MICK KINANE was the toast of Royal Ascot at York yesterday by landing a 195-1 treble aboard Azamour, Peeress and Beautyandthebeast

The Irish-based jockey hit the buffers when losing one of the top jobs in racing by parting company with Aidan O'Brien around 18 months ago but his subsequent association with John Oxx has proved an almost instant success.

Oxx trains principally for the Aga Khan, owner of Azamour, who responded to Kinane's vigorous urgings in unflinching fashion to land the feature event on day two of the Knavesmire fixture, the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

It was a second Group 1 victory at the meeting for the Aga Khan, successful on Tuesday with Valixir in the Queen Anne. But unlike Valixir, a totally effortless winner, Azamour had to battle like a dervish to pass Kieren Fallon's mount Ace.

"It's really nice to be associated with such good horses, although not all of them handle ground like that when it's slippery on top," said Kinane, who 40 minutes earlier had initiated his three-timer by producing Peeress with a withering late challenge to catch Sundrop inside the final furlong.

The Cheveley Park Stud filly was turning round a two-length defeat by Sundrop last time out at Epsom, cosily flooring Godolphin's 15-8 market leader in the Windsor Forest Stakes.

"Epsom didn't suit her ideally but Peeress was a course winner here at the May meeting, which was an important factor," said the successful trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, now just one short of his 50th Royal Ascot winner.

The third leg of Kinane's three-timer also handed Oxx a famous double, as the jockey mustered up every available ounce of energy to literally lift Beautyandthebeast past Brian Meehan's Borthwick Girl right on the line.

Jeremy Noseda's faith in Proclamation was fully justified when the grey colt sprinted past his rivals with imperious ease to take the Group 2 Jersey Stakes.

"Proclamation's a proper horse and we've always thought so. We'll now think about stepping him up to Group 1 company," said a delighted Noseda after his horse had come from last to first to win the 22-runner, seven-furlong opener.

The three-year-old appeared to have his work cut out from a seemingly impossible wide draw, however Derby winning jockey Johnny Murtagh didn't panic, bringing his mount with a long, sweeping run up the centre of the track to overtake the entire field in the final two furlongs.

Philip Robinson's decision to take the lead the second New Seeker left the stalls proved absolutely spot on as the game gelding made just about every yard of the running to take the Royal Hunt Cup.

New Seeker, winner of Britannia Handicap in 2003, briefly appeared as if he was coming to the end of his tether near the finish, however he pulled out a little bit extra to deny the plunge horse in the race, Luca Cumani's Ballast.

Although a couple of northern challengers, Bow Bridge and Clare Hills, were quietly fancied in the Queen Mary Stakes, the pair had to settle for third and fourth places respectively behind the runaway scorer, Mick Channon'sFlashy Wings.

It was no surprise to see 4-1 shot Flashy Wings supplementing Championship Point's success in yesterday's Chesham.

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