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WINDSOR, England. The Order of St George won Thursday’s crown jewel of the Royal Ascot meeting, the Group 1 Gold Cup In Honour of the Queen’s 90th Birthday, with a late run around the leaders.

With Ryan Moore up, the Irish-trained raider lagged well back in the big field and was wanting for room until things sorted out early in the stretch run of the 2 1/2-mile marathon. When Moore, lacking options, finally switched him out, Order of St George quickly ran to the front and was going away at the end, winning by 3 lengths.

Mizzou was second and Sheikzayedroad finished third in the marquee race of the year’s biggest race meeting in a nation that embraces its stayers.

Order of St George, a Galileo colt, wound up his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Group 1 Irish St Leger, then started this year’s campaign with an easy warm-up win in a Leopardstown heat under trainer Aidan O’Brien‘s son, Donnacha.

Order of St George, a Galileo colt, wound up his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Group 1 Irish St Leger, then started this year’s campaign with an easy warm-up win in a Leopardstown heat under trainer Aidan O’Brien‘s son, Donnacha.

Given his performance on the soft going and at the distance, O’Brien said another tilt at the Irish St Leger could be a prelude to something even bigger in the fall.

Three runners sporting the Godolphin Blue led the way in the Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/2 miles and two of them, Hawksbill and Prize Money, stayed on to finish first and second. Long Island Sound found a bit of run in the final 100 meters to get up for third. The other Godolphin standard-bearer, Race Day, an all-weather specialist, finished sixth after making the pace for his stablemate.

Hawksbill, an American-bred colt by Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s star stallion Kitten’s Joy, won his fourth straight race while stepping up in class. Trainer Charlie Appleby said he told jockey William Buick “to ride him like he was the best horse in the race and that’s what he’s done. Turning for home, I know they were traveling well behind us but we were traveling supremely well there up with the pace and I knew that he’d gallop all the way to the line.”

Appleby said he has yet to set a course for the winner, adding, “He’s not a horse that I’d want to go to the well too often with. He’s got a nice future ahead of him.”

Prize Money’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, said he looks forward to running his charge at 1 1/2 miles.

In the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, it was Moore and O’Brien on top again. The seas parted for Moore and his mount, Even Song, as the field spread out into the stretch. Moore asked the Mastercraftsman filly to go and she responded, driving to a 1 1/2-lengths victory over Ajman Princess. The Epsom Oaks runner-up, Architecture, was fanned very wide on the turn and wasn’t able to quicken, settling for an eighth-place finish under Frankie Dettori. Even Song scored her second win in her fourth start and provided O’Brien’s 50th Royal Ascot score.

“It’s great to get 50 Royal Ascot winners but I’m a small part of a very big team and everyone works very hard,” O’Brien said. “I’m very happy for everyone. From the conception, to foaling, to bringing these horses along, everyone works very hard at Coolmore and Ballydoyle and I’m very grateful to them all.”

O’Brien said the Group 1 Irish Oaks on July 16 at The Curragh is on the horizon for Even Song.

ALL HAIL TO THE QUEEN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN ELIZABETH II.