Mullins plots plan for King and Queen's horse after one-year wait pays off
The four-year-old, sent off the 11/4 favourite for the 2m4f contest on day one of the meeting, was denied a clear run under Ryan Moore and ended up finishing ninth as the Henry de Bromhead-trained Ascending (20/1) won under Billy Lee.
However, Mullins was celebrating in the winners enclosure on Friday as Ethical Diamond won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes in the hands of Moore.
The Closutton trainer and his wife Jackie had taken part in the royal procession before racing and his dual-purpose performer had no trouble in justifying 3-1 favouritism.
Fourth last year, he was 2lb higher having also finished fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham – but the result barely looked in doubt and he came home two lengths clear of Mutaawid and Naqeeb, with the trainer admitting the race had been the plan for the past year.
Mullins said: 'Last year he just ran too free and things didn't work out for him, but he still ran a cracker to be fourth so I thought if we get things right this year he had a real live chance and it worked out that way.
'We will give him a little break, bring him home; we will look at York next, a race like the Ebor.'
He added: 'These are just fantastic days, Jackie was just saying to me coming in here today 'just enjoy it', and then to have a winner on top that is the cherry on the cake."
Mullins stated that he is already plotting a route back to Royal Ascot next year for Reaching High, revealing: 'Tuesday was a little disappointing, but we live to fight another day and hopefully Reaching High will be back for the same race next year. Ryan had nowhere to go, he was just locked in on the inside and that was that."
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