Frankie Wins The Queen's Vase On Golden Horn's Gregory

It had to come and, despite the drama of the opening day, Frankie's winner at his last Royal Ascot was on the board towards the end of day two as Wathnan Racing's unbeaten Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}–Gretchen {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) made virtually all in the G2 Queen's Vase. Bought by his new owners from the breeder Normandie Stud after his win in the Listed Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood last month, the heavily-supported even-money favourite had to battle to see off Saint George (GB) (Roaring Lion) but was not prepared to let the moment slip away.

Despite the game effort of Qatar Racing's runner-up in the final furlong, Gregory was a match for his rider's demands and asserted late to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with Chesspiece (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) 3 3/4 lengths back in third. “I thought it was never going to come this year,” Dettori, who is debating appealing a nine-day suspension incurred in the Listed Wolferton S. on Tuesday, said. “I knew this horse was good enough, but I wasn't so sure about his experience. He is very laid-back at home and I thought if he doesn't jump he will get lost but he jumped great, I got him to the front and I knew he would stay very well.”

Queen's Vase (G2)
2.850 m – 265.000 GBP – for 3yo
Ascot

Gregory (GB)
(3C Golden Horn- Gretchen ,by Galileo)
J : Frankie Dettori
T : John & Thady Gosden
O : Wathnan Racing.
B : Normandie Stud
Saint George (Roaring Lion)
Chesspiece (Nathaniel)pic.twitter.com/H2UAniKXjO

— (@WorldRacing1) June 21, 2023

“He was like a sleeping giant in the yard and all of a sudden he's a Royal Ascot winner,” the rider added after widening the gap again to Ryan Moore on 78 Royal winners. “Potentially, he could be a nice St Leger horse for the end of the season, but John and Thady will work something out. Ascot very kindly gave me a box for my family today and most of them are here, so I'm glad I could ride a winner in front of them.”

Thady Gosden added, “He's by Golden Horn out of Gretchen, a very good family for this sort of distance and possibly further. He's also a horse who likes top of the ground as well, so it's all worked out. The ultimate target we are looking at is the St Leger and we will see where we go before that–we could possibly drop him back in trip.”
Saint George's trainer Andrew Balding said, “He has run a great race. He's still relatively inexperienced, as is the winner, but he's improving with every run, so it's exciting.”

Pedigree Notes
Gregory is a half-brother to last year's Cocked Hat winner Lionel (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), out of the aforementioned G2 Park Hill S.-winning Gretchen who also has the yearling colt Kenneth (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and a colt foal by Pinatubo (Ire) named Humphrey (GB). The second dam Dolores (GB) (Danehill) was successful in the Listed Conqueror S. and was second in the Sun Chariot when it was a group 2 and third in the G1 Coronation S. at this meeting. She was responsible for the G1 Irish St Leger dead-heater and outright G2 Yorkshire Cup and G2 Prix Foy winner Duncan (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), the G2 Doncaster Cup scorer Samuel (GB) (Sakhee) and the stakes producer Deirdre (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who finished third behind Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) in the Listed Height of Fashion S.

Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
QUEEN'S VASE-G2, £265,000, Ascot, 6-21, 3yo, 14f 34yT, 3:03.13, gd.
1–GREGORY (GB), 128, c, 3, by Golden Horn (GB)
1st Dam: Gretchen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $127,958), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Dolores (GB), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Agnus (Ire), by In The Wings (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Wathnan Racing; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £150,282. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $266,139. *1/2 to Lionel (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), SW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Saint George (GB), 128, c, 3, Roaring Lion–Lady Dragon (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-The Lady Dragon Partnership (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £56,975.
3–Chesspiece (GB), 128, c, 3, Nathaniel (Ire)–Royal Solitaire (Ire), by Shamardal. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€100,000 Ylg '21 ARQDOY). O-Godolphin; B-Ammerland Gmbh & Co KG (GB); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. £28,514.
Margins: 1HF, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.00, 10.00, 5.50.
Also Ran: Circle Of Fire (GB), Etna Rosso (Ire), St Vincents Garden (Ire), Peking Opera (Ire), Sumo Sam (GB), Think First (Ire), Batemans Bay (Fr), Hadrianus (Ire), Nurburgring (Ire), Ndaawi (GB), Steven Seagull (GB).