Palace Pier justifies the hype again in Royal Ascot opener
about 4 years in The Irish Times
Palace Pier justified odds-on favouritism in the Queen Anne Stakes to get Royal Ascot 2021 off to a perfect start for Frankie Dettori.
Winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes at the meeting 12 months ago in front of empty grandstands, John and Thady Gosden’s brilliant miler followed up in front of a crowd of 12,000 this time.
Racing slightly on the flank in the early stages, Dettori managed to get some cover behind Prince Eiji by halfway.
Entering the final two furlongs, those who took the prohibitive 2-7 price about Palace Pier might have been a little concerned as Dettori got lower in the saddle to ask for his effort.
But while the winning move was not immediate, Palace Pier got into top gear with a furlong to run — and the race was over as he took two lengths out of the others.
He just had to be kept up to his work as Lope Y Fernandez emerged from the pack to claim second, a length and a half away, with Ascot specialist Sir Busker back in third.
Palace Pier’s only defeat remains on Champions Day last year at Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II — when he lost a shoe in heavy ground.
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