Barney Roy proves his worth with battling St James's Palace Stakes success

After coming up short by a length in the 2000 Guineas, the son of Excelebration exacted his revenge over his Newmarket conqueror Churchill

James Doyle rides Barney Roy to win The St James's Palace Stakes (Getty)

A Classic may have escaped the clutches of Barney Roy but he clinched the next best thing with victory in the St James's Palace Stakes on a day to remember for Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed at Royal Ascot.

After coming up short by a length in the 2000 Guineas, the son of Excelebration exacted his revenge over his Newmarket conqueror Churchill in the manner of the top-class performer he has long been thought to be by trainer Richard Hannon.

Having found the undulations of the Rowley Mile not to his liking, the James Doyle-ridden colt looked more at ease on a much flatter surface, with the 5-2 shot travelling kindly in midfield during the early stages of the mile contest.

As Lancaster Bomber, stablemate of the odds-on Churchill, pressed on early down the straight, the market principals were wound up for their efforts, with the eventual winner coming under a maximum drive over a quarter of a mile from home.

While Barney Roy responded to pressure, Churchill's hopes of a fifth top-level victory in succession were soon over, with the 1-2 favourite having no more to give from a furlong or so out.

Going through the gears late on, Barney Roy swooped past Lancaster Bomber close to the line to defeat the Aidan O'Brien runner by a length in a course-record time, with Thunder Snow a further head back in third.

The winner, who formed the middle leg of a treble for Godolphin which was initiated by the victory of Ribchester in the Queen Anne and completed by Sound And Silence in the Windsor Castle, was cut to 7-2 for next month's Eclipse Stakes at Sandown by Paddy Power.

Hannon said: "He is the horse we always thought he was. We went to the Guineas to prove he is a good horse and he did that. He was slightly unlucky there and he has won very well today.


 Barney Roy swooped past Lancaster Bomber close to the line to defeat the Aidan O'Brien runner by a length 
 (Getty)

"He has a lovely long stride and he uses that. He takes time to get going and no doubt he will get further. I thought this track would suit him as the dips at Newmarket just caught him out.

"Today was his fourth run and I thought that was a pretty good performance for a horse only having his fourth run.

"This horse had very sore shins for a long time. We agreed after the 2000 Guineas that we would bring him here as a fresh horse and I think he has been paid back for that."

Looking to future plans, Hannon said: "There is the Sussex. I would love to see him go a little bit further, maybe the Eclipse or something like that. This is massive. It is a Group One and it is what we are all here for.

"We've had a lot of good milers like Toronado, Sky Lantern, Olympic Glory, Toormore - when they leave you miss them and they leave a big hole. It is nice to have that hole filled by a good horse like him.

John Velazquez rides Lady Aurelia clear to win The King's Stand Stakes (Getty)

"There won't be another Guineas. Churchill is a very good horse and I don't think he ran his race today and he will be back, but we were there to take advantage.

"I always said if he won this week I would be happy with that. We think he was a Group One winner in waiting and he has proved that."

It has not always been plain sailing for Doyle since joining the Godolphin outfit, which has undergone a deal of upheaval in the last few weeks, leading to chief executive John Ferguson resigning.

Doyle said: "It has been an up-and-down season, but when I knew I got the ride on this fellow, I was pretty excited.

"Today means everything. This is why I joined the team, to ride big winners like this. To get one on a day like today with Sheikh Mohammed here makes me feel very proud.

"It's very important and there's a great sense of pride to ride him a proper Group One winner at Royal Ascot."

O'Brien said of Churchill, who eventually finished fourth: "He ran well. His form with Lancaster Bomber changed a bit from what it usually is. He should like fast ground really. It is a very hot day and maybe the heat didn't help. He just didn't pick up for some reason.

"We don't know the reason, but we will hopefully know sometime. Lancaster Bomber ran very well. Churchill is usually able to pick up Lancaster but he just didn't today."

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Thunder Snow, felt a surface with more give in it would be beneficial.

He said: "I'm happy with him, he ran really well. I think he would be better with easy ground, but I am happy with the way he ran."

PA