Jockey Hector Crouch enjoyed his first Royal Ascot winner aboard 5/1 shot Surefire in the King George V Handicap over a mile and a half.
Riding for Ralph Beckett in the three-year-old only contest, Crouch and his mount had just enough in reserve to fend off the late challenge of 4/1 favourite Sir Lamorak, who was eating up the ground as the winning post came. Parachute (16/1) was prominent for much of the race and held on for third.
The victory for Crouch was made sweeter for wearing the famous Juddmonte silks of Khalid Abdullah, who passed away earlier this year.
Crouch said: “It’s a long way since those days as an apprentice, but I’m absolutely delighted. I’m a bit lost for words to be honest.Credit to Gary [Moore], he did so much for me when I was younger and this year it’s paid off massively with Ralph [Beckett] – I am massively thankful to him.
“My horse was very green in front, and he rolled around and had a good look. We went hard down into Swinley Bottom before we stacked them right back up again and we crawled through the mid-part of the race. I got him going early as he doesn’t have the greatest turn of foot, but he was very impressive today and responded to every urging.
“Surefire is very classy, and he wants to step up in trip again. He could be anything with the way he goes about his business. The sky is pretty much the limit.”
Beckett said: “Surefire is still a bit green, and he showed that at Leicester last week and again the same today; he’s just leant in when he hit the front, or gone to hit the front. It was only when I saw the replay that I realised it was too far out to hear the dreaded klaxon.
“He’s been a slow burner, to put it mildly. He was our 100th winner last year, so he’s going to live long in the memory. We went all the way to Newcastle to win his maiden, and he learnt plenty at Windsor and again at Leicester, and a mile and a half was always going to play for him. He had a tough trip today and he’s seen it out really well.
“We’ll probably end up going further, and I hope in time he’ll end up a Leger horse. He’s a very laid back horse – you see him down the back there and he’s kind of off it, and he’s not asleep under Hector [Crouch] but he is inclined only to do enough.
Regarding his association with Crouch this season, Beckett added: “When Richard Kingscote took a job with Sir Michael [Stoute], I rang Hector in the winter and asked him to come and ride out once a week. He’s very definitely our sort of jockey – he was well-schooled [with Gary Moore] and he knows what work means. He’s been a real asset to us this year already and I’m sure we’ll provide him with some more ammo as the year goes on.
“It’s great for Juddmonte. It’s my cousin’s [Lord Grimthorpe] last week in the job so it’s great for him. We have benefited hugely from Prince Khalid’s support over the past five years, and I couldn’t be happier. We’re not done yet – we have got one tomorrow for them in the Sandringham who will hopefully run well too.”