ROYAL ASCOT

5.30 King George V Stakes

1 Heron Bay (S Drowne) 20-1
2 Filios (L Dettori) 6-1
3 Walking Talking (R Hughes) 12-1
4 Eradicate (K Darley) 9-2

Heron Bay foiled a gamble on Filios in a dramatic finish. Frankie Dettori looked to have brought Filios with a perfectly timed challenge and hit the front on the Luca Cumani-trained three-year-old inside the final furlong. But, having got his nose in front, the 6-1 shot could not fend off Heron Bay’s rally.

Exchange punters had their fingers burnt with more than £1,000 matched on the runner-up at 1.01. In other words, they were prepared to risk £100 in order to win £1.

Heron Bay certainly deserved his success — never being far away and sticking to his task once headed. The pair pulled seven lengths clear, with Eradicate hanging on for a place after having every chance turning in.

4.55 Hampton Court Stakes

1 Zaham (R Hills) 7-2 fav
2 Al Shemali (R L Moore) 6-1
3 Desert Dew (M Hills) 8-1

Mark Johnston saddled his first winner of the meeting when Zaham showed great determination to land the Hampton Court Stakes.

Barely half a length covered the first four, but it was Zaham’s resilience that carried the day. Ridden by Richard Hills, Zaham tracked the strong pace set by Richard Quinn on King Mambo.

He led inside the final quarter mile, first having to work hard to overcome Kid Mambo, then fighting off a determined challenge from Desert Dew.

Just as he seemed to have prevailed, he had to contend with Al Shemali, whose flying finish down the outside failed by only a head.

4.20 Britannia Stakes

1 Eddie Jock (J Murtagh) 33-1
2 Ea (R L Moore) 16-1
3 St Philip (S Sanders) 33-1
4 Artimino (J P Spencer) 4-1 fav

The Britannia Stakes is always one of the most competitive handicaps at the royal meeting and, in defying topweight, Eddie Jock put up a terrifically game performance.

Most of the pre-race hype revolved around Artimino and Colarado Rapid, who were regarded by many as group-race performers in disguise. The former could finish no closer than fourth, though, while the latter never looked like landing a blow.

Eddie Jock was among those who raced on the far side and, after being in contention for much of the way, he stayed on dourly to hold off the late challenges of Ea and St Philip.

The runner-up deserved extra credit as was drawn in stall 2, while St Philip came from a long way back.

3.45 GOLD CUP

1 Yeats (M J Kinane) 8-13 fav
2 Geordieland (J P Spencer) 12-1
3 Le Miracle (D Boeuf) 50-1

Yeats completed a Gold Cup double, justifying an 8-13 starting price with plenty of authority.

Mick Kinane began his move turning for home, bringing Yeats about four horses wide and then asking him to quicken.

The favourite did so readily, quickly opening a gap inside the final quarter-mile. The only semblance of a threat to him came from Geordieland, patiently ridden by Jamie Spencer.

Spencer brought him from nearly last on the final turn to just a length behind Yeats inside the final furlong, but that was as close as he could get as Kinane pushed Yeats clear again to win readily by a length and a half.

Le Miracle was three and a half lengths third but Sergeant Cecil, billed as the people’s favourite, was all but pulled up in last place of the 14. GR

3.05 Ribblesdale Stakes

1 Silkwood P Robinson 4-1
2 All My Loving M J Kinane 15-8 fav
3 Dalvina J P Spencer 8-1

Silkwood, trained by Michael Jarvis, was an emphatic winner - to give followers of The Times’s Sports Book a chance of a bumper payour.

Our online advice, at 20-1, was to back the Ribblesdale winner to win by the biggest distance of the meeting and Silkwood romped home by five lengths to put backers in pole position. No other race at the meeting has produced such an emphatic success, although there are still 16 races to come.

Silkwood, carrying the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, was always cruising under Philip Robinson and took aim at Majounes Song, the long-time leader, going towards two out. Robinson eased the daughter of Singspiel past and she quickly pulled clear of her pursuers.

All My Loving, the favourite, was off the bridle most of the way but consented to run on at the finish to claim second. Dalvina, so disappointing in the Oaks last time, went some way towards restoring her reputation by taking third. AS

2.30 Norfolk Stakes

1 Winker Watson, J Fortune 2-1 fav
2 Art Advisor, S Sanders 14-1
3 Spirit Of Sharjah, K McEvoy 9-2

Peter Chapple-Hyam and Jimmy Fortune continued their terrific run of form at Royal Ascot when combining to land the opening race on Gold Cup day with Winker Watson.

A well-backed favourite, Winker Watson was held up towards the far side of the track before being produced to lead entering the final furlong. However, he veered left when hitting the front and Fortune did well to prevent him from hampering any rivals as the pair drove to the line for a hard-fought length-and-a-quarter success.

Winker Watson was provising Chapple-Hyam with a third win in this contest, following Dutch Art 12 months ago and Turtle Island, a subsequent 2,000 Guineas winner, in 1993.

Art Advisor showed improvement to hold on to second place by a short head from the strong-finishing Spirit Of Sharjah, with Strike The Deal back in fourth. RW

RIPON

1.40
1 Captain Royale (Dane O'Neill) 13-8 Fav
2 Demure Princess (J Dean) 14-1
3 Discanti (G Gibbons) 10-1

2.10
1 Upper Class (Greg Fairley) 9-2
2 Our Sunnie (A Nicholls) 5-1
3 Silk Drum (T Eaves) 10-1

2.45
1 Highland Warrior (M Fenton) 14-1
2 Harrison's Flyer (Barry Savage) 5-1
3 Tilly's Dream (N Callan) 14-1

3.20
1 Looks Could Kill (D Kinsella) 2-1
2 Union Jack Jackson (S Donohoe) 4-1
3 Spiritual Peace (N Callan) 15-8 Fav

4.00
1 Fortunate Isle (T Hamilton) 7-2
2 Full Victory (K Ghunowa) 5-1
3 Collateral Damage (D Fentiman) 7-4 Fav

4.35
1 Copernican (P Mulrennan) 7-4 Fav
2 Honorable Love (P Makin) 14-1
3 Highland Legacy (A Elliott) 4-1

5.10
1 Apache Nation (P Makin) 4-1 Fav
2 The Grey One (K Ghunowa) 9-2
3 Azreme (Dane O'Neill) 9-2

5.45
1 Gardasee (Miss J A Kidd) 7-2 Fav
2 Prince Zafonic (Miss A L Hutchinson) 33-1
3 Grey Samurai (Miss L Ellison) 9-2

LINGFIELD PARK

2.20
1 Penrice Castle (P Dobbs) 11-2
2 Carolina Blini (K May) 7-1
3 Bahamarama (D Sweeney) 10-1

2.55
1 Ceredig (W A Carson) 8-1
2 Calloff The Search (Saleem Golam) 16-1
3 Rafferty (T Bubb) 7-1

3.30
1 Mambazo (R Kingscote) 10-3 Fav
2 Berti Bertolini (D Sweeney) 14-1
3 Mistral Sky (J F Egan) 5-1

4.10
1 Champagne Shadow (J F Egan) 11-10 Fav
2 Lady Ambitious (R Havlin) 10-1
3 North Walk (Saleem Golam) 7-1

4.45
1 Strobe (J F Egan) 12-1
2 Alnwick (D Sweeney) 6-1
3 Ballet Boy (G Baker) 6-4 Fav

5.20
1 Nan Jan (R Havlin) 11-4 Fav
2 Scuba (T Block) 5-1
3 Special Place (O Urbina) 10-3