Satono Reve, Japan’s best sprinter, came up agonisingly short in his bid to give the country its first ever win at Royal Ascot for the second year running on Saturday, going down by just a nose to a last-gasp effort from William Haggas’s colt Almeraq in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Joliestar, one of Australia’s top six-furlong performers, held a narrow lead entering the final furlong, but Ryan Moore, on Satono Reve, edged ahead soon afterwards only to be denied by the late thrust of Tom Marquand aboard Almeraq. Stolen Kiss was fourth across the line, and the first four home were separated by less than half a length.

Almeraq was racing for only the second time since suffering an injury in a fall at York in September 2025, in which his regular rider, Jim Crowley, suffered an injury that has kept him sidelined ever since.

“The horse took a long time to come back,” Haggas said, “and it has been gently, gently this spring. He won nicely at Salisbury, but this is a completely different jump in class and he has managed to cope with it. He is a beautiful horse, we have always loved him, and I think he will get better because he is pretty lightly-raced.”

Marquand added: “I am not just saying this for effect, but my first thought when I thought I had won was for Jim. This horse and he both took horror falls at the back end of last year. Jim is fighting for his career, he should be aboard this horse, it is his ride.”

Moore, with seven wins, ended the meeting as the leading jockey and took the last race of the meeting, the Queen Alexandra Stakes, on Illinois, but he will need to wait until next year for the single winner he needs to reach a century at the meeting. Aidan O’Brien, meanwhile, held off the challenge of his son, Joseph, to win the trainer’s prize for the 14th time. Greg Wood