Queen Mary Stakes

Group 2, Ascot 14:30 £175,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1

Tweet Wednesday 17th June 2026

1 Victorious 10/3F
2 Senorita Bonita 8/1
3 Ruiva 11/1
27 ran NR: Your Song
Distances: 2l, nse, ½l Time: 59.19s (fast by 0.31s)

She’s well named! Victorious wins the Queen Mary Stakes! #RoyalAscot winner number 99 for Aidan O’Brien! pic.twitter.com/tfpnYdMFra

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 17, 2026

Victorious overcame the challenge of racing with sight in only one eye to maintain her unbeaten record with an impressive victory in the Group Two.

The daughter of Wootton Bassett, sent off the 10-3 favourite, was settled at the rear of the smaller group racing on the far side by Ryan Moore, who was content to allow the race to develop in front of him before making his move.

Switched to the outside entering the final two furlongs, Victorious unleashed a sustained burst of acceleration to reel in Senorita Bonita and pull two lengths clear at the finish. American challenger Ruiva, who raced with the stands-side group, finished best of the remainder to take third, a nose behind the runner-up.

The success extended Victorious’ unbeaten record to three starts for Aidan O’Brien, having previously won twice over six furlongs at Naas.

O’Brien said: “Victorious is a very classy filly. She only has sight in one eye, so we were a little concerned about where she was drawn, but Ryan gave her a brilliant ride.

“He let her find her rhythm, gave her horses to follow and then brought her out into the clear when the time was right.

“We also have Sun Goddess for the Albany Stakes and wanted to split them up. Most people felt this filly would cope with five furlongs, but we actually think six furlongs and perhaps even further will suit her even better.

“I’m delighted for everyone involved. It’s a huge team effort and the people who look after her every day deserve enormous credit.

“She lost the sight in her eye through a cataract or something similar as a foal or yearling, but she has tremendous natural quality and quality is difficult to beat.”

Moore said: “She’s a gorgeous filly and we think the world of her. She has plenty of ability despite being blind in her left eye.

“She’s incredibly straightforward, very natural and possesses a lot of pace and class. She’s an absolute professional.”

Simon Crisford said of runner-up Senorita Bonita: “We couldn’t be happier with her performance. She has taken a big step forward from her debut at Nottingham and has the temperament to keep improving.

“She’s not just a two-year-old and there’s plenty to look forward to. We’ll probably stick to five furlongs for now, with races like the Molecomb Stakes under consideration.

“We’ve simply bumped into a better filly on the day, but we’d happily take her on again over the same trip.”

Wesley Ward said of Ruiva: “She’s a beautiful filly who tries very hard and has a huge amount of talent.

“The winner is a very good horse and deserves full credit. She had already had two runs whereas ours was only having her second start, so we expect further improvement.

“We’re excited about her future and delighted to have such a high-quality filly competing in races like this.”

Queen Mary Stakes
£175,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 5f, Class 3
27 ran
Going: Good to Firm

running order

QUEEN MARY STAKES WINNERS