Kon Tiki stamps authority on Valiant Stakes

Kon Tiki defied a market drift but benefited from a supreme Ryan Moore ride to win the Longines Valiant Stakes at Ascot.

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s four-year-old had run a fine race in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting in fourth but was coming up against the Coronation Stakes runner-up Touleen, and conceding weight to that rival.

The Owen Burrows-trained favourite was trapped three wide coming off the bend and never looked particularly happy, while Moore had Kon Tiki just behind the leader, Pina Sonata.

Kon Tiki (7-2) kicked clear a furlong out and put the race to bed while Brian Meehan’s Esna made late gains for second a length and a quarter away. Skydance pipped Touleen for third.

Winning owner Peter Harris was absent as he was attending the wedding of his grandson so no doubt there will have been celebrations all around.

Chapple-Hyam said: “We’ve always believed in her and today was her day so I’m thrilled.

“She’s a big girl and I was nervous this morning as I thought she would run a big race. She’s trained well since Royal Ascot where she got a bump at the start and it kind of cost her any chance. When you get a bump in a big field from a wide draw like that you are out of contention.

“Ryan has given her a peach today and I think she’s better than a Group Three horse. I think she’s probably capable of winning a Group Two and if we’re honest maybe placing in a Group One if we get to one.

“I would love to have a go at the Sun Chariot with her but that’s a few months away and we’ll have to see how she is. But I like her very much.

“We have given her plenty of time and she’s pitched up today and shown her quality and hopefully she can go on for the rest of the season and produce the goods again.”

Burrows said of  Touleen: “There’s no excuse and you could maybe point towards the ground being a bit quick the way she hung as she’s had a few runs on quick ground now. Something may come to light but at the moment that’s all I can think of really.

“We’ll regroup now and give her a bit of time and go again once we get some rain.”