Australian jockey Zac Lloyd secured his first Royal Ascot victory on Thursday, guiding George Boughey’s Moonfall to win the Britannia Stakes. Moonfall maintained a late surge to fend off Outback Heat by three-quarters of a length in a finish dominated by runners on the stands’ side. Jamestown, a favored contender, finished third, followed by Lion Of Alba in fourth. Lloyd, a multiple Group One winner in Australia, is currently riding in the UK on a working holiday and had previously claimed victories at Doncaster and York earlier in the season. Reflecting on the achievement, Lloyd described winning at Royal Ascot as a special moment and recalled the encouragement he received to remain patient during the event.

In the Ribblesdale Stakes, Earth Shot delivered a strong late challenge to capture the Group Two contest for owners Wathnan Racing. The filly’s transfer to her current ownership was confirmed just six days before the race, with William Haggas retaining training responsibilities. Despite being positioned wide on the home turn and facing a loose leader in Lady Roisia—who was unguided after her jockey Hector Crouch was unseated at the start—Earth Shot showed determination under jockey James Doyle. She overtook Johanna Walsh to win, while Oaks runner-up Legacy Link disappointed with a 13th-place finish. Haggas praised Earth Shot’s staying power and noted the unusual presence of a loose horse disrupted the race dynamics, an occurrence less familiar on the flat than in jump racing. He also suggested the filly could be aimed at the Irish Oaks in the future. This victory followed Haggas’ recent milestone of securing his 3,000th career winner with Lorca’s Waltz.

In the opening race of the day, the Listed Chesham Stakes was marked by drama when the favorite, Aix La Chapelle, reared violently in the starting stall, forcing jockey Ryan Moore to be withdrawn before the race began. Stall handlers acted swiftly to safely remove the colt from the gates. As a result, bookmakers applied a Rule 4 deduction, affecting betting stakes. Nola Soul, ridden by Seamie Heffernan and trained by Fozzy Stack, capitalized on the disrupted field to claim victory at 11-2 odds. Making a promising racecourse debut, On Just Terms finished second at 28-1, while Aperoll completed the top three. Stack expressed confidence in Nola Soul, describing the colt as a tall, strong galloper capable of sustained speed over distance.