Pat Cosgrove on Society Rock celebrates their win in the Golden Jubilee Stakes on the fifth day of racing at Royal Ascot in southern England yesterday
Agencies/London
Society Rock left last year’s disappointment behind with victory in the Golden Jubilee Stakes on the final day at Royal Ascot yesterday. The line-up for the longer version was not as international as Tuesday’s five-furlong King’s Stand, taken by Fanshawe’s fellow Newmarket resident Robert Cowell and Prohibit, but still featured Australian, Irish and French raiders.Aussie colt Star Witness, who was runner-up in the King’s Stand, was ridden more prominently on this occasion and led approaching the final stages.But racing on saturated ground was not his forte and he was mown down by Pat Cosgrave and 25-1 shot Society Rock, with Monsieur Chevalier just half a length behind.Society Rock could not match Starspangledbanner 12 months ago and had been beaten in a conditions race on his most recent start, but patience is a byword for his trainer, who continued a remarkable afternoon just over half an hour later when Deacon Blues plundered the Wokingham Stakes.Fanshawe’s versatility has seen him win Champion Hurdles, staying races, a July Cup and seven previous Royal Ascot races, while Cosgrave has only been rewarded by the speed-merchants.The articulate, but often underused, Irishman has collected a Sprint Cup on Markab and a Nunthorpe on Borderlescott, but had never before reached the Royal Ascot winner’s enclosure.Sitting in the favourable far-side group with the big field quickly splitting to opposite sides of the pack, Cosgrave admitted he got a little bit lucky, but showed bravery to pick his way through to pounce with 100 yards to run.“We’ve had plenty of good days, but they haven’t been for a while and this is very special,” said Fanshawe.“The straight mile at Ascot has been very good to us, as I’ve won two Royal Hunt Cups here as well.“Society Rock has been a slightly forgotten horse - he was second last year but he was never really right afterwards.“He has taken his time to fire this spring but his last couple of pieces of work were very good.“You never know whether they will go on this kind of ground, but another Rock Of Gibraltar won on Friday and horses from his dam’s side like cut in the ground. “It’s fantastic for Pat, and for his owner Simon Gibson, who is recovering after a fall at home.”Society Rock was only seventh in last year’s Darley July Cup but Fanshawe continued: “It all depends on how the horse is, as he is best fresh.“But I’d love to have another go at the July Cup, and his owner lives locally to Newmarket.”Cosgrave added: “A lot of people have doubted this horse on his first two runs this year, but James had this as the target all along.“Over the past three weeks he has been showing the old Society Rock to me. “I would have appreciated better ground, but that’s the way it was.“I thought my chance might have disappeared at the start when we were hampered and I was travelling a bit keen, but I got a nice lead and ended up getting the splits at the right time.“All Group Ones are nice but it’s nice to get a first Royal Ascot winner on the board.”Richard Hannon’s Monsieur Chevalier was 11th in the King’s Stand and this effort represented a considerable step forward.Assistant trainer Richard Hannon jnr said: “That was a huge run and it gives us all the big sprints now as options.“He was off a long time, but that was probably a career-best effort.”Danny O’Brien was proud of Star Witness, adding: “He’s run two great races this week.“He was perhaps a bit unlucky on Tuesday and today the wet ground hasn’t helped him.“We came here with three races on the agenda. The July Cup is the last one, so we’ll keep on eye on him over the next couple of weeks.”