ON a Royal Ascot Day 2 where South African horseracing played second fiddle to a powerful French attack, 2016 Met winner Smart Call was far from disgraced when determinedly hanging on for fourth in the Gr2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.

Ryan Moore rode a fearless race on the Sir Michael Stoute trained daughter of Ideal World who blazed a path up the Ascot straight mile, before coming under fire in the final 300m.

Smart Call (yellow silks), good fourth.

Jean-Claude Rouget’s filly Qemah, a dual Gr1-winner, won the Coronation Stakes at the meeting 12 months ago and she bounced back to winning form to give the French their second winner of the day as she stormed home to win the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.

Qemah had been beaten on her last start at Lingfield, but she put that behind her back at Ascot with an impressive performance.

Aljazzi ran a cracker in third while Usherette came home third, possibly slightly unlucky after meeting trouble in running. Smart Call was a gallant fourth. Her owner Jessica Slack will be hoping that she makes good further progress.

-extracts from Sporting Post.