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WINDSOR, England, June 15 (UPI) -- Another triumph for an American runner and a bitter disappointment for Japan marked Wednesday's second day of Royal Ascot. Lady Aurelia, a 2-year-old filly trained by America's trailblazer to Ascot, Wesley Ward, dominated the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, leading all the way and drawing off to score by 7 lengths with jockey Frankie Dettori spending the final 100 yards doing more celebrating than riding.
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Usherette won the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes for Godolphin Racing and trainer Andre Fabre predicted she will beat U.S. champ Tepin in the Breeders' Cup.
And the world's highest-rated horse, A Shin Hikari, wilted badly in the stretch run of the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, finishing last as long shot My Dream Boat nailed Breeders' Cup Turf winner Found at the wire.
Worth noting: The lead carriage to the Royal Enclosure for Wednesday's meeting was occupied by Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Argyll and William Farish, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, a leading Kentucky owner and breeder and a pillar of American racing. Farish hosted the Queen during her Lexington visits.
Lady Aurelia, however, was the sensation of the day. Undefeated in two starts in the United States, the Scat Daddy filly went to the post as a hot favorite at Ascot despite having only one previous start -- that a 7 1/2-lengths victory going 4 1/2 furlongs on a fast dirt track at Keeneland versus just five rivals.
On Wednesday she was running over soft turf against 16 rivals from some of the world's most powerful stables and never left the outcome in much doubt. Off quickly, she traveled on her own initiative until Dettori asked her a furlong out. She immediately opened a huge lead while running truly down the center of the course as the emotional rider waved his stick in triumph.
The runner-up, Al Johrah, had won both her previous starts in France.
"I was going some very good splits and when we got to the furlong and a half I asked her to go and she found another gear," Dettori said. "I was completely shocked. She was a rocket and she relaxed so well. Wesley Ward is a genius."
Ward said Lady Aurelia is too good to send back home at this point in her career. "We will probably keep her based over here," he said. "It all depends on where her next start will be but that hopefully will be the Molecomb (at the Qatar Goodwood Festival) and then onto the Prix Morny. I just need to see if the owners agree ... I'd like to space her races out. There is nothing in the United States on the grass for a filly like her at the moment."
Lady Aurelia was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and is owned by a partnership including Stonestreet Stables.
In the Prince of Wales's Stakes, jockey Yutaka Take took A Shin Hikari to the front and did his best to keep the 5-year-old son of Deep Impact in control of the race. But when the running started turning for home, A Shin Hikari was empty. Found, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Turf over Golden Horn, came to the lead a furlong out and just failed to hold off My Dream Boat, who was running well out in the middle of the course for jockey Adam Kirby.
Western Hymn, another long shot, was third, followed by The Grey Gatsby, Tryster and A Shin Hikari, who won last December's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and earned a world-top Racing Post Rating of 145 for his 10-lengths victory over Dariyan in the Prix d'Ispahan in May at Chantilly. My Dream Boat finished fifth in that event, beaten more than 14 lengths.
Trainer Clive Cox, who also won Tuesday's Group 1 King's Stand Stakes with Profitable, said he was "absolutely blown away. It has been an amazing week, the horses have been running so well. I had admiration for A Shin Hikari when we ran against him in France but I knew we hadn't quite run our race. He found a perfect rhythm today and really found for Adam when he asked him to stretch."
He said the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown is a likely next target for My Dream Boat.
Hirotsugu Hirai, who owns A Shin Hikari with his brother, Katsuhiko, said, "After the race the horse was fine. He wasn't upset, but we're upset ... We knew it wasn't going to be easy. This was his first time around a bend that sharp and it surprised him, and also the turf was very soft, like a luxurious carpet, and that didn't suit him."
The Duke of Cambridge Stakes was a pleasure for Godolphin, which has a huge presence at this year's Royal meeting, with Usherette on top and Always Smile finishing third. Usherette, a 4-year-old, Irish-bred daughter of Shamardal, was held up in mid-pack by jockey Mickael Barzalona, surged to the lead with a furlong to go and drew off to win by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths. It was her fourth straight win.
Furia Cruzada, a Group 1 winner in her native Chile, and Always Smile ran from well back in the field to finish second and third. Miss Temple City, after a spot of trouble at the start, battled gamely in the final furlong before settling for fourth -- the same placing she achieved in last year's Group 1 Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting.
John Ferguson, racing manager for Godolphin, said the outcome was even better than it appeared on the track. "Both jockeys on Usherette and Always Smile reported that their fillies hated the ground, and yet they still finished first and third," Ferguson said. "I think that is the mark of a really classy filly and Mickael said that Usherette gave him a lovely feel considering the ground."
Trainer Andre Fabre suggested the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket might be next up for Usherette, with the Breeders' Cup Mile a late-season option, raising the potential for a showdown with Tuesday's impressive Queen Anne winner and American champion Tepin. "There are some good American fillies but it would be nice to take her to the Breeders' Cup," Fabre said. "It is an option. I'm quite confident she could beat Tepin. She has an exceptional turn of foot."
In other results Wednesday, Ribchester upset the Group 3 Jersey Stakes for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs in another triumph for Godolphin, improving on his third place in the English 2,000 Guineas.
Looking ahead:
Thursday's feature is the Group 1 Gold Cup in Honour of the Queen's 90th Birthday. The race is 2 1/2 miles over turf still expected to be soft and 18 are scheduled to face the starter. Order of St George, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, is the early favorite.
Ward has another contender: Red Lodge, a Midshipman colt who runs in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds. He finished second in his debut at Keeneland, then won at Belmont Park. He will not be the favorite here but not the roughest, either.
Architecture, who was second to Minding in the Oaks at Epsom, is a narrow favorite in the Group 2 Ribblesdale for 3-year-old fillies.
