SOUTHERN HILLS LANDS ANOTHER BIRDIE FOR MOORE & AOB
Southern Hills is named after a Golf Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma and he produced a performance Tiger Woods would’ve been proud of by landing the final race on day two of Royal Ascot 2019, the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.
The two-year-old son of Gleneagles ran on strongly in the closing stages of the five-furlong contest to deny Godolphin’s Platinum Star (8/1) to win by a half-length.
Southern Hills is trained by Aidan O’Brien, registering his 68th Royal Ascot winner and was ridden by Ryan Moore, recording a 56th Royal Ascot win – this was the pair’s third success of the week.
Moore now joins Danny Tudhope at the top of the QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Jockey Award standings.
Moore said: “Southern Hills is a lovely colt who had run two very good races prior to today.
“He has loads of speed and he has a super action.
“He was in front early enough, but he wasn’t for passing.”
Southern Hills is from the first two-year-old crop of Gleneagles, who won the 2015 renewal of the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
O’BRIEN HEADS FOR THE HILLS AGAIN
Aidan O’Brien scored in the final race of the second day of Royal Ascot 2019, taking the Listed £90,000 Windsor Castle Stakes over five furlongs with Southern Hills.
This means the Irish trainer now has 68 Royal Ascot winners to his credit, and this was his third of the meeting so far.
Southern Hills, a son of Gleneagles, powered home under Ryan Moore to hold off Godolphin’s Platinum Star (Saeed Bin Suroor/Christophe Soumillon) by half a length. It was his first career success and came at odds of 7/1.
O’Brien said: “He’s a fast horse. The Gleneagles offspring are fast and they are brave, which are two massive things in a horse. That’s evident in his stock so far.
“He handled the hold-up [when Show Me Show Me broke from the stalls, unshipped his jockey, Paddy Mathers, and cantered away loose down the track before being withdrawn] well. He’s got a good mind. They [horses sired by Gleneagles] have those traits; they have pace, they are brave and they’ve got good minds.
“I should have thought that five or six furlongs would be his trip, because he’s got so much speed.”
PLATINUM TAKES SILVER BUT IS STILL A STAR
Newmarket-based Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of the half-length second-placed Platinum Star for Godolphin, was delighted by the run of the 8/1 chance in the last race of Royal Ascot on day two, the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes, run over five furlongs.
Bin Suroor said: “He ran very well. He has won over six furlongs, but a stiff five would be a good trip for him. We will be looking for a Group race for him, he is a class horse. The ground was a bit heavy for him today.”
Jockey Christophe Soumillon, added: “It went really well. I was behind the winner [Southern Hills 7/1]. I came through very easily thinking I would catch him, but my horse got a bit tired. It was a great run.”
5.35pm Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed), 5f
1 Southern Hills (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 2-9-03 Ryan Moore 7/1
2 Platinum Star (Godolphin) Saeed bin Suroor 2-9-03 Christophe Soumillon 8/1
3 Glasvegas (Weldspec Glasgow Limited) Keith Dalgleish 2-9-03 Paul Mulrennan 25/1
6/1 jfav Symbolize (4th), Temple Of Heaven (13th)
21 ran
Time: 1m 3.05s
Distances: ½, hd,
Tote Win: £6.85 Places: £2.00, £3.60, £9.65 Exacta: £77.80
Breeding: ch c Gleneagles (IRE) – Remember You (IRE) (Invincible Spirit (IRE))
Breeder: Coolmore
Aidan O’Brien – 68th Royal Ascot winner
Ryan Moore – 56th Royal Ascot winner