Fayr Jag brings Tim Royal Ascot success (From Gazette & Herald)

Fayr Jag brings Tim Royal Ascot success

Same day. Same venue. Same position in the unsaddling enclosure. But this time a race won outright, and for a much more prestigious prize.

That was Fayr Jag on Saturday at Royal Ascot, when Tim Easterby's sprinter, who dead-heated for first in last year's Wokingham Handicap, promoted himself to the premier division by capturing the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes in the hands of regular rider Willie Supple.

Fayr Jag snatched the £145,000 first prize in thrilling style for his owner, Jonathan Gill, from Scarborough. He won by a head from John Hammond's Crystal Castle, whose stablemate Ratio had, ironically, dead-heated with Fayr Jag in last year's Wokingham. Just a further head back in third was Cape Of Good Hope.

Easterby, who had attended the Royal meeting earlier in the week before returning home, elected not to make a second visit and watched Fayr Jag's memorable triumph on television from Redcar, where he was supervising runners in less auspicious events.

"Brilliant!," he said. "To win a Group One race with him is just unbelievable, but I felt when I sent him down that I'd never had him better. Although he tends to gallop on his own at home, he's been working really well recently, having not been quite right after his first run this season."

Easterby had also pencilled in the Golden Jubilee as a target for Somnus, superior to Fayr Jag last season, but the lack of rain caused him to miss the race.

"He would have gone to Ascot, if the ground had been at least good, but it was very firm down there, which wouldn't have been any good to him," explained the Great Habton trainer.

Fayr Jag is now the winner of nine races and more than £300,000 in prize money - some return for a horse, bought by Easterby as a yearling for just 8,000gns!

Next target for the the five-year-old is likely to be the July Cup at Newmarket next month.

Updated: 11:38 Wednesday, June 23, 2004