Poet's Word gives Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail big win at Ascot

Jockey James Doyle produces late challenge on five-year-old bay son of Poet’s Voice to pip fellow Godolphin rider William Buick on board another Stoute-trained Crystal Ocean

James Doyle riding Poet's Word, right, to victory in The King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes from Crystal Ocean, left, at Ascot Racecourse. Getty Images

Poet’s Word provided Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail with the Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and a record sixth success for trainer Michael Stoute in the race at Ascot on Saturday.

Jockey James Doyle produced a late challenge on the five-year-old bay son of Poet’s Voice to pip fellow Godolphin rider William Buick on board another Stoute-trained Crystal Ocean.

Rostropovich with Seamie Heffernan atop and Salouen under Silvestre de Sousa set the early pace while Doyle was second last after a sluggish start in the seven-runner field over the 2,400-metre trip.

Buick got the first run on Crystal Ocean as they turned for home but Doyle had enough in the tank of Poet’s Word to challenge from the outside and prevail by a neck with the John Gosden-trained Coronet ridden by Frenchman Olivier Peslier nine lengths behind in third.

Stoute who won the race previously with Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009) and Harbinger (2010) said his first reaction was to feel sorry for the one that got beaten.

“They are two wonderful brave athletes for two different owners,” the winning trainer said after the two horses battled it out to the finishing line in the £1.25 million (Dh6m) race.

“It’s a joy to train these two horses. It’s lovely to win another King George. It’s a race we always love to come and compete, and win. It’s a mid-summer championship on a wonderful racecourse.”

Poet’s Word was completing a hat-trick after his success in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on May 24 and the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot on June 20.

______________

Read more:

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby 'very pleased' with Masar ahead of Eclipse Stakes

Godolphin's Old Persian in line for Irish Derby after Royal Ascot victory

Poet’s Word creates Royal Ascot history for Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail

Success for Godolphin at Royal Ascot as Blue Point storms to King's Stand Stakes victory

______________

“You’ll be doing well if there’s a happier fellow today than me," an ecstatic Doyle said. “He’s a real star, there were questions over his best trip, what’s his best trip now? He won over a mile and quarter and now winning the King George over a mile and a half – he’s so versatile.

“I was forced to sit where I was just the way he broke from the gate. I had been beaten I would have been left really frustrated. But these things keep happening but it all went well today.

“I ended up following Coronet, which wasn’t really the plan. I wanted to be in front of her and if I had been I think I would have won a bit easier. I left him a bit of a task, they went quick and I didn’t want to start chasing a position.”