Windsor Castle Stakes
Listed, Ascot 17:35 £60,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1
Tuesday 16th June 2015

1 Washington DC 5/1
2 Areen 14/1
3 Steady Pace 4/1F
27 ran Distances: hd, ¾l, 1½l
TIME 1m 0.04s (slow by 0.74s)

Washington DC
© Caroline Norris

Washington DC provided jockey Ryan Moore with the third leg of a 54.2/1 treble when winning the Windsor Castle Stakes, the final race of the first day of Royal Ascot 2015.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained son of Zoffany, who was sent off at 5/1, prevailed by a head from Areen, trained by Kevin Ryan.

O'Brien, celebrating a double on the day following Gleneagles' victory in the St James's Palace Stakes, said: "We've always held him in high esteem. He travelled very well and quickened very well, so I'm delighted.

"He's mature enough - he's a typical Zoffany, very quick and fast. He's a horse who finds it easy to go very fast and has a good mind. I'd think his trip would be five or six furlongs - maybe he'll get further but it's unusual for a horse with that kind of pace to get an awful lot further. I'd imagine he'd go to the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes [at Leopardstown] or something like that.

"Ryan gave him a lovely ride and said he was travelling strong the whole way. He is all speed.

"He won a maiden in Tipperary very easily, having travelled like a dream, and to do what he did that day he had to be very quick.

"We were delighted with him at The Curragh, even though he was only second, and today you saw what he is like on fast ground."

Moore said: "Washington DC is a very fast colt and probably could have gone with the American horse [pacesetter Ruby Notion] if I'd let him.

"He had a little look at the crowd when he hit the front and I'd say there is plenty more to come from him."

Trainer Kevin Ryan was delighted with the run of Areen, who stayed on strongly under Jamie Spencer to finish second by a head. The son of Kodiac had lost his chance at Sandown last time after being shoved at the start, and Ryan was pleased the horse could show his true credentials today.

He said: "He had a bad draw at Sandown and the horse inside him jumped and went left-handed, shoving him into the middle of the track. That is why Jamie Spencer rides for us. He knew his chance had gone and looked after the horse in that race and that is the reason why he has run so well today. Jamie has given him a superb ride.

"We were pretty confident he was going to run a big race today. I was glad I ran him at Sandown as that gave him experience. It really benefited the horse, and just looking at him now he is going to grow and mature."

As for the future, Ryan underlined that the step up to six furlongs would not hold any issues for the two-year-old. He remarked: "We will give him three or four weeks off now. Six furlongs won't be a problem for him. I'll sit down with Jamie after Royal Ascot and decide where to go with him.

"That looked on paper a harder race than the Norfolk Stakes, where I also could have run him. We had to run him in one of the two races and we chose this one. There is no easy option in these big races and so we are absolutely delighted with the horse."

James Doyle was also happy with the run of Steady Pace. The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained colt stayed on well under Doyle to finish third. He said: "We are really pleased with him, it was a smashing run. Something was amiss at Sandown last time and that was his true running here today. We're delighted."

Windsor Castle Stakes(Listed)
£60,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1
27 ran
Going: Good to Firm