Moore Shines Aboard Trinity College, Reaches 90 Wins at Ascot

Ridden in the colors of Paul Smith and trained by Aidan O’Brien, the colt asserted himself decisively in the G3 Hampton Court Stakes and now has big ambitions

Trinity College Caps a Brilliant Day for Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien / ROYAL ASCOT

BERKESHIRE, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- After a more than respectable fourth-place finish in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, Trinity College dropped back a notch and made no mistake taking the G3 Hampton Court Stakes (1¼m, turf), notching his first group-level success and securing Ryan Moore’s 90th victory at Royal Ascot.

The Dubawi colt, out of dual G1 winner Hermosa, carrying the colors of Coolmore and trained by Aidan O’Brien, set the pace from the break and kept up the pressure in the straight, crossing the wire 3 ½ lengths clear of Tornado Alert(Too Darn Hot). Tornado Alert showed good response to the shorter trip after his Derby run. Third, a length further back, was Glittering Legend (Too Darn Hot), who ran well on the all-weather after a difficult start.

“Ryan gave him a great ride,” O’Brien said. “He let him find his rhythm, and when asked, the horse responded very well. We planned to go forward—something Ryan often does. He let him do his thing and got every move right. We always knew Trinity College had class, but now he’s really coming into himself, more mature and stronger.”

Looking ahead, the Irish conditioner added, “He has plenty of options—he could aim for the Eclipse Stakes or even travel to the U.S. for a race like the Belmont Derby. We’ll see how he progresses.”

Moore, celebrating his first win in Paul Smith’s silks, said, “This is his style—running freely up front. He ran well in the French Derby and today he showed great response. When we held him back at Epsom, he wasn’t comfortable. He’s a very talented horse and I think he’s still improving.”

Owner Paul Smith expressed enthusiasm: “He’s very special. He ran a great race in the Jockey Club and confirmed that today. Ryan found a perfect position, let him move in the bend, and finished very strongly. He’s a progressive colt who handles all surfaces, and the distance suits him perfectly. A lot of doors are opening now.”

Among the rivals, Tornado Alert showed improvement off his Derby run, while Glittering Legend, despite a rough break, produced a solid effort ahead of what appears to be his move to Hong Kong.