Deadly Dettori strikes Royal Ascot racing gold

Riding legend Frankie Dettori produced a superb ride on English 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold to win the feature race on the first day of his favourite meeting Royal Ascot the St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old Italian -- riding his 53rd Royal Ascot winner -- outsmarted rivals Ryan Moore and Chris Hayes on odds on favourite The Gurkha and Awtaad, respectively the winners of the French and Irish 2000 Guineas.

It was sweet revenge for the Galileo Gold team -- it was young trainer Hugo Palmer's first Royal Ascot winner to boot -- as they had come off second best to Awtaad in the Irish Guineas.

"It went to plan which was to have the first run on the other two," said Dettori in what was the first time in 20 years that all three Guineas winners clashed in the race.

"He has redeemed himself."

Palmer, for whom Galileo Gold was also his first English classic winner in May, said they had been determined to restore the lustre to the horse's reputation.

"This was a tough challenge but he is the English 2000 Guineas winner," said 36-year-old Palmer, who started training in 2010.

"We had to hold that up (that accolade) and we did. He's proved himself to be the best three-year-old miler in Europe."

Earlier American superstar Tepin produced a stunning effort to add the Group One Queen Anne Stakes to her Breeder's Cup Mile triumph last year and become the first horse from outside Europe to secure the prestigious mile prize.

The five-year-old mare -- winning her sixth race on the trot -- hit the front under Frenchman Julien Leparoux over a furlong out and held off a determined effort by favourite Belardo to win in the slowest time in the race since 1988.

Leparoux, recording his first win in Europe on his first ride on the continent, punched the air repeatedly in delight.

"She's a champion," gushed 32-year-old Leparoux, who moved to the States from France aged 19.

"She had to work hard and the last 100 metres seemed a hell of a long way, but I'm glad she made it!

"She is awesome."

Owner Robert Masterson praised trainer Mark Casse to the heavens and said his star had proved a point.

"People say American horses have to have drugs in them," he said referring to the anti-bleeding drug Lasix which is allowed in the United States but not in European racing.

"Well she had no drugs in her. She is fantastic, we just represent her and do the talking!"

The King's Stand, the big sprint of the first day, went to Profitable giving trainer Clive Cox his fifth win at the meeting -- his sixth Group One in all -- and making it a doubly special day for jockey Adam Kirby.

He couldn't hold back the tears as he rode the winner back to the winners enclosure.

"I hope my mum (Anne) is watching, my dad (Maurice) always wanted to see me ride one but he isn't here any more (he died in 2013 a year before the jockey had his first Group One success," said Kirby fighting to get the words out.

"However, a special word for my girlfriend (Megan) who gave birth to a baby boy just a few hours ago."

Breeder's Cup Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday -- whose connections added sartorial elegance by wearing Mongolian traditional dress amongst the tailcoats and top hats in the paddock -- had looked like making it a memorable day as he led only to be swallowed up by the rest of the field.

Aidan O'Brien won a record eighth Coventry Stakes -- a Group Two race for two-year-olds -- as his Caravaggio brushed the opposition aside despite veering across the track.

"I feel like I've had to win two races!" grinned jockey Ryan Moore referring to the extra effort he had to expend.