Irish trainer Fozzy Stack will leave Royal Ascot this year with two winners from as many runners after Thesecretadversary (20/1) overcame a 3lb penalty in the G3 Jersey Stakes.
Seamie Heffernan’s mount got first run on fellow Irish raider Take Charge Star (50/1) entering the final two furlongs and saw the trip out gamely to scored by a neck. The duo pulled four and a half lengths clear of the returning Morris Dancer (25/1) in third.
Winner of a G3 at Leopardstown on his comeback this year, Thesecretadversary was not disgraced in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
Stack, who won Thursday’s Listed Chesham Stakes with Nola Soul, said: “Thesecretadversary put in huge performances in two Classics, when things didn’t go his way. He had a 3lb penalty, but this wasn’t a surprise to me – I was surprised how much he drifted to be honest.
“Ninety percent of the horses here are good horses and they just need luck and for everything to go right. It was lovely to get one winner and two is unbelievable. I am so pleased for the owners Mrs Rupert and the Magnier family, who have been great supporters. We go back a long way. They are good people.”
Heffernan said: “Thesecretadversary is our best three-year-old colt. He won a Guineas trial and then ran a blinder in the English Guineas, where he was too keen and too fresh. Then in the Irish Guineas we got boxed in. Those two races did not go to plan – he should have been placed. I have to thank the co-owners for giving me a third shot at it.
“Fozzy said the Jersey Stakes straight away. He had a penalty but there would be no hard-luck stories. He travelled strongly. He has loads of pace, probably more pace than we have seen. He lights up on the track and dropping back in trip definitely helped. He could go back another furlong. He is a good horse and it is brilliant that it has worked out.
“Fozzy has a small team, but we brought two runners here hoping they would run well and both hit the bullseye. It is brilliant.”
Johnny Murtagh said of the runner-up: “Take Charge Star is a very good horse – he is the best horse I have in the stable. He has always shown us plenty. We ran him in the Irish Guineas and he has not quite stayed the mile the last twice, but I thought this race would really suit him. A good, fast pace and fast ground were always going to suit him, and I thought he was coming. In fairness to the winner, he kept going. They went four lengths clear of the third, so you have to be very proud. Hugely sick inside, but the owners are over from America and they have had a great experience on their first visit to Royal Ascot. Proud of the horse, but no one remembers second.”
David Redvers said of the fourth Green Sense: “I fortunately met Randy Boyd and his racing manager Brittany [Linton] at the London Sale on Monday. I gave them a little advice that this filly might be the best animal in the sale, as a potential Ascot runner and also with a lovely pedigree that could make her a future broodmare. Her racing style and form are perfectly suited to American racing. The idea was that we would run her here, see how she went and then head to Saratoga, probably, where they have horses running anyway. They are relatively new to the game, Boyd Racing, and they want the best experience. She looks like she will give them a lot of fun for their money.”