Royal Ascot: Charles Darwin dominates in the Norfolk Stakes for Aidan O'Brien on Gold Cup Thursday

Charles Darwin enhanced his already lofty reputation with a dominant front-running victory in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A full-brother to a top-class two-year-old in Blackbeard, the imposing Aidan O'Brien-trained son of No Nay Never finished fourth on his Curragh debut but had since impressed with victories at Navan and Naas.

Those who sent him off at odds of 8/13 will have had few concerns, with Charles Darwin soon bowling along in front under Ryan Moore, finding plenty once challenged and going away at the line to readily account for Wise Approach and Sandal's Song.

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"He's lovely, Ryan always loved him and everyone always loved him at home," said O'Brien. "He's a big, powerful, strong horse. He really looks like a four-year-old racing against two-year-olds.

"I didn't know if Ryan was going to make the running or drop him in, but he decides that. He always thought he had loads left with the way he came on the bridle.

"He's very quick, a big and mature physical and everyone who rides him says he has a very good mind as well - he's very exciting.

"We were hoping he would get a lead as he never sees the front at home, he's very strong and very quick."

On the Ballydoyle pecking order regarding juveniles, O'Brien added: "Albert Einstein is always just something like we've never seen before, the way he works.

"This horse is very fast - he's a sprinter, I don't know how far he's going to get, because he's very quick, and the horse the other day (Gstaad) looks like he's going to get seven, which means he could get a mile."

Charlie Appleby was determined to take the positives from Wise Approach's run in second after he bounced back from defeat at York.

Appleby said: "We felt we were very much drawn on the wrong side, but the main thing about today was setting him up for the future and riding a very different race to what we saw at York. We wanted to drop him in and we didn't feel there was the strength there to carry us through the race if we rode him handy.

"We made the decision to drop in, ride a race and get him to finish and he's done all of that, so finishing second to a very high-class racehorse in Charles Darwin, you have to take plenty of positives.

"There's going to be a nice pot in this horse and I think although he's versatile enough for five or six furlongs, we can probably look for six now and ride a similar sort of race. With racing he's learning.

"I'm not sure where we go, we have Maximised teed-up for the July Stakes at Newmarket and his form is working out nicely after the Windsor Castle, but you can never have too many in them. There will be options and I'll move them around accordingly."

There was not to be a second Royal Ascot winner for US handler George Weaver, but connections can remain positive about the new Wathnan Racing acquisition who will now be targeted at the Breeders' Cup.

Wathnan's US representative Case Clay said: "George really knows what he is doing with these two-year-olds and his assistant Blair (Golen) has done a wonderful job since getting here.

"As you saw in the paddock beforehand he is a very straightforward horse and I'm very proud of his effort. There was a moment there I got very excited, but he was beaten by a very good colt and it was such a valiant effort in defeat.

"We will take him back to the US and we'll target the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and work backwards from that and try to get there."

Tom Marquand extricated himself from a difficult position to win the King George V Stakes on Merchant for William Haggas.

Drawn in stall 20, Marquand had chosen to drop in behind horses while Ryan Moore on Serious Contender, who was also posted out wide, opted to go forward.

Moore was still in front as they entered the final furlong but Merchant picked up well to defy an 8lb rise for winning at York last time out and justify 3/1 favouritism by a length, with Pantile Warrior a further neck back in third.