Carmers took a major step forward and handed Paddy Twomey his first-ever Royal Ascot victory

With Billy Lee delivering a polished ride, the son of Golden Horn lowered the Queen’s Vase (G2) record and now dreams of reaching the St Leger unbeaten

Billy Lee celebrates aboard Carmers after their impressive victory / ROYAL ASCOT

BERKESHIRE, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- The progressive Carmers (Golden Horn) showcased grit, class, and a bright future on Wednesday at Royal Ascot, landing the G2 Queen’s Vase (2800m, turf) in record time and handing Irish trainer Paddy Twomey his first victory at Britain’s most prestigious racing festival.

Undefeated in two previous starts over shorter trips, the Fiona Carmichael homebred had shown plenty of promise at Ballinrobe and Navan, and stepped up in both class and distance with a commanding front-running performance in his stakes debut. Always traveling sweetly under Billy Lee, Carmers dug deep in the final furlong to fend off Furthur(Kodiac) by 3/4 of a length, with Rahiebb (Ulysses) a neck back in third after briefly looming at the 400-meter mark. The final time of 2:59.53 shaved over a second off the race record set by Illinois (Galileo) last year.

“I’m very grateful to be training horses like him,” said Twomey. “Carmers is hugely important to Fiona, and we knew he’d stay every yard. Billy looked comfortable turning in, and once the race developed, I thought we had a great shot because stamina is his weapon.”

“This was only his third run and third win, so let’s hope there’s more to come. He’ll be entered for the St Leger (G1), though that’s still a way off. We’ve got good horses and wonderful owners. We’ve had luck at Cheltenham and Aintree, but this is our first at Royal Ascot—it means a lot.”

Lee, who also captured the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday, added: “The plan worked to perfection. I kept him comfortable but started to wind him up early—he needs time to hit full stride. He’s all stamina, and as you saw, he finished with his ears pricked. He’s quiet at home, doesn’t pass a soul, but when you ask, he gives you everything. Riding a winner here is the pinnacle. The best jockeys, horses, trainers are all here. Paddy’s been instrumental in this stage of my career, and to give him his first Royal Ascot winner is a huge honor. Hopefully it’s the first of many.”

A visibly emotional Fiona Carmichael, breeder and owner of Carmers, said: “I’m living a dream. This is all so new to me, and I was a nervous wreck today. I can’t describe the feeling—it’s unbelievable. This is also a huge boost for my broodmare—she’s the dam of Carmers and he’s her first foal. I couldn’t be happier.”

Andrew Balding, trainer of runner-up Furthur, commented: “We’re thrilled. He’s owned by a very fun partnership and wasn’t an expensive buy. He’s already done more than we hoped and there’s more to come. If he comes out of this well, the Bahrain Trophy could be a nice target. And maybe the Leger is something to think about down the line.”