{"id":201222,"date":"2025-06-21T00:36:18","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T00:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/201222\/"},"modified":"2025-06-21T00:36:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T00:36:18","slug":"cercenes-shock-royal-ascot-victory-ends-long-wait-for-joseph-murphy-royal-ascot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/201222\/","title":{"rendered":"Cercene\u2019s shock Royal Ascot victory ends long wait for Joseph Murphy | Royal Ascot"},"content":{"rendered":"

A lifetime of hope and endeavour enjoyed a glorious reward here on Friday as Joseph Murphy, who is two years short of a half-century with a trainer\u2019s licence, finally added a Group One winner to his record as Cercene, at 33-1, edged out the 6-4 favourite, Zarigana, in the Coronation Stakes, the feature event on day four at Royal Ascot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 50 years of work by the family,\u201d Murphy said afterwards. \u201cGoing from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to the Flat and always believing, buying horses and believing that they\u2019re going to be good. It\u2019s a lifetime\u2019s ambition to have a Group One winner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cercene had to dig deep for the win, as Zarigana headed her at the furlong pole but then failed to put the race to bed. Cercene, though, did her trainer proud, pulling out more all the way to the line to get home by half a length. Francis-Henri Graffard, Zarigana\u2019s trainer, suggested afterwards that he might \u201cneed to buy a pair of blinkers\u201d, but the will to win that Cercene showed when it mattered is a vital part of a true Group One winner\u2019s makeup.<\/p>\n

Cercene went off at a big price, but she had finished a four-length third behind Lake Victoria \u2013 a warm ante-post favourite for this race until injury intervened \u2013 in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in late May. She settled well in fourth for Gary Carroll, her jockey, as Falakeyah, the second-favourite, cut out the running, and as Falakeyah faded in the straight, Carroll was perfectly positioned both to strike for home and then take advantage as Zarigana\u2019s momentum faltered.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecent horses are very hard to come by and I\u2019ve been lucky enough to find one with a huge heart,\u201d Carroll said. \u201cIf I was ever to ride a Group One winner, I\u2019m delighted it was for Joe Murphy. He\u2019s been supporting me since I was a 7lb claimer, a long, long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe French horse [Zarigana] came and she actually got headed, but she\u2019s very tough, she stuck her head out and really went to the line for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was very much a day for smaller family operations as earlier in the afternoon, Harry Eustace\u2019s Time For Sandals, another outsider at 25-1, had taken the Group One Commonwealth Cup, and since Eustace also won the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, the yard now has two more Group Ones at this year\u2019s meeting than Aidan O\u2019Brien\u2019s Ballydoyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most concerning part was her draw [in stall one],\u201d Eustace said. \u201cWhen Karl Burke\u2019s filly [Venetian Sun in the opening Albany Stakes] came out of one, everyone just stuck there [and] we had plenty of pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the first time she\u2019s had a fast horse to follow. We were \u2026 I don\u2019t want to say very confident, but we just felt we hadn\u2019t seen the best from her for one reason or another. We were always confident in a race like this, where there would be fast horses taking her along, that\u2019s really what she needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

James Eustace, Harry\u2019s father, trained at the family\u2019s Park Lodge Stables for 30 years before passing on the licence in 2020, and his other son, David, has enjoyed a successful training career in Australia and Hong Kong, highlighted by a Melbourne Cup success with Gold Trip in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we did anything, we instilled a work ethic in them,\u201d Eustace said, \u201chopefully by example rather than by a long tom, but we were so lucky from day one that they loved the whole thing.<\/p>\n

Venetian Sun ridden by Clifford Lee wins the Albany Stakes. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried to make Harry go to university, he went to Edinburgh for two years, enjoyed himself immensely and then dropped out and went to Australia to work in racing, and hasn\u2019t looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venetian Sun will be aimed towards next year\u2019s 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket after her decisive win in the opening Albany Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s a very special filly,\u201d Karl Burke, Venetian Sun\u2019s trainer, said. \u201cThe work she\u2019s done at home, I haven\u2019t had a two-year-old filly work like that. Just the last couple of months, six weeks, she\u2019s kicking all the Group horses out of the way at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venetian Sun was backed from 12-1 to 7-1 before her win \u2013 \u201cgiven the confidence Karl gave us, we had to have a decent bet,\u201d Tony Bloom, Venetian Sun\u2019s co-owner, said afterwards \u2013 and is a 25-1 shot for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May 2026.<\/p>\n

The fourth day concluded with Aidan O\u2019Brien and the John & Thady Gosden stables tied on five winners each ahead of tomorrow\u2019s seven-race card. The race for the jockeys\u2019 award is also just about in play, as Oisin Murphy\u2019s win on Adrestia in the last was his fourth of the meeting, two behind Ryan Moore\u2019s tally of six.<\/p>\n

Satono Reve can deliver overdue win for Japan<\/p>\n

A dozen runners from Japan have tried and failed to become the country\u2019s first winner at Royal Ascot<\/a> since the turn of the century, but the 13th could finally make the breakthrough on the final day of this year\u2019s Royal meeting, when Satono Reve will go to post with a leading chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.<\/p>\n

Noriyuki Hori\u2019s six-year-old is a Grade One winner in Japan and also finished within a length of Ka Ying Rising, the world\u2019s top-rated sprinter, in a Group One at Sha Tin in December.<\/p>\n

He was two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Ka Ying Rising at the same track in April before heading to the UK, and has been given plenty of time to acclimatise after arriving in Newmarket on 2 May.<\/p>\n

Satono Reve at Newmarket earlier this month. Photograph: Steven Cargill\/racingfotos.com\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Satono Reve (3.40)<\/strong> is up against a deep and international field, with fancied runners from France and Ireland as well as a strong local defence led by last year\u2019s Commonwealth Cup winner, Inisherin.<\/p>\n

At his best, though, he is the equal of any of Saturday\u2019s runners and it is also a positive sign that Jo\u00e3o \u201cMagic Man\u201d Moreira, who was in the saddle for his big run in December, has flown in to take the ride.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 2.30:<\/strong> Aidan O\u2019Brien is going for a sixth win in nine years with Moments Of Joy but she may struggle against the \u20ac2m Frankel colt Treanmor<\/strong>, who was sent off at 1-3 for his debut in May and powered four lengths clear with minimal encouragement.<\/p>\n

Quick GuideGreg Wood’s Saturday tipsShow<\/p>\n

Redcar <\/b>1.10 Try Storm Cat 1.43 Jungle Monarch 2.14\u00a0Paco\u2019s Pride 2.49 Tiva 3.21 Azure Angel 4.05\u00a0Lima Sierra 4.45 Park Street\u00a0<\/p>\n

Newmarket <\/b>2.03 Crowd Quake 2.38 Commander\u2019s Intent 3.10 Elarak 3.45 Circe 4.25 Red Flyer 5.05\u00a0Diamont Katie\u00a0<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot <\/b>2.30 Treanmor 3.05 Rebel\u2019s Romance 3.40 Satono Reve (nb) 4.20 Remmooz 5.00\u00a0Purosangue (nap) 5.35 Ernst Blofeld 6.10 Sober\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bangor-on-Dee <\/b>3.55 Barranco 4.35\u00a0Obsessedwithyou 5.15 Leading Force 5.50\u00a0Solent Gateway 6.25 Bellbird 7.00 Chillhi 7.30\u00a0Lord Cauvelliere\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ayr <\/b>4.10 Mo Of Cairo 4.50 Lion\u2019s House 5.25 Oneforthegutter 5.55 Enchanting 6.33 Superior Council 7.08 Pinjarra 7.38 Coeur Jaune 8.08 Woohoo<\/p>\n

Lingfield <\/b>5.45 Laser Focus 6.20 Skimming Along 6.53\u00a0Lovethiswayagain 7.23 Latynina 7.55 Blue Collar Lad 8.25 Banksman 8.55 Beelzebub\u00a0<\/p>\n

Haydock <\/b>6.00 Burj Jabeel 6.40 Sugar Hill Babe 7.15\u00a0Gold Dawn 7.45 Duke\u2019s Command 8.15 Arkhalia Flynn 8.45 Pomme Pomme\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank you for your feedback.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 3.05:<\/strong> Rebel\u2019s Romance <\/strong>had enough class to win last month\u2019s Yorkshire Cup without being ideally suited by the step up in trip, and the return to 12 furlongs here will play to his many strengths.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 4.20: <\/strong>The progressive Remmooz<\/strong> has shown enough in two wins this season to suggest he can improve past more exposed opponents.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 5.00:<\/strong> Oisin Murphy\u2019s mount Purosangue<\/strong> was less than two lengths behind likely favourite More Thunder at Newmarket last time without being given a hard time, is 8lb better off today and has been drawn well in 22.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 5.35:<\/strong> Ernst Blofeld<\/strong> does not have much to find to take a hand in the finish on the basis of his handicap debut at Newbury and cheekpieces could eke out the necessary improvement.<\/p>\n

Royal Ascot 6.10:<\/strong> Willie Mullins\u2019s Sober<\/strong> was a dual Group Two winner for Andr\u00e9 Fabre in 2023 and has several pounds in hand of his rivals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A lifetime of hope and endeavour enjoyed a glorious reward here on Friday as Joseph Murphy, who is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":201223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-201222","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114718559787651150","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}