Royal Ascot‎ Races

The Ballydoyle betting boys were at it again in the Hardwicke Stakes, with the shade of odds-on available about Await The Dawn not enough to stop punters becoming heavily involved.

Respite was just around the corner, however, as the James Fanshawe-trained 25-1 poke Society Rock shocked the grandstand by beating a top-class field of sprinters in the Golden Jubilee.

With the layers now on something of a run, 12-1 shot Fox Hunt’s victory in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes was more money in the satchel, with market leader Modun running deplorably.

The O’Brien victories ensured Irish bookmaker Paddy Power would not be coming out on top over the five days.

Miller said: “As always, punters provide the best barometer of satisfaction and with slips and stakes both having risen this year, we can conclude that punters have fallen in love again with the Royal meeting.

“We’ve seen strong takings on all the big meetings this year, but Royal Ascot has outperformed them all.

royal ascot review O’Brien claims crown of top trainer after week of success

RYAN MOORE’S association with the Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien this season helped him become top jockey at Royal Ascot for the second time in a row. Appropriately, O’Brien was the top trainer at the five-day festival but it was Jamie Spencer who won the Gold Cup on Fame and Glory for the stable. The feat of the weekend and arguably of the week, was James Fanshawe’s remarkable sprint double when he won the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the Wokingham Handicap.

One of the most versatile trainers, Newmarket based Fanshawe, has won Champion Hurdles, staying races, a July Cup and seven previous Royal Ascot races.

“Society Rock has been a slightly forgotten horse – he was second last year but he was never really right afterwards.

Since 2008 Royal Ascot has started with three of the meeting's strongest Group 1 contests, the Queen Anne Stakes, the King's Stand Stakes and the St James's Palace Stakes.

"The evidence of our figures suggests that, when a Festival meeting builds and builds to a climax, the turnover increases substantially. "Our biggest turnover race of the week was the Gold Cup and we took three times as much as on some of the two-year-old races.

"As a bookmaker my idea of the perfect programme is to have the biggest race with the biggest names as the fifth race and a handicap afterwards as those races are bet to higher margins, but this isn't just about what's right for bookmakers, it's about what's the best for all of racing.

"Having the big race towards the end of the meeting is considered the best way by every other racing nation in the world.