King Of Cloughan Stuns Royal Ascot with Windsor Castle Victory

Two-race maiden King Of Cloughan, trained by Joseph O'Brien, defied 33-1 odds to win the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, overcoming a troubled run to secure a memorable victory. The son of St Mark's Basilica, who had been beaten in his two previous starts, dropped back in trip to six furlongs and benefited from a well-timed ride by jockey Billy Loughnane.

Settled in midfield under cover, King Of Cloughan was momentarily blocked when making his challenge approaching the final furlong. Once switched to the outside, he powered home to beat the 66-1 chance Moonrise by half a length, with 125-1 outsider Harlequin Sky a further half-length back in third. The trifecta paid £104,688 to a £1 stake.

Trainer Joseph O'Brien, who had three runners in the race, expressed delight at the result. "We thought bringing King Of Cloughan back in trip was the right move, but it was hard to fancy him because he'd been beaten in two maidens," O'Brien said. He credited the win to a strong ride from Loughnane and praised the horse's potential, adding that King Of Cloughan was likely to target a nice two-year-old sprint in the coming months, with ambitions of running in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes later in the season.

Jockey Billy Loughnane, who also won on day one of Royal Ascot, described the race as a dream passage. "I wasn't sure at all what was happening on the right-hand side, but I had a dream passage through," Loughnane said. He praised O'Brien's training, calling him a "genius" for preparing the horse so well.

The victory was a significant breakthrough for King Of Cloughan, who had previously been beaten by the highly regarded Nola Soul at Leopardstown. His owner, Michael Hilary Burke, was celebrated by the winning connections as Royal Ascot continued to deliver drama and high dividends for punters.