Royal Ascot 2026: Map Of Stars and Kizlyar close the show on day one

Map Of Stars and Kizlyar closed the show on the opening day of the 2026 Royal Ascot meeting.

G1 performer Map Of Stars relished the drop back in grade as he landed the Listed Wolferton Stakes under Australia-based rider James McDonald.

Aided by first-time cheekpieces, the five-year-old produced a strong burst out wide to win.

He ran down Wimbledon Hawkeye (12/1) to score by half a length.

Dividend (33/1) was almost two lengths further back in third.

Star performer

Runner-up in the G1 Prix Ganay last season for Francis-Henri Graffard, Map Of Stars subsequently finished fourth behind Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

He becomes the first French-trained winner of the Wolferton Stakes.

Graffard said: “It was fantastic. The horse travelled really relaxed and, when he’s like that, he has an amazing turn of foot.

“This horse has let us down a few times, but when he’s on one of his good days, he is a great horse.

“I am happy for James as well.

“It’s really nice to team up with a legendary jockey like him and he rode him perfectly.

“It’s lovely to have a winner, and frustrating not to have two today.

“He is a lovely horse. We have had frustrating days with him, but when he’s like that, he’s really good.

“The jockey rode a perfect race, exactly how I wanted.

“It worked out well, so I’m very pleased for the connections.”

McDonald on song

McDonald said: “Map Of Stars is obviously a very good horse and was well suited by that sort of race.

“It worked out really well. He was very sleepy early and then came alive when I wanted him to.

“It’s a very special win.

“He gave me an exceptional feeling and just kept building.

“On his last four or five starts he hasn’t done that and has been a bit tricky, but James [Doyle] said to put the cheekpieces on and he was much better.

“It is an honour to ride under James.

“Wathnan buy a lot of good horses and you can see why the rides are so difficult for James to choose from because they are so evenly matched.

“There was nothing between them – it’s a toss of a coin most of the time.

“It’s nice because we’re good mates and he’s an exceptional rider.”

Richard Brown of winning owner Wathnan Racing said: “That was very exciting to watch. He gave him a great ride.

“I feel sorry for James [Doyle, retained jockey for Wathnan Racing], but he couldn’t leave Haatem because he’s been a legend for us the last twice.

“This is massive – our first winner of the meeting.

“We can breathe now!”

Kizylar outguns Defiantly to land the Ascot Stakes

Kizlyar (25/1) led home a one-two for Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes following a sustained battle with stablemate Defiantly over the final two furlongs.

Having saddled the second, third and fourth in the staying contest 12 months ago, O’Brien fielded a seven-strong team.

With one of the biggest-priced runners in his squad coming out on top.

Kizlyar led narrowly a furlong out and kept finding to give his rider Joey Sheridan a first Royal Ascot success.

Defiantly (25/1) went down by a head, with Tim Toe (8/1) third for last year’s winning trainer Henry de Bromhead.

Barnso (40/1) fared best of the British runners in fourth.

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Foreign adventures

Joseph O’Brien said: “Kizlyar is off the back of a good win last time.

“We didn’t get into the Fred Winter, unfortunately.

“This was obviously the next target for him, and I’m delighted to win such a good race with him.

“I am so delighted for Margaret and her family.

“They lost Dr Andrew Heffernan, Margaret’s husband, a few months ago, and I feel like Kizlyar had a little extra push in the final 100 yards.

“It looked like Defiantly maybe had outbattled him at one stage, but he battled back hard in the final furlong.

“He might be one to go abroad with – we’ll see what the handicapper does and go from there.”

Emotional victory

Margaret Heffernan, who set up the H O S Syndicate for her grandchildren, said: “Today is special because I lost my husband Andrew 12 weeks ago and this was his week.

“The idea of the syndicate with the grandchildren was really his; he believed in it and he believed in Joseph so much.

“I said to Joseph, ‘he would be so delighted for you as well’ – he’s been fantastic.

“It is an amazing syndicate.

“I have two groups of grandchildren, older and younger, and for the older ones especially it has been such a success.

“Some of them had never come racing before and it’s brought us all together.

“They’re at different stages of their lives, all parts of the world, and they’re all here today.”

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Faith repaid

Sheridan said: “I didn’t know if I had won.

“My right arm got caught up with James Doyle on Defiantly, and I thought Defiantly had come back at me.

“But I knew this lad would stick his head out, so when I got my right arm back out of a tangle with James, I just put it down.

“In fairness to him, he was so genuine – when I asked him to put his neck down for me at the line, he did.

“It just means everything – my first win at Royal Ascot.

“I only started riding for Joseph O’Brien last year and it’s what kept me in Ireland really.

“I can’t thank him enough for what he’s given me.

“Dylan Browne McMonagle was out for the first two months of the season and Joseph fired everything at me.

“So to pay him back with a Royal Ascot winner is brilliant.”

Daiquiri Bay reigns victorious in the Copper Horse Stakes

Daiquiri Bay (6/1) confirmed Newmarket form with fellow four-year-old Gamrai (9/2) as the duo fought out the finish to the concluding Copper Horse Stakes.

Alan King’s improving winner had finished a length in front of Gamrai on the Rowley Mile in early May.

He was able to confirm that form on 2lb worse terms with a head verdict under Rossa Ryan.

Paddy The Squire (22/1) stayed on well from off the pace to finish third.

Irish raider Aeronautic (12/1) took fourth place.

Daiquiri Bay, who finished eighth in last year’s King George V Stakes, won today off a mark of 100.

He could now be set for a switch of codes.

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Flat or National Hunt?

King said: “That was good. I’ve got my jump jockey on the phone – I think he wants to know if this horse is going hurdling!

“Rossa is a master.

“We had a bad draw [12] today and were much further back than we wanted to be, about 12th going into the first bend.

“But the horse has really improved.

“I was slightly worried the ground was as quick as we’d want it, but we got away with it.

“He’ll go jumping.

“If you think you’ve got a good Flat horse, I don’t like going jumping with them as three-year-olds.

“I give them another year on the Flat.

“I think he could be quite exciting, but that’s for another day.

“This is a special place.

“My old boss David Nicholson brought me here 30 years ago and I think I’ve only missed one, when it was at York.

“Great place. I adore it.”

King the best

Ryan said: “Brilliant. I have got more enjoyment out of this lad winning today than I have out of all the rest of them.

“There is one man [Alan King] who has been right in my corner all the time.

“We had a plan with this lad – and it was a plan well executed.

“I wanted to be a bit handier. I jumped well, but I couldn’t go the gallop and couldn’t get in.

“Luckily, I had Ascending to aim at because I thought he was guaranteed to get me into the race.

“The way they stacked up around the bend helped as well.

“The Newmarket form paid dividends again and we still aren’t on his ideal conditions.

More to come

“I think when he gets on slower ground, he’ll be even better.

“But he’s a horse who’s coming of age and I’m just delighted for the man who trains him.

“He’s been very good to me and this was one I really wanted to tick off for him. He is a pure gent.

“We mapped out a plan for this lad around March or April and, luckily, we’ve had a clear run with him.

“Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards now and we can start thinking a little bit bigger with him.

“My parents don’t come over much but, when they do, we go for lunch with Alan.

“He’s become a very good family friend on top of it all.

“If ever I could ride one for someone, it’s him.”

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