Motakhayyel lands Buckingham Palace Stakes
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Tuesday 16 June 2020 13:56, UK
Motakhayyel finished with a flourish to claim top honours in the Buckingham Palace Handicap as Royal Ascot 2020 got under way behind closed doors.
The Richard Hannon-trained colt won his only juvenile start in 2018 and hit the mark twice from four starts at three, but disappointed on his most recent appearance at this venue last July.
A large field of 23 runners swiftly split into three groups, with 14-1 shot Motakhayyel always positioned in the group that raced closest to the empty stands in the hands of Jim Crowley.
Entering the final furlong, Motakhayyel disputed the lead with fellow Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned runner Mutamaasik, but the former came home best to score a shade comfortably.
Jack's Point, a largely unconsidered 66-1 shot, chased home the winner to beat Mutamaasik to the runner-up spot, with Cliffs Of Capri finishing fourth.
Crowley said: "It's just as sweet [even behind closed doors]. We had four in the race and I thought I had made the right decision. He's done it well. It was a great training performance.
"It's just as exciting. Obviously we don't have the crowd there, but it's competitive racing and it's never easy to win at Royal Ascot."
Sky Sports Racing is the only place to watch every race from Royal Ascot with the first race each day exclusively live.
