Royal Ascot 2019: Circus Maximus roars to victory in thrilling St James’s Palace Stakes
CIRCUS MAXIMUS was as strong as a gladiator in the St James’s Palace stakes.
The three-year-old colt benefited from a hefty drop in trip as he clung on from the fast-finishing King Of Comedy in the Group 1 contest.
In a race of changing fortunes, Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old was just too gutsy under a power-packed drive from Ryan Moore.
Taking the lead at the furlong pole, Moore began to stoke his mount up but looked a sitting duck as John Gosden’s Too Darn Hot loomed large on his outside.
However, as quickly as his challenge emerged, so it disappeared and it was Gosden’s other runner, King Of Comedy, who was left to lay down the biggest challenge.
Despite flashing home down the centre of the track, jockey Adam Kirby was unable to lift the son of Kingman in time as Circus Maximus clung on by a neck.
Too Darn Hot faded for third, while Skardu ran a stormer in fourth.
Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “The owners all decided to run him here.
“It’s hard to believe but we’re privileged to be a small part of it.
“It was a big challenge for the horse and he had to deal with a lot.
“He didn’t have much time to learn so that’s why we put the blinkers on him. We’re delighted with him.”