Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy steers home Shamardal to win the St James's Palace Stakes at the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting at York Racecourse, York, England.
Nine days after winning the Prix du Jockey-Club (Fr-I), Shamardal turned in a powerful performance in Royal Ascot's St. James's Palace Stakes (Eng-I) June 14 over turf rated good to firm. The first-crop son of 2000 St. James's winner Giant's Causeway went off the 7-4 favorite in the mile race for 3-year-olds colts and won by three lengths under Kerrin McEvoy after having been six lengths clear approaching the final furlong. Bred in Kentucky by Brilliant Stable, Shamardal races for the Maktoum family's Godolphin and is trained by Saaed bin Suroor. The victory was worth $235,761 from the $406,485 purse and ran the winner's career earnings to $1.9 million.Shamardal's chance for victory was made easier after Godolphin scratched Dubawi, the Boylesports Irish-bred Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner, because of fast ground. Time for St. James's was 1:37.18.Shamardal, whose only career defeat came on dirt in Dubai this year, had plenty of room to spare in the St. James's compared to his two earlier wins this year. He won the Jockey-Club by a neck and the classic mile Gainsborough Poule d' Essai des Poulains (Fr-I) by a head. There was bit of irony in the St. James's in that Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor, who raced Giant's Causeway, ran third in the race with Oratorio (by Danehill), and Magnier herself finished second with Ad Valorem (by Danzig). Giant's Causeway stands at stud near Versailles, Ky., at Ashford Stud, a satellite of Irish-based Coolmore Stud, of which Magnier's husband, John Magnier, is managing partner.
