Royal Ascot: Oxted delivers for Fallon and Teal in King’s Stand

Oxted returned to his brilliant best to run out victorious in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Roger Teal’s sprinter was reunited with an inspired Cieren Fallon – who had partnered him to success in the July Cup last season – and the young rider was able to stand up in his saddle to salute the watching crowd a few strides from the line.

The five-year-old was surprisingly running over the minimum distance for the first time in his career, although he had won the Portland Handicap over five and a half furlongs at Doncaster in 2019.

The pace in the early stages was red hot, with even Wesley Ward’s Maven struggling to keep tabs on the flying females Que Amoro and Winter Power.

As Que Amoro began to weaken, Winter Power was left in front – but Jim Crowley appeared to have her covered on Battaash with a furlong to run.

However, last year’s winner, who had a setback in the off-season meaning he was making his seasonal debut, failed to pick up when Crowley asked for an effort and he was eventually swamped, although he clung on gallantly for fourth.

Oxted (4-1) had been under pressure for a while, but powered through close home to win going away by a length and three-quarters from Arecibo and American raider Extravagant Kid.

It was a first Royal Ascot winner for both trainer and jockey, the son of six-times champion Kieren Fallon who himself enjoyed so many memorable days at the showpiece meeting.

Fallon Jr said: “It's a dream come true - a Group One at Royal Ascot. All credit goes to Roger, Harry [Teal, son and assistant trainer] and the team back home. I've been very blessed and very lucky to sit on a horse like this so early in my career.

“Harry does all the hard work on him behind the scenes, I'm just very lucky to be on him on the racetrack.”

Fallon added missing the horse’s last appearance, owing to being in quarantine in France for a ride on a horse that then did not run in the French 2,000 Guineas, is “part and parcel of racing”.

“It’s come good today and that's the main thing,” he continued. “I’m glad to get back on board and all credit to the owners to give me that faith and put me back on him.

“Oxted has a lot of speed and can run keen over six furlongs. Dropping back to a stiff five was always going to suit and I took my time on him today.

“I got a lovely trip, they went a real solid gallop early on. I didn’t panic, normally he’s a horse that can be quite keen, but I just gave him his head, let him get into a nice rhythm and just picked up when I needed to. He's just shown that the July Cup isn't a fluke. He is a proper Group One horse.

“It means a lot to have a Royal Ascot winner. Dad has done what he has done and people always ask me 'are you going to do what he's done, are you going to do this'. It's great to have him behind me as well as my family, my bosses Sheikh Fahad and Mr Haggas and my jockey coach Michael Hills. I've got people round me to help me keep learning and progressing.

“I am just blessed to have all the people around me, to help me and encourage me and motivate me.”

Teal said: “It's just unbelievable. I mean I’m speechless because we've dreamt about these days for so long, I mean we had it in the July Cup last year, but a Royal Ascot Group One. I mean, come on! A yard of our size, doing this is amazing.

“Harry's done all the work with him. It's just a big family affair. The lads back home are amazing with the hard work they put in. It’s just credit to everyone, and the owners for supporting me. Dreams do come true.

“This is obviously his first run back over five furlongs, so I said to Cieren, just keep it simple. Just go straight from your draw, and see how it pans out later on. When we were quite outpaced, I thought oh no, maybe I’ve done the wrong thing.

“But then at halfway I saw Cieren just revving him up a bit and I saw him react, and then it was like poetry in motion. Stamina kicked in then. We knew there was going to be pace, for sure, with the likes of Battaash. But he’s got a great cruising speed; he was a little out of his comfort zone but he was able to use his stamina.”

Arecibo’s trainer Robert Cowell said: "To be honest, we weren’t totally surprised that he ran so well. He’s turned a corner with us recently, and you could just tell that he was in great form leading up to this race. Mentally more than physically - maybe he just feels a million dollars. He looked it, and was squealing round the paddock, and I had a suspicion that he could run well. But when you are taking on the likes of Battaash and Oxted, you think we’ll be there, thereabouts, but not win, but he’s run a really solid race and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s really improved.”

Jim Crowley said of 11-8 favourite Battaash, who finished fourth: “He will come on plenty for that run. He just needed it more today.”