Almeraq delivered a dramatic victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, securing the win in an exceptionally close photo finish. The four-year-old colt, trained by William Haggas, overcame 25-1 odds to edge out the Japanese contender Satono Reve, who finished second for the second consecutive year in the six-furlong Group 1 race.

Almeraq’s triumph was particularly notable given the colt’s recent history. Last September, the son of Dark Angel suffered a severe fall at York’s Listed sprint event, clipping heels and tumbling at approximately 40 mph. The incident resulted in his jockey, Jim Crowley, sustaining multiple fractures—including to his tibia, fibula, and pelvis—along with internal bleeding.

After an extensive rehabilitation period of 258 days, Almeraq returned to competition last month, winning the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury. His Royal Ascot victory marked his first attempt at the highest level of competition.

Jim Crowley, the usual rider, was unable to take the mount for the Jubilee Stakes due to the injuries sustained in the prior fall, leading to stable jockey Tom Marquand stepping in. Marquand paid tribute to Crowley following the win, expressing that his thoughts were with the injured jockey, whom he described as “fighting for his career.”

In addition to Almeraq’s success, Royal Ascot saw a surprise result in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes. William Haggas’s favored runner, Saber Strike, who went off at odds of 11-10 and was aiming to maintain an unbeaten record in the race with three consecutive wins, finished sixth. The race was won by Thesecretadversary, a 20-1 outsider trained by County Tipperary-based Fozzy Stack. Earlier in the week, Stack also celebrated a victory in the Chesham Stakes with Nola Soul, who carried odds of 11-2.

Stack reflected on his recent successes, highlighting the personal significance due to his family’s racing heritage; his father, Tommy Stack, famously rode Red Rum to a third Grand National win in 1977. The achievements at Royal Ascot mark a notable milestone for Fozzy Stack, with two winners from his two runners in the meeting.