Warm Heart wins Ribblesdale for Moore and O’Brien with 5-6 favourite Al Asifah only sixth

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore’s brilliant Royal Ascot continued when Warm Heart stormed to an impressive success in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

A Listed winner at Newbury last month, the daughter of the late Galileo hit the front in the final furlong and quickened clear from her rivals. Odds-on favourite Al Asifah faded out of contention and finished sixth.

It was a third victory of the week for O’Brien following a high-profile double on Tuesday, and a fourth of the week for Moore – one of the meeting’s top jockeys.

O’Brien told ITV Racing: “Ryan gave her a lovely ride. She ran a very good race at Newbury last day, but we weren’t too sure if the trip would be too far for her. She was there a little bit early and Ryan waited as long as he could, but we’re over the moon with her.

“Ryan is absolutely brilliant and an incredible fella. Every year he gets better because he puts in so much day in, day out. He makes himself better.”

Lumiere Rock was two and a half lengths back in second, with Bluestocking a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.

Warm Heart’s victory gave O’Brien and Moore their fourth victories in the Ribblesdale and their first since teaming up to win it with Magic Wand in 2018.

Moore said: “She’s a straightforward filly and we were in a good spot, it all worked out. All the winners here are very hard to get and you need the little things to work for you.

“Sometimes the ball bounces for you and sometimes it doesn’t but in that race it did. She was definitely a better filly today than she was at Newbury.”

Warm Heart holds various top-level entries this summer, including in next week’s Pretty Polly Stakes and the Falmouth Stakes and the Irish Oaks next month.

This race report is being updated and more news will follow shortly.

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