Aidan O’Brien landed a fine double on the opening day at Royal Ascot to become the most successful trainer in the history of the prestigious meeting on Tuesday.
Ryan Moore was on board both the winners. He prevailed on River Tiber in a close finish in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes before steering Paddington to a convincing victory in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes to take his Royal Ascot tally 83 winners.
O’Brien levelled Sir Michael Stoute’s record of 82 winners at the royal meeting when Moore guided River Tiber to take the second race from Holly Doyle on Army Athos by a neck.
Paddington then stayed on strongly to beat the English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldeon, to deny Frankie Dettori a winner for the second time on the day.
Paddington was fifth on his debut at Ascot in September but is now unbeaten in five starts since after becoming O’Brien’s ninth winner in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
“He’s an incredible horse,” O’Brien told ITV racing. “He came here as a maiden as a two-year-old and he was very green. We gave him time and he went back to the Curragh and won very well and we didn’t run him any more.
“The lads have given him time through the winter and he won a handicap very impressively in Naas. Then he went and won the Tetrarch on the way to the Irish Guineas. He’s just improving and improving. He’s a smart horse, is really quick and handles all types of ground.”
Earlier, Triple Time in the silks of Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, stunned a quality field to bag the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of the meeting.
The Frankel colt trained by Kevin Ryan and ridden by Neil Callan raced prominently and kept on gamely to prevail over Dettori and Inspiral by a neck, with Light Infantry a further two and a quarter lengths down in third and Godolphin’s Modern Games in fourth.
