Globetrotting horse Highland Reel wins at Royal Ascot

After recent triumphs in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita and the Coronation Cup at Epsom, Highland Reel claimed another Group 1 victory for leading trainer Aidan O'Brien

Ryan Moore rides Highland Reel to win The Prince of Wales's Stakes (Getty)

Globetrotting horse Highland Reel won the richest race of the Royal Ascot meeting to take his career earnings to around £6m, while American trainer Wesley A. Ward collected a second victory of the week with Con Te Partiro.

After recent triumphs in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita and the Coronation Cup at Epsom, Highland Reel claimed another Group 1 victory for leading trainer Aidan O'Brien by holding on to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes by a length.

"I'd say that was probably a career best," jockey Ryan Moore said of Highland Reel, a bay horse whose six Group 1 wins have come across three continents.

The winner's check of £425,325m moved Highland Reel's earnings to £5.97m. It was a first win of the 2017 meeting for O'Brien, and the trainer's 56th at Royal Ascot.

"He has passed every test that you would want a thoroughbred to go through," O'Brien said. "His first Group race was as a 2-year-old and we have toured the world with him since then. Every time, he turns up in big races over a mile, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs."

Con Te Partiro weaved her way through from the back of the field under jockey Jamie Spencer to win the 1-mile Sandringham Handicap by a length, at odds of 20-1.

It was a ninth career winner at Royal Ascot for Ward since 2009 and a second in two days, after filly Lady Aurelia won the King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday.

"I've got to give it to Jamie," Ward said, "I don't want to tell you all the horrible names I was calling him in the first part of the race. But he sure did have the magic at the end."

Earlier, there were wins for French horses Le Brivido and Qemah in the Jersey Stakes and the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, respectively, in hot conditions at Ascot.

AP