By Tom Frary
Living without the limelight for some time, Fitri Hay's Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) picked Derby day to relight his fire when dominating Epsom's G3 Betfred Diomed S. from the front. Allowed to stride on from the outset of the extended-mile contest by Jamie Spencer, the Paul and Oliver Cole-trained 17-2 shot who had been out of the frame three times since finishing third in the G1 2,000 Guineas last May kept rolling to record an emphatic 2 1/4-length success from Royal Dubai (Fr) (Seahenge).
For Oliver Cole, the return of the real Royal Scotsman who had won the G2 Richmond S. and finished runner-up in the G1 Dewhurst S. at two was greeted with a mixture of relief and joy.
“Last year he had bone bruising and on his last run in the Lockinge he cocked his jaw when he came out and we've done a lot of stalls work,” he explained. “He's done it very well and the plan was always to go forward today so he can relax in front.”
“We won three group races from the front last year and it just settles them down, especially these Gleneagles, who are quite highly-strung,” he added. “If you get in a tussle early on, it costs you at the end and he proved that at the end of his two-year-old career and as a three-year-old. He's done it very well and we couldn't be happier.”
Spencer added, “He's always been a good horse, but he's quite a difficult ride as he's quite strong and aggressive. We decided to let him go today, let him use his stride and it's worked. He's got an entry in the July Cup and I think he'd go well in a sprint race on soft ground–on proper soft where you need to stay.”
Pedigree Notes
Royal Scotsman, whose dual listed-placed dam Enrol (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is also responsible for the Hong Kong Group 3 winner Encountered (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), hails from the family of Danzig's G2 Lockinge S.-winning sire Emperor Jones and The Minstrel's G1 Futurity-winning sire Bakharoff. Her yearling colt is a full-brother to Encountered.
Woooooooooooah. 😮
Jamie Spencer doing Jamie Spencer moves on Royal Scotsman who eases to Group 3 @Betfred Diomed Stakes victory in ferocious style! pic.twitter.com/kHtwZihsKm
— Epsom Downs Racecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) June 1, 2024
Saturday, Epsom, Britain
BETFRED DIOMED S.-G3, £100,000, Epsom, 6-1, 3yo/up, 8f 113yT, 1:45.31, g/s.
1–ROYAL SCOTSMAN (IRE), 134, c, 4, by Gleneagles (Ire)
1st Dam: Enrol (GB) (MSP-Eng), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Constitute, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Appointed One, by Danzig
(125,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Paul & Oliver Cole; J-Jamie Spencer. £56,710. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, 11-3-1-2, $406,827. *1/2 to Encountered (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), GSW-HK, $1,667,905. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Royal Dubai (Fr), 134, c, 4, Seahenge–Sand Rose (Fr), by Aussie Rules. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (36,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRG). O-Saeed Sultan Al Rahoomi; B-Societa Agricola Gem SRL & Societa Agricola La Pluma (FR); T-Marco Botti. £21,500.
3–Highland Avenue (Ire), 137, g, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Lumiere (GB), by Shamardal. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £10,760.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1, 2 1/4. Odds: 8.50, 6.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Sean (Ger), Embesto (GB), Epictetus (Ire), Regal Reality (GB), Silver Sword (GB).
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