The opening race of Royal Ascot's second day was marred by tragedy as two-year-old filly Harry's Girl suffered a fatal injury during the Queen Mary Stakes. The horse, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Sean Levey, broke down just seconds into the five-furlong contest.
A statement from Ascot Racecourse confirmed: 'Unfortunately, Harry's Girl suffered a fatal injury during The Queen Mary Stakes. Our thoughts go out to all connections at this time.' ITV Racing presenter Ed Chamberlain announced the news during live coverage, saying her passing 'cast a shadow' over True Love's victory.
Harry's Girl had shown promise, winning on debut at Newmarket in April before a second-place finish at York. Trainer Hannon had spoken positively of her chances before the race, describing her as a 'very precocious filly' who looked 'magnificent in her coat'. The incident follows the death of another Hannon-trained horse, Norman's Cay, during the Derby meeting at Epsom last month.
The race itself was won by Aidan O'Brien's True Love, ridden by Ryan Moore, who beat 100-1 shot Flowerhead by a length. The victory was O'Brien's first in the Queen Mary Stakes.
