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Declaration of War wins Queen Anne as Animal Kingdom disappoints The Royal meeting at Ascot kicked off Tuesday with a rousing success from Declaration of War, who garnered his first Group 1 win by taking the Queen Anne Stakes for trainer Aidan O'Brien and his jockey son Joseph. Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and 5-4 Queen Anne favorite following his convincing two-length score in the Dubai World Cup, never fired in the one-mile straightaway, weakening to 11th of 13 runners in his likely career finale. Declaration of War's victory was a stunning triumph for part-owner Joseph Allen, who bred the three-year-old son of War Front and now owns 40 percent of him in a Coolmore partnership involving Messrs Magnier, Tabor and Smith. "I'm in bliss! It's my first win at Ascot, it's a wonderful day, my wife's here and I could not be happier," Allen said. "And I have great partners. "I bred the sire of this horse, War Front, and I still have this colt's dam, Tempo West, who has a filly foal full-sister to this horse at foot. She is now back in front to War Front. "This is a very difficult game to really sustain yourself. As I was once told, to stay ahead you need great partners, and these guys (Magnier, Tabor and Smith) have been in the game a long time and add so much to it. I think this horse now has a great future at stud, but where he stands I will leave to John Magnier, who knows so much more than I do." Winner of the Group 3 Diamond at Dundalk in his juvenile finale, Declaration of War opened 2013 with an easy tally in the April 14 Heritage at Leopardstown, but the bay colt was only fifth in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 18. "We always thought the world of this horse," Aidan O'Brien explained. "He had a very easy run the first time at Leopardstown and we thought he was ready for a Group 1, but obviously he wasn't. I hadn't trained him hard enough for it. He is a big powerhouse capable of taking training and I didn't get that right. Joseph found out in the Lockinge he had a lot of speed, and we rode him that way today." "I was going very well and I went into the gap -- it got a little bit tight but I was going exceptionally well," Joseph O'Brien said. "He quickened up and idled when he got there. "We thought that he was a very good horse going into Newbury, when we were a little bit disappointed, but we had a few things and Dean, who rides him out, and all of the lads in the yard have done a great job. I have a few nice rides for the week and it's nice to start off on a good foot." Asked if the winner might take in the Eclipse Stakes next over 10 furlongs, O'Brien said: "No, I would rather see him go back in trip, rather than up in trip. He traveled very strongly today." Aljamaaheer finished about a length behind the winner in second, and it was another half-length to Gregorian in third. Next under the wire came Elusive Kate, Trade Storm, Libranno, Chil the Kite, Penitent, Sovereign Debut, Trumpet Major, Animal Kingdom, Monsieur Chevalier and Gabrial. Graham Motion expressed his frustrations with Animal Kingdom's performance. "I am disappointed obviously," the conditioner stated. "Johnny (Velazquez) had to fight him a little bit early, which made me worry, and said at the half-mile pole he started to ask him to run and there wasn't much there. He said it rode a bit softer than it walked but I cannot really use that as an excuse. "I would say that is probably it for the horse (last run). I think the experience has been tremendous and if I ever had the opportunity to do it again then I would absolutely. Animal Kingdom trained great -- I was really happy with him. This is what I always cautioned. It is so different -- the fact that he was keen early and he did not really have any cover. He is used to being tucked in and when you are out in the open like that, it is a different ball-game. "He was keen and just didn't relax. When I let him down, he gave me no run at all," Velazquez added. "He just didn't have it at all today." Animal Kingdom broke from the far outside post. "I think the draw (13) made it very awkward for him to be honest," Motion said. "I didn't anticipate it would be but I think in hindsight it was. I am sorry it did not work out -- it is disappointing for everyone. There was such a good reception for him. It would have been great to see him do his stuff but he clearly didn't today. "I always had reservations about what we were dealing with -- it became a very awkward post (draw) and Johnny had difficulty getting him to settle early. I think that it is probably what hurt Animal Kingdom the most. If he had been drawn in the middle it would have been easier. "I don't want to offer too many excuses. I am sorry it has ended this way, we are deflated. A lot of effort has gone into this -- David Lanigan and his crew and our crew -- it has been a lot of work. That's racing; everyone was predicting him to win but they have to run the race." Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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