Tremendous performance by Decorated Knight at Royal Ascot

22 June 2017

Decorated Knight (green) turns in a great run

Homebred Decorated Knight confirmed his position among the world’s elite mile and a quarter performers at Royal Ascot on Wednesday with a tremendous run behind Highland Reel in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

Sent off the fourth favourite for the week’s richest race following his recent victories in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and Group 1 Jebel Hatta, Decorated Knight threw down a mighty challenge to Highland Reel and kept on doggedly under regular partner Andrea Atzeni to fight off Ulysses to take second with Group 1 winners Queens Best, Jack Hobbs, Mekhtaal and Johannes Vermeer all in arrears.

“I’m very happy – he has proved himself a top-class horse and among the best mile and a quarter horses around,” said Imad Al Sagar. “He’s consistent and keeps improving every race.

“Roger [Charlton] has done a great job on him, and I think this is the horse’s best run to date.”

Roger Charlton was thrilled with his performance, saying: “He was a 10/1 shot and fourth favourite in the betting, but every time he runs he improves. Every time he finds a bit more.

“Ulysses looked as though he had gone past him, but he battled back. I’m really pleased, and it’s no disgrace to be beaten by Highland Reel.

“I think he is suited by being trained mainly by himself and in the nice, calm environment of Beckhampton, which is quite different from Newmarket, where he was trained before [in 2014 and 2015]. He travels well, and we know, that like a lot of Galileos, he can get quite sweaty, but it doesn’t affect his performance.

“I need to talk to the owners, but the Arlington Million is a possibility again [he missed the race after picking up an injury before last year’s race], as is the Coral-Eclipse – after a performance like today that is a race that could come on the agenda.”

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