Ryan Moore confirmed beyond doubt that he is a talent to stand comparison with the greatest names of the past when he rode three of the six winners at Royal Ascot on Ladies’ Day to equal the modern-day record of eight victories at the meeting.
In living memory only Lester Piggott, in 1965 and 1975, and Pat Eddery, in 1989, have partnered eight winners at a single Royal meeting. Both men were riding at a time when the fixture was staged with 24 races over four days rather than the current total of 30 races over five. Moore, however, is not only on the brink of a new modern record, but may also threaten the dozen winners ridden by Fred Archer in 1878.
Moore equalled his previous best total of six winners at a single Royal meeting when Waterloo Bridge, a 12-1 chance, took the opening Norfolk Stakes and he followed up aboard Curvy, at 9-2, in the Ribblesdale Stakes and War Envoy, at 10-1, in the Britannia Handicap. The combined odds of his treble were 785.5-1.
Moore has ridden a series of big winners around the world over the past two years, including the Melbourne Cup winner in November last year and several more victories at the prestigious Breeders’ Cup in America. His success at this year’s Royal meeting, though, coincides with a new partnership with Aidan O’Brien, Ireland’s champion trainer.
“Ryan is an unbelievable rider,” O’Brien said on Thursday. “Everyone knows he is probably the greatest rider we have seen for a long, long time.”
Moore’s outstanding form has started to move the markets on his remaining rides at the Royal meeting. He is due to ride the favourite in both the feature events at Royal Ascot on Friday: Hootenanny in the Commonwealth Cup and Found in the Coronation Stakes.
