Ascot Stakes
 QuinnBet
Handicap, Ascot 17:00
£110,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
2m 3f 210y, Class 2    
Tuesday 17th June 2025

1 Ascending 20/1
2 Nurburgring 16/1
3 Comfort Zone 33/1
4 Leinster 25/1
20 ran Distances: nk, ½l, ½l
Time: 4m 24.63s (slow by 4.13s)

From the Cheltenham cauldron to Royal Ascot’s summer sizzle—Henry de Bromhead, a name synonymous with National Hunt excellence, finally etched his name onto the Royal meeting’s honours board as Ascending swept to glory, providing a first Flat success at the Royal meeting for the Irish maestro.

Sent off at 20/1 and overlooked in a field littered with class and chaos, Ascending benefited from a cool, tactically astute ride from Billy Lee, who sidestepped the melee on the inner to plot a wide, uninterrupted path. It proved the winning move.

As others found traffic and trouble—most notably the Royal runner Reaching High, who endured a brutal run up the rail—Ascending loomed up three wide and struck the front entering the final furlong. He stayed on resolutely to repel a late wave of Irish-trained closers, with Nurburgring, Comfort Zone, and Leinster forming a blanket of green behind the winner.

For De Bromhead, usually seen patrolling the paddock at Punchestown or Leopardstown, it was a rare Flat foray with a horse who had once danced on the Triumph Hurdle stage.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” he said, eyes sparkling in the late afternoon sun. “We were trying to get into the Copper Horse—didn’t get in—and someone slipped us into this instead. And here we are!”

The story of Ascending has been an evolution. “He was bought to go hurdling and ran well in some decent races, but I always had a feeling he wasn’t totally in love with it,” De Bromhead added. “So we brought him back to the Flat. David Roach in the yard said, ‘there’s a good one in there’—and he was right.”

Lee, riding his first Royal Ascot winner since 2018, produced a ride that combined calm decision-making with split-second timing. “He got a knock early,” Lee explained. “So rather than risk it up the inside, I came wide and got some light. He travelled beautifully, and once I asked, he responded.”

“I’ve been lucky to ride for Henry over the past couple of years, and he had Ascending spot-on today. Off the back of his run at Cork, I thought we had a real chance if he stayed—and he saw it out strongly.”

For owner Chris Jones, a man more accustomed to Cheltenham glory, it was a first taste of the Royal Ascot magic. “I've never been here before,” he smiled. “We brought Arthur Moore along as a lucky charm—told him he had to come—and what do you know? We end up in the winner’s enclosure.”

It was a feel-good success for a yard known for grit and jumping brilliance, not long-distance Flat handicaps. But De Bromhead’s touch translated seamlessly to the turf of Ascot.

Of the beaten brigade, Colin Keane offered no excuses for runner-up Nurburgring: “He travelled really well and I got him into a great spot. When the winner quickened, we just took a stride to find top gear. Another 100 yards and we’d have been right there.”

Tom Marquand was similarly upbeat on Comfort Zone: “He’s run a big race. For a second, I thought we were closing, but the ground might’ve just been a shade lively for him.”

The Ascot Stakes may be one of the week’s great puzzles, but for once, the answer came not from a traditional source, but from Waterford—via Dundalk and Cork—with a horse once destined for hurdles, who now looks to have found his home on the Flat.

Ascot Stakes Handicap
£110,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 3f 210y, Class 2
20 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (6)    Ascending 6 9-7 Henry De Bromhead W J Lee 20/1
2 (20) nk Nurburgring 5 9-5 Joseph O'Brien Colin Keane 16/1
3 (16) ½ Comfort Zone 6 9-5 Joseph O'Brien Tom Marquand 33/1
4 (17) ½ Leinster 4 9-4 Joseph O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle 25/1
5 (5) ½ Divine Comedy 7 9-11 Harry Eustace David Probert 28/1
6 (18) nse East India Dock 4 9-8 James Owen James Doyle 18/5
7 (13) 1 Align The Stars 4 9-10 Charlie Johnston Joe Fanning 66/1
8 (11) shd Alphonse Le Grande 6 9-5 A J Martin Jamie Spencer 15/2
9 (1) ¾ Reaching High 4 9-5 W P Mullins Ryan Moore 11/4F
10 (12) nk San Salvador 9 9-11 Joseph O'Brien Hugh Horgan 125/1
11 (14) 2½ Feigning Madness 4 9-9 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 50/1
12 (7) 1½ Mr Hampstead 4 9-2 Raphael E Freire David Egan 25/1
13 (9) 2¼ Artistic Star 5 9-12 Ralph Beckett Jack Dace 66/1
14 (19) ½ Dawn Rising 8 9-12 Joseph O'Brien Declan McDonogh 28/1
15 (4) 2¼ Manxman 5 9-7 Simon & Ed Crisford Sean D Bowen 11/1
16 (2) 3¼ Woot City 8 9-3 F Chappet Stephane Pasquier 40/1
17 (10) 29 Poniros 4 9-2 W P Mullins William Buick 3/1
18 (15) 40 Liari 5 9-7 Michael Bell Kieran Shoemark 33/1
19 (8) nk Zoffee 9 9-6 Hugo Palmer Oisin Murphy 40/1
20 (3) 1¾ Saturn 5 9-5 Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley 50/1

SureWIn

ASCOT HANDICAP WINNERS

YR/DATE WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2024 PLEDGEOFALLEGIANCE Sir Mark Prescott Bt Luke Morris Victorious Racing 4-8-13 20/1
2023 AHORSEWITHNONAME Nicky Henderson William Buick D J Burke & P Alderson 8-9-08 7/1
2022 COLTRANE Andrew Balding Callum Hutchinson Mick & Janice Mariscotti 5-9-05 14/1
2021 RESHOUN Ian Williams William Buick Dr Marwan Koukash 7-9-07 66/1
2020 COUER DE LION Alan King Thore Hammer Hansen The Barbury Boys 7-8-10 16/1
2019 THE GRAND VISIR Ian Williams Richard Kingscote CLXX 5-9-10 12/1
2018 LAGOSTOVEGAS Willie Mullins IRE Andrea Atzeni John Donohue 6-9-03 10/1
2017 THOMAS HOBSON Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Susannah Ricci 7-9-10 4/1F
2016 JENNIES JEWEL Jarlath Farley IRE Ronan Whelan Andrew McIntyre 9-9-03 6/1
2015 CLONDAW WARRIOR Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Act D Wagg Syndicate 8-9-00 5/1F
2014 DOMINATION Charles Byrnes IRE Fran Berry Carol Cleary 7-9-07 12/1
2013 WELL SHARP Jonjo O’Neill Fran Berry J P McManus 5-9-10 9/1
2012 SIMENON Willie Mullins IRE Ryan Moore Wicklow Bloodstock Limited 5-9-10 8/1
2011 VEILED Nicky Henderson Eddie Ahern Pump & Plant Services Ltd 5-9-03 11/2
2010 JUNIOR David Pipe Seb Sanders Middleham Park Racing LI 7-9-00 17/2
2009 JUDGETHEMOMENT Jane Chapple-Hyam Richard Hughes Gordon Li 4-9-05 13/2
2008 MISSOULA Suzy Smith Sam Hitchcott M Weaver & Pollards Bloodstock 5-9-00 20/1
2007 FULL HOUSE Paul Webber Jimmy Fortune Chamberlain Addiscott Partnership 8-9-01 20/1
2006 BADDAM Mick Channon Ian Mongan Noel Martin 4-9-02 33/1
*2005 LEG SPINNER Tony Martin IRE Fran Berry Bill Moffett 4-8-12 9/1
2004 DOUBLE OBSESSION Mark Johnston John Egan Ron Huggins, R B Huckerby, Atlantic Racing 4-9-02 25/1
2003 SINDAPOUR Martin Pipe Martin Dwyer Mary Burke 5-8-03 12/1
2002 RIYADH Martin Pipe Kieren Fallon Salah Helaissi 4-9-05 7/1F
2001 COVER UP Sir Michael Stoute Kieren Fallon Lord Weinstock 4-9-10 12/1
2000 BARBA PAPA Tony Martin IRE Johnny Murtagh Glen Devlin 6-9-07 10/1
1999 HIGH AND MIGHTY John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 4-9-06 10/1
1998 SAN SEBASTIAN Michael Grassick IRE Eddie Ahern Ricardo Sanz 4-9-05 16/1
1997 SEA FREEDOM Toby Balding Steve Drowne Bridget Swire 6-8-03 20/1
1996 SOUTHERN POWER Reg Akehurst Olivier Peslier Lucayan Stud 5-9-07 25/1
1995 HARLESTONE BROOK John Dunlop Michael Kinane John Dunlop 5-9-08 6/1
1994 SWEET GLOW Martin Pipe Cash Asmussen Marilyn Fairbrother 7-9-01 14/1
1993 BALASANI Martin Pipe Mark Perrett M D Smith 7-9-01 8/1
1992 GONDOLIER Henry Cecil Pat Eddery Lord Howard de Walden 4-9-09 7/1F
1991 CABOCHON David Morley Willie Carson Sir Piers Bengough 4-8-06 15/2
1990 RETOUCH Paul Cole Michael Roberts Simon Wingfield Digby 4-8-02 12/1
1989 ARIZELOS Guy Harwood Steve Cauthen Athos Christodoulou 4-10-00 4/1F
1988 ZERO WATT Guy Harwood Greville Starkey Sheikh Mohammed 4-9-03 7/2F
1987 INLANDER Reg Akehurst Nicky Adams Jeff Daniels 6-7-07 5/1
1986 RIKKI TAVI Barry Hills Willie Carson Alan Boon 6-7-10 7/2F
1985 MEADOWBROOK Ian Balding Pat Eddery Mrs John A McDougald 4-8-06 9/1
1984 KAYUDEE Jimmy FitzGerald Tony Murray Kenton Utilities & Developments 4-8-09 11/2
1983 RIGHT REGENT Martin Pipe Steve Cauthen S Hindle 5-8-08 6/1
1982 POPSIS JOY Mick Haynes Willie Carson Victor Morley Lawson 7-8-11 5/1
1981ATLANTIC TRAVELLER Bill Watts George Duffield C Campbell Golding 4-7-12 7/1
1980 HEIGHLIN David Elsworth Richard Fox Woodside Engineers 4-7-12 8/1
1979 MON’S BEAU Giles Beeson Walter Swinburn M Vine 4-7-07 14/1
1978 MOUNTAIN CROSS Bill Watts John Lowe Mrs A Leggatt 6-9-11 11/4F
1977 MATINALE Barry Hills Ernie Johnson Mrs Olga Thurston 4-7-08 7/1