CARMERS HAS WINNING VASE

CONGRATULATIONS: The Duchess of Gloucester (left) with jockey Billy Lee after he won the Queen's Vase on Carmers

- BY CHRIS WRIGHT

CARMERS (9-2) gave Irish trainer Paddy Twomey a first winner at Royal Ascot when battling to a fine success in the Group Two Queen's Vase.

The unbeaten three-year-old son of Wootton Bassett, who had won his two previous starts this season at Ballinrobe and in a Listed event at Navan, made it three from three.

Under Billy Lee, he sat off the pace set by Aidan O'Brien's Shackleton (9-2). and after the turn from home he made his move on the outside.

He hit the front and stayed on well to score a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over Andrew Balding's Further (20-1), with Rahieeb (9-1), under Silvestre De Sousa, flying late on to take third a head adrift.