Trainer Karl Burke turned around a frustrating week as the highly regarded Venetian Sun burst home to land the June 20 Albany Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot under Clifford Lee.
The 2-year-old Starman filly had been "kicking group horses out of the way" on Burke's gallops in recent weeks and brought that class to the track to stay on bravely, having taken the lead around a furlong and a half out.
Burke, who called her the best 2-year-old filly he has trained, was enjoying his first success of the week after some disappointments with runners in the first three days of Royal Ascot.
Venetian Sun was stylish when winning a Carlisle novice last month and always looked in control of Friday's opener after starting quickly from stall 1. She held off 66-1 outsider Awaken, who finished best of those from off the pace, to get within 1 1/2 lengths as the runner-up.
Balantina was third at 40-1 odds for Donnacha O'Brien, who won this race with the classy Porta Fortuna in 2023. Steve Weston and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who also partnered in Porta Fortuna, own Balantina.
The American-trained Bibi Dahl, previously second in the May 10 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Gulfstream Park, ran eighth in the Albany for owner AMO Racing USA.
Reflecting on the winner, Lee said, "When she ran first time at Carlisle she did it very nicely, and before the season started we knew we had a really good filly on our hands. She was babyish on debut but she'd come on ... I'm delighted to get one for the team.
"It's not easy to get winners at Royal Ascot, you come here thinking you've got a good chance but so do 20 others. It's a bit of a lottery unless you're riding top quality horses, but we've got a great one here."
Venetian Sun carried the silks of Brighton and Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom, who owns her along with Ian McAleavy.
"I think she's a very special filly," Burke said. "The work she's done at home, I haven't had a 2-year-old filly do anything like. In the last few weeks, she's kicking older group horses out the way. I worked her with a good workhorse and she did the same to him, I'm talking (high-quality) horses. I think she's very special."
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Amiloc Takes King Edward VII Stakes
Allowing the unbeaten Amiloc to take his chance despite fears about the quickening ground paid off handsomely as he completed a five-timer and gave Yorkshire owner/breeder Vimy Aykroyd a belated big summer showpiece success in Friday's King Edward VII Stakes (G2).
Rossa Ryan, aboard Amiloc, chased pace-making Galveston, who would ultimately fade to third, before sending Amiloc to the front entering the final quarter mile. He had enough left to hold off strong-finishing Zahrann by three-quarters of a length at the line and enter calculations for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) over this course and distance next month.
"He traveled great," Ryan said of the Postponed colt. "He's done very well because he hated that ground out there; it was just too lively for him. He's tough and he's hardy. Mrs. Aykroyd has been a longstanding supporter in racing and a great supporter of mine, I'm just delighted that I could get the job done. It's a plan well executed."
Trainer Ralph Beckett believes his charge won despite the dry, quick conditions. "I wouldn't be afraid to take anybody on with him on slower ground," he said.
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