Limestone Confirmed He Is the Real Deal and Gave Joseph O'Brien Another Great Celebration
- Turf Diario
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The son of New Bay captured the Queen's Vase (G2), defeating Del Maro by a whisker, on Day 2 of Royal Ascot
BERKSHIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).– If there were any remaining doubts about his status as a rising stayer, Limestone made sure to dispel them this Wednesday at Royal Ascot. The son of New Bay extended his winning streak to four consecutive victories by capturing the Queen's Vase (G2), one of the traditional tests for stamina-oriented colts on the British racing calendar.
In a thrilling finish, the Joseph O'Brien representative showed all his grit to deny Del Maro (Camelot) by just a nose, defeating the Godolphin challenger trained by Charlie Appleby after 2800 grueling meters that tested the field to the absolute limit.
Ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, Limestone traveled within ideal striking distance throughout, tracking the pace set by the surprise leader Ranga Tang (Lope de Vega). As the race entered its decisive stage, he appeared slightly outpaced when the leaders quickened, but once the contest turned into a true test of stamina, he began to showcase his full potential.
Del Maro launched a powerful bid down the center of the track and put the winner under intense pressure, but Limestone responded with immense courage to hold a minimal advantage at the wire. A length further back, Ranga Tang completed the trifecta.
The victory confirmed the excellent form of Joseph O'Brien, who had already celebrated earlier in the week and now adds another important success to his Royal Meeting tally.
"He is a very tough and genuine horse. I thought we had got beat, honestly. Dylan gave him a fantastic ride and execution was exactly what we were looking for, because we believed our best asset was a certain baseline speed," the trainer explained.
O'Brien went even further when discussing the winner's future: "I think the sky is the limit for him as a middle-distance horse or stayer. He has improved with every race and possesses an exceptional pedigree. All we can do now is find out just how far he can go."
Those words do not seem like an exaggeration. Limestone arrived at Ascot after winning the Yeats Stakes (L) at Navan, having previously scored victories at Cork and Listowel, demonstrating a steady progression that now places him among the leading names to follow in his crop.
His jockey shared that view. "He is a very tough horse and keeps improving race after race. He always wins doing just enough, and that is exactly what you want to see in these types of individuals who are going to fulfill their full potential over marathon distances," Browne McMonagle noted.
There was also satisfaction in the defeated camp. Charlie Appleby was pleased with the performance of Del Maro, who confirmed his profile as a stayer and now emerges as a potential candidate for the St Leger (G1), the final leg of the English Triple Crown.
"His pedigree already indicated that he would stay all day, and today he confirmed it. We might have to start training him strictly as a stayer from now on," the Godolphin trainer commented.
Another runner who turned in an interesting performance was Point Of Law (Frankel), carrying the colors of King Charles III and trained by John Gosden. Finishing fourth after suffering several setbacks in the opening yards, he closed with plenty of running at the end.
"He didn't have a good trip from the first turn, where he took bumps from both sides and was left last. However, he showed great attitude and finished very well. He is an interesting horse for the future," Gosden summarized.
Meanwhile, the horizon looks increasingly promising for Limestone. With 4 consecutive victories and a progression that seems to have no ceiling, the Queen's Vase may have been just another stepping stone in a campaign that is beginning to hint at much more ambitious targets.
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