Alm eraq secured a dramatic victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at York, overcoming a serious injury sustained last September and fending off strong international competition. The lightly raced colt, trained by William Haggas, rallied to win by a nose over Japanese contender Satono Reve, with Australian challenger Joliestar finishing just a short head behind in third.

Alm eraq's success was particularly notable given the circumstances surrounding his fall on the Knavesmire last year. The colt clipped heels during the race, resulting in a heavy fall that left both his regular jockey, Jim Crowley, and fellow rider Trevor Whelan seriously injured. Both jockeys remain sidelined, though Crowley is reportedly close to making a return. For this race, substitute jockey Tom Marquand took the reins and produced a decisive ride, marking his third winner of a strong week.

Trainer William Haggas expressed mixed emotions after the win, acknowledging the disappointment of the Japanese connections who have been close to victory at the event in consecutive years. “It would have been lovely to celebrate a Japanese winner, but I’m delighted to have won,” Haggas said. He praised the international contingent for their participation and emphasized the careful recovery plan for Alm eraq, noting the colt’s impressive resilience following his fall. “Alm eraq was pretty shook up after York. It is quite hard to fall in a race like that at speed, and for a young horse going at speed it was difficult, but we gave him a lot of time.”

Jockey Marquand dedicated the win to Crowley, whose serious injury has sidelined him since last year’s incident. “My first thought when I thought I had won was for Jim. This horse and he both took horror falls at the back end of last year. Jim is fighting for his career, he should be aboard this horse, it is his ride,” Marquand said. Crowley, present to greet the winner, described mixed feelings, highlighting the horse’s recovery and his own desire to return to the saddle. “We always believed he was a Group One horse. It was amazing for William to get him back because he took just as heavy a fall. To get that horse back from that is amazing. I have mixed emotions because I want to be on him.”

Elsewhere on the card, the week at Royal Ascot concluded with another notable performance from the Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore partnership. Their colt Illinois won the Queen Alexandra Stakes by a neck, earning O’Brien a record-equalling seventh victory of the meeting and securing Moore’s 99th Royal Ascot win. In contrast, champion jockey Oisin Murphy recorded his first success on the meeting’s final day, guiding Giavellotto to victory in the Hardwicke Stakes. The horse, trained by Marco Botti, had shown strong form internationally, including a recent third-place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Botti lauded Giavellotto’s tenacity after narrowly holding off the favorite, Kalpana.

The day also saw Seamie Heffernan deliver an upset in the Jersey Stakes aboard 20-1 outsider Thesecretadversary, marking a second win of the week for Heffernan and trainer Fozzy Stack. This achievement followed a suspension Heffernan received just days earlier. Meanwhile, Lambourn trainer Clive Cox praised Orthodox following the colt’s commanding three-and-a-half-length win in the Norfolk Stakes, describing him as a “really special” sprinter.