Ramonti upset favorite George Washington to win the Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Ramonti won by a short head over Jeremy. Turtle Bowl was third.
"They all went by me, but I knew they would come back," Dettori said. "He really dug deep and got his head down for me on the line."
PHOTO: AP
Dubai-based Goldolphin Racing, owned by Sheik Mohammed, had not won a Group One race in England since 2005. But Ramonti is Godolphin's seventh win in the Queen Anne Stakes over the last 12 years and has been at the stables for less than a year.
"Some years you have good horses and some years you don't," Sheik Mohammed said. "We liked Ramonti when we saw a video of his races. We thought we would enjoy racing him."
Queen Elizabeth II, who has attended every Ascot meeting since 1945, wore a bright fuschia dress and jacket and matching hat with a blue ribbon.
George Washington had been the 5-4 favorite on his return from having failed at the Coolmore Stud farm due to fertility problems.
Bred in the US by Gretchen and Roy Jackson, owners of last year's Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, George Washington had a stellar season to be the top three-year-old last year.
He finished fourth, but trainer Aidan O'Brien was upbeat.
"We were delighted with his run," O'Brien said. "After going to stud and covering 60 mares you would be a bit fresh, wouldn't you? It was a good run back and he showed his early pace. He looked out of it for a while, but came home well."
O'Brien had more success in the St. James' Palace Stakes, filling all top three places.
The 8-1 shot Excellent Art, ridden by Jamie Spencer, won the 1-mile (1.6km) race from the inside rail, beating Duke of Marmalade by a neck with Astronomer Royal following in third.
"This race is the one that counts for three-year-old milers," Spencer said. "He's a smashing horse to deal with and I'm delighted to have had the chance to ride him."
O'Brien also had a win in the six-furlong Coventry Stakes, with Henrythenavigator winning by three-quarters of a length over favorite Swiss Franc with Luck Money coming third.
Miss Andretti won the King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs, breaking the track record by more than two seconds.
The Lee Freedman-trained horse was the 3-1 favorite.
Australian horses also finished third and fourth. Dandy Man was second, one and-three-quarter lengths back, followed by Magnus and last year's winner, Takeover Target.
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