluestocking and Galway native Rossa Ryan in the saddle.

The two fillies battled gamely to the line, with Bluestocking, a daughter of Camelot, holding sway on the line, with half a length called as the official distance between winner and runner-up.

With the visiting runners taking the first and second place, Aidan O’Brien’s Content, with Ryan Moore in the saddle, was best of the home team, three and three-quarter lengths further back in third place.

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore had earlier teamed up for a Group double, with Truly Enchanting and Jan Breughel tasting success.

Truly Enchanting,13th in the Group 2 Queen Mary over five furlongs recently at Royal Ascot, was in the winner’s enclosure today, taking the six-furlong Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes for fillies from Adrian Murray-trained and David Egan-ridden California Dreamer in the colours of AMO Racing Limited.

The second part of the Coolmore, O’Brien, Moore Group double was the success of Jan Breughel in the Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld International Stakes over one mile two furlongs.

Jan Breughel, a full-brother to Dawn Rising who was winner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023, had a neck advantage over the Joseph O’Brien-trained and Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Trustyourinstinct in the colours of J.P. McManus.

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The win was also a first Royal Ascot success for a training partnership, with Paul and Oliver Cole being responsible for handling Highland Chief. Paul Cole trained 21 Royal Ascot winners when solely responsible for the training licence.

Rossa Ryan, a native of Ballinderry, who is still only 19-years-old, said of his first success at the Berkshire track:

“It has not really sunk in yet. I am a bit shocked that it has happened. I cannot thank everyone enough who has supported me to get here today. To ride a winner for the Coles and for Mrs Fitri Hay is incredible.”

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Ryan, who rode more than 150 winners on the pony circuit, and who is in his third season in England, continued:

“I was a bit worried coming into today with all the rain that we had. Until I got up on him on the way to the start, he felt like he was going to go on it.”

The young jockey is based mainly with Richard Hannon but spent many summers in Ireland at Willie Mullins’ and Enda Bolger’s yards.

“I learnt more at Enda Bolger’s than anywhere else” admits Ryan, “In my last year of pony racing we decided to take a crack at the Flat if I could keep my weight right and we went from there.”

 1.15pm Golden Gates Handicap

1 Highland Chief Paul & Oliver Cole 3-9-07 Rossa Ryan 20/1
2 Tritonic Alan King 3-9-01 Oisín Murphy 9/1
3 Global Strorm Charlie Appleby 3-8-12 William Buick 7/2f

12 ran
Non-Runners: 3 Laser Show (Self Certificate, temperature); 12 Dogged (Going); 14 Cemhaan (Self Certificate, heat in leg) – replaced by reserve Bronze River who takes number 14
Time: 2m 11.20s

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