Palace Pier gets Frankie Dettori off to a flyer with Queen Anne success

Palace Pier passes the winning line in front in the Queen Anne Stakes

Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Palace Pier proved too good for his rivals in the Queen Anne Stakes with an assertive, if not ultra-impressive, victory as the 2-7 favourite.

Frankie Dettori was able to salute the crowd coming across the line having covered his opponents inside the final furlong, but the rider had been niggling away with three furlongs to go and was asking for a serious effort just inside the final two furlongs.

John Gosden, who trains the winner with his son Thady, said: “He just takes that moment to go and when he hits the front he just pulls up, ‘I’ve done enough’.

“He’s a gorgeous horse. He’s not a flashy worker but he does it on the track. He’s the same as his father [Kingman], he can go on any ground, he’s got plenty of scope and he’s a pleasure to be around.”

The expectation was for Palace Pier to blow his opponents away as he had done on his two previous outings this year, but the quicker underfoot conditions at Ascot and the steady pace combined to blunt the four-year-old’s brilliance.

Members can watch the Queen Anne Stakes replay here

He still loomed up on the bridle entering the final half a mile but Dettori was niggling the red-hot favourite, making him look more vulnerable than expected.

Nevertheless, Palace Pier responded to Dettori and moved through to lead inside the final quarter of a mile and that was where he remained. Job done, if nothing else.

“It’s the first time he’s run on this type of ground and he’s not let himself down as good as he could,” Dettori said. “He’s still won a Group 1 and he’s shown again that he’s the best around.

The first flying dismount of the week for Frankie Dettori after victory on Palace Pier

Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

“I think on easier ground he’s got a little more to give. It’s a pressure ride and you want everything to go right and it did.”

Lope Y Fernandez finished a length and a half back in second with Sir Busker another length behind in third.

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FIRST PUBLISHED 2:39PM, JUN 15 2021