Five-day Royal Ascot meeting gets under way

Goldikova flew the flag for France and the overseas challengers at Royal Ascot yesterday by winning the Group One Queen Anne Stakes, the first race of the five-day meeting.

But it was a different story for highly-fancied Australian raider Nicconi, who may be retired after finishing fourth in the King's Stand Stakes.

Trainer Freddie Head stated before the mile contest that dual American Breeders' Cup heroine Goldikova was in the form of her life and the five-year-old confirmed that view by securing her ninth Group One contest.

"This is one of the greatest moments of my life," said a jubilant Head, who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe four times as a jockey.

"Winning at Royal Ascot is such a fantastic thing and especially with a mare like that," added the Frenchman, whose father Alec was a successful trainer, as is his sister Criquette.

Goldikova was settled in third by French jockey Olivier Peslier, behind Aidan O'Brien's Rip Van Winkle and Godolphin's Campanologist.

Just before the two-furlong pole, Peslier set sail for home on his mount and quickly put several lengths between her and the toiling pace-setters.

But this contest had three-way billing, and the third star of the show, Paco Boy, last year's winner, contributed to a grandstand finish.

Jockey Richard Hughes sent his mount in pursuit of Goldikova and began to reel n the 11-8 favourite as the pair headed towards the winning post.

They crossed the line close enough together for the commentator to call a photo finish, while Dream Eater, trained by Andrew Balding, finished three-and-a-quarter lengths back in third. Geoffrey Riddle, AFP