3 minute read

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore enjoyed another winner at Royal Ascot when Port Fairy dug deep to fend off the challenge of Lava Stream in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes.

The daughter of Australia knuckled down admirably to provide Aidan O'Brien with a fifth victory in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot after the Ballydoyle maestro successfully saddled Bracelet (2014), Even Song (2016), Magic Wand (2018) and Warm Heart (2023) to victory.

O'Brien was double-handed in this year's renewal with Port Fairy and stablemate Rubies Are Red, but Ryan Moore sided correctly with the 12-1 shot coming home in front.

A winner at Dundalk before being touched off by Forest Fairy in the Cheshire Oaks, Port Fairy tracked the runaway leader You Got To Me in the first-time visor for much of the mile-and-a-half journey before moving towards the front passing the two-furlong marker.

Port Fairy was soon joined by and briefly passed by the strong-travelling Lava Stream, but Ryan Moore's mount battled back strongly to claim the prize by a neck, with 9-4 favourite Kalpana beating You Got To Me to third.

O'Brien said: "In Chester, she was a bit green and a baby. We just thought Epsom was going to come too quick for her (after she finished second in the Cheshire Oaks) so we gave her a bit of time.

"Ryan said maybe try a visor on her at home, when she was coming here, so we put a visor on her the last day, and her work really stepped up.

"She looks like she'd be a lovely Irish Oaks filly now, and she gets it well, she stays well. And Ryan was brilliant on her – he didn't panic even when the second went by her. It was class."

He went on: "Ryan knew the horse that made the running in Lingfield (You Got To Me) could be dangerous and he was keeping his eye on her, he was class.

"Anna (O'Brien's daughter) bred the horse and done everything with her. She stays well, she is tough. If a filly gets a mile and a half, it's a long way and she is brave, isn't she? She's tough and hardy."

The success saw Ryan Moore pass Frankie Dettori as the currently active winning-most rider at Royal Ascot and on the achievement, O'Brien added: "It's incredible for Ryan to have achieved what he has and at his age (40) – he must be 10 years younger than Frankie, isn't he?"