Ascot racegoer in hospital with heatstroke as hundreds treated by medics

Telegraph

18-06-2025

Hundreds of racegoers were treated at Royal Ascot's medical centre over the opening two days as the heatwave surged to 28C.
One spectator to fall ill with suspected heatstroke was sent to hospital on Tuesday, with crowds warned temperatures will hit 31C by Saturday.
By early evening at the racecourse on Wednesday, a total of 121 had reported themselves to medics on that day alone. Yet again lengthy queues had been forming at the water dispensers, in some cases longer than the bars, as crowds in top hats and tails sweltered.
An Ascot spokesman told Telegraph Sport that extra gazebos and parasols had been erected around the grounds to help provide extra shade.
'As of 5.30pm today, there had been 121 heat-related calls to the medical centre from a total number of around 200 in an overall crowd of 41,571,' a spokesman added. 'That overall number is less calls than yesterday. One person has been taken to hospital due to heat-related illness. We have once again been providing free water at hydration stations across all enclosures and free bottled water is being handed out on exit.'
Official temperatures reached a maximum of 27.9C on the course, but for many it felt much hotter in the areas where crowds have been denser. Crowds are up this year and there has been little sign of trouble, despite the stifling heat.
The first race of the meeting's second day was overshadowed, however, by the death of Harry's Girl.
Harry's Girl, trained by Richard Hannon, was pulled up with a serious leg injury by jockey Sean Levey during the Queen Mary Stakes. The filly broke down midway through the five-furlong sprint for two-year-old horses. 'Our thoughts go out to all connections at this time,' a spokesman said as festival recorded its fourth death in 10 years.
The race was won by 9-4 favourite True Love, under Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O'Brien, from 100-1 shot Flowerhead.
A mobile bowser, misting fans and 3,000 litres of iced water are keeping the horses cool.
Gosdens strike again as Ombudsman finds route through traffic
Royal Ascot may only be two days old but a pretty clear pattern is emerging; John and Thady Gosden take the day's big race and one other for good measure.
Everything the Gosdens have touched this week seems to have turned to gold – a good sign for Trawlerman's chances in today's Gold Cup – but even they could not get the King and Queen on the scoresheet after Rainbows Edge became their second beaten favourite of the week, only finishing midfield in the Kensington Palace Stakes.
Without wishing to risk the Tower, the Queen might now concur with the old racing superstition that wearing green is considered unlucky at the races.
But with Tuesday's St James's Palace already in the bank courtesy of Field Of Gold, Wednesday was the turn of the Godolphin-owned 7-1 shot Ombudsman to star for Gosden and son after running out a two-length winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Any victory, let alone a clear-cut one, looked an outside bet, however, as the four-year-old was repeatedly denied a run inside the penultimate furlong.
Ombudsman wins the Prince Of Wales's Stakes under @WilliamBuickX for Godolphin 🔵🏆 #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/nzTMALBd0j
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2025
Sometimes being held up in traffic and having to take a 'breather' while everyone else is flat to the boards is no bad thing and that is, essentially, what Ombudsman had to do as he went sideways from inside rail to outside, knocking on each door, only to be turned away as he went.
Did the field go too quick in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes? 🤔 @Ruby_Walsh gives us his opinion 💬 pic.twitter.com/OeBteVBsIN
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2025
However, the Ballydoyle pacemaker Continuous had set a pretty ferocious gallop for Los Angeles, which set it up for someone coming off the pace. When William Buick finally found daylight, Ombudsman showed his rivals a clean pair of hooves coming home two lengths ahead of Anmaat and See The Fire.
'The plan was to just relax off the pace, which was strong and set up for Los Angeles, who is a real dour, long-striding staying horse,' explained Gosden, who notched up his 70th Royal Ascot winner.
'It was just the question of when you get in the straight, would you get the luck? William wasn't in a position where he could swing around the field; it was more a case of waiting for the gap. And he was very patient, but I knew when he got a gap at the furlong pole, that this horse has an extraordinary turn of foot. So he was patient and he was rewarded.
'I think it is all down to the owner Sheikh Mohammed, because I said, 'look, he's an immature horse, give me a chance with him', and he said, 'take as long as you like'. Sheikh Mohammed is without doubt the easiest owner I've ever trained for. Now Ombudsman has fully grown and developed – a proper four-year-old – the owner is getting rewarded. When you are a trainer, it's very nice to train for people who aren't putting the pressure on.'
The leading owner at this meeting with three winners so far is Wathnan, the big-spending Qatari outfit.
Clearly being Wathnan-owned and Gosden-trained, Crimson Advocate was meant to be in the Duke of Cambridge. She won the Queen Mary two years ago for US trainer George Weaver before she was bought by Wathnan and, eventually, transferred to Newmarket. Ridden cold by James McDonald, she flew at the finish to win by a length and three quarters.
Crimson Advocate wins the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes under @mcacajamez 🏆
Another big win for Wathnan Racing 💪 #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/bGirZfrxtD
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2025
Having landed the Coventry with Gstaad on Tuesday, Aidan O'Brien took the Queen Mary with True Love, probably the biggest filly in the race, who beat the Amo-owned 100-1 shot Flowerhead a length and a quarter.
She had been beaten on both her previous starts, once by Gstaad and once by the unbeaten Lady Iman.
Another juvenile winner for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore 👏
True Love wins The Queen Mary Stakes ❤️ #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/BYoE2Lr8eI
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2025
'She's lovely,' O'Brien said. 'She looks like a four-year-old. After her first run Ryan said they won't beat her again and after her second, Wayne [Lordan] said the same and you've seen what they did. Ryan said she might be better over six but No Nay Never is a big influence for speed, so you never know.'
Paddy Twomey, who describes himself as a 'small' trainer (relative to what I am not quite sure) but has only had five horses out of the first three from 61 runners this season at home, and has a reputation for being the shrewdest trainer in Ireland.
He saddled his first Royal Ascot winner when Carmers, named after the owner-breeder Fiona Carmichael's late husband, won the Queen's Vase and set himself up for a possible crack at the St Leger. It was the horse's third start and third win and he set a course record in the process.
The well-backed Carmers wins the Queen's Vase under Billy Lee 💜💚 @ptwomeyracing | #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/QvKtxFCmFu
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2025
Eve Johnson-Houghton, an outspoken critic of some of the changes about to be implemented to the conditions of the Windsor Castle, including making it a six-furlong contest, prevented a Ballydoyle whitewash of the juvenile races when Havana Hurricane and Charlie Bishop won the Windsor Castle. She won the same race in 2021 with Chipotle.