Royal Ascot: Almeraq steals the show in Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes after Giavellotto wins the Hardwicke Stakes

Almeraq got the better of a blanket finish in winning the battle of the international speedsters for Tom Marquand and William Haggas in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The four-year-old was completing a miraculous return in this Group One having fallen at York last summer and leaving regular rider Jim Crowley battling to save his career in the saddle.

Coming with a late rattle in the final furlong, the Shadwell runner beat a quality field assembled from around the globe - with runners from Japan, Australia, France and Ireland - to emerge with the win.

With a furlong to go Chris Waller's 15/8 market leader Joliestar and Japanese favourite Satono Reve were locked in a battle to the line only for Almeraq (25/1) to scorch through on the far side and land the Group One prize.

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Ridden on this occasion by Ryan Moore, Satono Reve was finishing second in the race for the second consecutive year.

Marquand said: "I'm not just saying this for effect, genuinely my first thought when I thought I'd won was for Jim.

"This horse and him both took horror falls at the back end of last year, Jim's fighting for his career, he should be aboard this horse, it's his [ride].

"For Jim, this is as hard as it gets, missing Group Ones. It's great to have him here and hopefully he can find a bit of pleasure seeing this lad get up off the ground and win a big one."

Haggas, recording his fourth winner of the week, said: "It was a great race, I was so busy watching both of them (his runners) because Lake Forest was coming from the back and I thought Almeraq was gone as he was off the bridle halfway.

"He obviously stayed on very well. I'm very sorry for the Japanese horse, it'd have been lovely to have had a Japanese winner.

"It's terrific that they come across the world to race here and support our biggest meeting, I'm delighted to beat them but long may it continue.

"He had a fall at York last year where poor Jim got injured along with another jockey (Trevor Whelan), he took a long time to come back and it's been gently, gently this spring.

"He won nicely at Salisbury, but this was a complete jump in class and he's coped with it nicely. I would think the July Cup would be the natural step, for sure.

"May I say how thrilled I am for Shadwell, I've been involved with them for some time. It's very difficult here, it's hard for everyone who is trying to compete."

Reflecting further on the fall for Almeraq, Haggas said: "He was pretty shook up, it's quite hard to have a fall like that at speed. For a young horse going at speed, it's difficult.

"We gave him a lot of time, there was no need to get him ready for the autumn, but we gave him a lot of time and this has proved it [was the right thing to do].

"It's onwards and upwards. He's taken his form to a new level and we're absolutely delighted."

Crowley walked back in with the winner and said afterwards: "That was amazing. It was one of those things, we've always believed he was a Group One horse.

"It is an amazing training performance to get him back, he took as heavy a fall as I did. I think I broke his fall in fact!

"He's a big, heavy horse. They're mixed emotions, because of course I want to be on him, I've never experienced anything like that in my life, but I'm just so pleased for him.

"It is tricky to look on, but what would I be doing other than sitting at home watching it on TV? I've enjoyed it though it has been tough, it makes me want to get back even more.

"My fitness is good, I'm riding work, but I'm not quite there yet to be coming here and riding at Group One level.

"It's a case of how long is a piece of string, when I feel fit and ready I'll come back."

Giavellotto the Hardwicke hero for Botti

Globetrotting star Giavellotto added a Royal Ascot victory to his glittering CV when edging out old rival Kalpana in a thrilling finish to the Hardwicke Stakes.

Marco Botti's Hong Kong Vase hero, who was last seen finishing third to Calandagan in Dubai, accounted for Andrew Balding's Ascot specialist in Kempton's September Stakes last year and the duo went toe to toe on a much grander stage this time.

Kalpana always had a handy position and travelled menacingly into the straight for Colin Keane and a dramatic climax would ensue, with French raider Goliath also entering the picture before jockey Christophe Soumillon appeared to lose his irons inside the final furlong when laying down a challenge.

Only a short head separated 9/1 chance Giavellotto and the 9/4 favourite Kalpana as they crossed the line, with the narrow verdict giving jockey Oisin Murphy a first winner of the week.

Botti said: "Every owner wants to have a runner here and it's worked out so well, I'm delighted.

"Oisin is a brilliant jockey, what can you say? He had a plan in mind, he said 'I'm going to follow Kalpana, she will take me to the furlong marker'. He's ridden the race he had in mind, he's a fantastic jockey.

"He's so brave, beforehand he gets warm and he winds himself up a little bit, but in the race he always gives his best. He's never let us down, he's just a brilliant horse.

"The key to him is the ground, he likes top of the ground. We campaigned him as a three-year-old, he ran well in the St Leger and then we thought they weren't going quick enough.

"As he got older, he got stronger with more speed so his optimum trip is a mile and a half. He does need a strong pace and today just played into his hands.

"I think we'll freshen him up, the priority would be to go back to Hong Kong."

It has been a long week for Murphy in his bid to add to his 20 Royal Ascot winners, but the champion jockey was thrilled to open his account for the meeting.

Murphy said: "I couldn't believe he was so big in the betting, I thought he would be a shorter price.

"He's brilliant fresh, he's a Group One winner in Hong Kong already and it's great that he's won the Hardwicke.

"It's my first winner of the week and when I spoke to His Majesty The King before the first race, he said 'you haven't been on the scoresheet this week but keep going' so I'm glad it finally happened."

Meanwhile offering no excuses in defeat was Balding having watched his star mare go down valiantly in a titanic battle.

Balding said: "I'm very proud of her. The winner is a very good horse and we're probably slightly better on soft ground while he's very good on this ground, but I'm very proud of the way she ran, and delighted for Marco and his team, because it was a hell of a horse race."

Goliath filled third place for France and Francis-Henri Graffard, and, explaining what happened in the closing stages when losing his irons, Soumillon said: "I was trying to come beside Oisin easily because my horse likes to feel he is comfortable and when I tried to put my feet backwards to squeeze him with my heels, my stirrup just got blocked with my girth.

"My feet were backwards and I lost my iron on the right side. It's nobody's fault, I couldn't imagine it was going to happen at that point of the race, I wasn't moving on him.

"I thought it would be hard to win the race because I couldn't get a head in front of Oisin but I was fighting with them. It was going to be a close call but when you lose it like this, especially as I was not expecting it, I nearly lost my balance and I was lucky to stay on him."

Orthodox victory for Cox in Norfolk

Orthodox produced a stunning performance under Rossa Ryan to land a second Norfolk Stakes for trainer Clive Cox at Royal Ascot.

Produced at the furlong marker after the Wesley Ward trio of Ez Tina, Fanshell Beach and Through The Years set a furious pace for four furlongs, Ryan brought the winner through at the furlong marker.

After taking it up, the well-backed Orthodox (9/2) burst clear of the field to settle it in a matter of strides, winning by three-and-a-half lengths.

El Floridita, trained by Nigel Tinkler, stayed on to grab second place at 150/1, with the Richard and Peter Fahey-trained Mussab (66/1) in third.

Lambourn handler Cox - who won the Norfolk with Reckless Abandon in 2012 - said: "He won at Salisbury and that was exciting, but we were only scratching the surface and since then he's just surprised me the way he's gone with older horses.

"I would say this horse is pretty special. His aunt, Heartache, won the Queen Mary for us and that was a special day, but this fellow's the next level.

"He'll go to six furlongs, I don't think that's a problem. Reckless Abandon went from here to the Robert Papin which was five and a half in the old days, but that is six now.

"The five-furlong options tend to dry up a little bit; I think he'll get six quite cosily. He's just so talented and so fast.

"I think six will be within his compass very easily, he's just a really, really nice horse."

A thrilled Tinkler said of El Floridita: "He was sold at the Goffs Sale on Monday and he cost them £100,000, but I think it was money well spent now.

"I sold a third of him that day and I don't know now if I should be really pleased or not, but it's nice to have these American fellas putting their money where their mouth is, so best of luck to them.

"I thought he'd finish in the first six or seven and I'd have taken sixth. Obviously the winner won very easily, but ours was given a great ride by Rowan (Scott) so happy days.

"He's a five-furlong speedster and he'll go for all those good races now, and definitely the Molecomb. He'll stay with me hopefully."

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Royal Ascot: Almeraq steals the show in Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes after Giavellotto wins the Hardwicke Stakes