The Queen enjoyed her first Glorious Goodwood winner for two years when Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes teamed up yet again for victory, this time with the aptly-named Royal Exchange in the RSA Nursery at Goodwood on Friday.
It was the seventh victory at this year’s Glorious Goodwood for the Hannon/Hughes combination and completed an 8/1 double on the day for the pair, following Libranno’s earlier victory.
The Royal Applause juvenile, sent off the 3/1 joint favourite, relished every yard of the seven-furlong trip, picking up inside the distance to wear down runner-up Diamond Geezah and win by half a length.
The Queen’s previous Glorious Goodwood success came with Firestreak in the 2008 running of the E.B.F. Kennels Classified Stakes when Hannon and Hughes were also part of the winning combination.
Hannon said: “You are never confident but this horse travels well - I thought we were definitely going to be nailed in the last furlong but he has picked up and gone again. I think that he will probably be a better horse when he goes another furlong.
“You have to wait for the mile nurseries but I’ll have a word with Her Majesty and John Warren and see how they feel.
“We had a very good Ascot but then Quadrille got beaten. He was in front before the line and in front after the line and the camera followed him afterwards, so we all thought the we had a winner for the Queen at Ascot. But it’s always lovely to have a winner for Her Majesty.
“Sometimes Hughsie can give you a terrible time with the things that he does but he is good, isn’t he? He’s a very good jockey.
“I thought that it was a bit daunting for Libranno out there in front all of the way, especially in the middle of the track and with the crowd. I thought he was very workmanlike and did a very good job.
“We’ll think about the Prix Morny for him and we will see how we go - I’ll have a look and see what sort of entries we have got.”
Golden Stream was unable to give the Queen a quick-fire double following Royal Exchange’s victory as the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly came home three-quarters of a length second to Tropical Paradise in the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes.
The Sadler’s Wells four-year-old, sent off at 9/2, raced towards the rear of the nine-runner field and ran on strongly under Ryan Moore in the closing stages of the seven-furlong contest to overhaul third-placed Pyrrha but could not reach the winner.
John Warren, racing manager to The Queen, said: “She ran a very nice race and ran right up to form with Chris Wall’s filly (Pyrrha). She just found one better on the day.
“She didn’t handle the track very well at all and didn’t quite come down the hill. Ryan said it took her a little while to get herself organised in the straight. There will be more improvement on a flatter track.
“We will not step her back up to a mile. It may have looked like she was staying on but that was more to do with the fact that she got herself organised in the closing stages after not handling the course.
“We have tried her so many times at a mile and she just doesn’t stay, so we will keep her to seven furlongs and find a flatter track.”
£20,000, RSA Nursery Handicap (1400m) For 2yo: 1st: £12,952; 2nd: £3,854; 3rd: £1,926; 4th: £962
1) ROYAL EXCHANGE (The Queen) Richard Hannon 2-9-05 Richard Hughes [6] 3/1 Jt Fav
2) DIAMOND GEEZAH (IRE) (Rebel Racing) Barry Hills 2-9-00 Michael Hills [3] 5/1
3) SINGAPORE LILLY (IRE) (Mrs T Burns) Mick Channon 2-8-4 Hiroki Goto [8] 16/1
4) SIR LUNCHALOTT (Richard Lilley & A J Speyer) Stan Moore 2-8-05 Martin Dwyer [5]
5) FALKLAND FLYER (IRE) (Box 41) Mick Channon 2-8-09 Alan Munro [4]
6) ALFRAAMSEY (Lord Ilsley Racing (Harrow Syndicate)) Mick Channon 2-8-03 David Probert [10]
7) BATHWICK BEAR (IRE) (Bathwick Gold Partnership) David Evans 2-9-06 Jimmy Fortune [12]
8) SILKEN THOUGHTS (The Renewal Partnership) John Berry 2-8-00 Andrea Atzeni [2]
9) MEMEN (IRE) (Jared Sullivan) Paul Cole 2-9-07 Tom Queally [9] 3/1 Jt Fav
10) SILENCE IS BLISS (IRE) (Stan Moore) Stan Moore 2-9-00 Ryan Moore [7]
11) MAJOR CONQUEST (IRE) (T J W Ellis) John Hills 2-9-01 Richard Hills [1]
12) PHILHARMONIC HALL (R Cowie) Richard Fahey 2-7-12 Paul Hanagan [11]
12 Ran
Time: 1m 27.20s Distances: ½, 2¼, 2, 1, 1, nk, 1¾, ¾, 2½, ¾, ½
Breeder: The Queen Breeding: b c Royal Applause - Diamond Lodge (Grand Lodge (USA))