Merchant Navy by a head in Diamond Jubilee Stakes

Merchant Navy became a Group 1 winner in Europe for the first time in Saturday’s $794,640 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in England, a race marred by a controversial start by 5-2 favorite Harry Angel.

The Diamond Jubilee was the main race on the fifth and final day of the Royal Ascot meeting.

Harry Angel sustained a hind-leg injury at the start when “he had his leg caught up on the side” of the stall, according to trainer Clive Cox. Despite sustaining the injury, Harry Angel overcame a slow start to race within range of the leaders with a quarter-mile remaining before being eased in the final furlong. Harry Angel finished 11th of 12, beaten 22 3/4 lengths.

“He has a nasty puncture wound, which we are concerned enough about,” Cox said in a statement released by Ascot. “The vets are seeing him and flushing the wound that he has on a hind leg.”

Merchant Navy, a 4-1 chance ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien, closed from just off the pace to win by a short head over 12-1 City Light. The American shipper Bound for Nowhere, trained by Wesley Ward, finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length at 16-1.

Merchant Navy, who joined O’Brien’s stable in Ireland in April, won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, last November and won his debut in Ireland in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh on May 26.

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the start Saturday, interviewing starter Robbie Supple and jockey Adam Kirby.

According to a statement released by Ascot, Kirby said Harry Angel was fractious before the start and that he shouted at the starter that his mount was unsettled. Harry Angel wore a stalls rug, which is designed to prevent a horse’s flanks from coming in contact with the side of the gate at the start.

When Harry Angel became fractious, his left hind leg apparently became caught on a step in the gate, leaving him with three feet on the ground at the start. Kirby, who briefly lost an iron before the start, was unaware that Harry Angel had a leg caught on the step, or running board, because of the presence of the stalls rug, according to the statement.

Merchant Navy, a 4-year-old colt by Fastnet Rock, is owned by the Coolmore syndicate of Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier and the Merchant Navy syndicate. The Diamond Jubilee was Merchant Navy’s fourth stakes win.

The Australian-bred colt was foaled in November 2014, making him essentially a late-season 3-year-old by the Southern Hemisphere calendar.

Earlier on the program, Crystal Ocean (4-7) won his third consecutive stakes in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 1 1/2 miles. Crystal Ocean was second in the Group 1 St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster last September.

Trained by Michael Stoute, Crystal Ocean is a candidate for the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 28.

Ward had two other runners on Saturday’s six-race program – Moonlight Romance, who finished 13th of 28 in the $119,200 Windsor Castle Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs behind 12-1 winner Soldier’s Call, and Undrafted, who finished 18th of 28 in the $231,770 Wokingham Stakes at six furlongs behind 33-1 winner Bacchus.

O’Brien was the leading trainer of the five-day meeting with four winners, the same as John Gosden and Stoute, but O’Brien had more second- and third-place finishers. Moore led all riders with five wins, one more than Frankie Dettori. The Coolmore syndicate led owners with four wins.