Get Shirty dug deep in the closing stages of the concluding Copper Horse Handicap to provide jockey Daniel Tudhope with a 356/1 double on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

Tudhope, who steered Dubai Future to an easy success in the previous race, needed to work a bit harder aboard 16/1 chance Get Shirty but the pair were a comfortable length and a quarter ahead of 2/1 favourite Cleveland at the finish of the 14-furlong contest. Okita Soushi (11/2) was third while Alright Sunshine hit the frame in fourth at 40/1.

Winning trainer David O’Meara said: “This is brilliant. Mark [Markey], who owns Get Shirty as part of Akela Thoroughbreds, is a great supporter of ours.

“Get Shirty did it very well; it was very straightforward and, apart from a little bit of scrimmaging on the rail late on, everything went pretty smoothly.

“We gave him a few runs last year [he ran in France until May 2021] and then he has come out and won three out of four now this year.  He’s a good horse. He got beat at Ripon by a horse in Rajinsky who was then third in a Chester Cup, so the form was there.

“He ran on good ground in France, so we were hopeful enough that he’d handle it. It would be nice to think he was a Stakes horse – the last good [staying] horse I had like that was Blue Bajan. I’m not sure he’s up to that level yet, but today was brilliant.

“Danny [Tudhope] gave him a great ride and he’s had a double today, which is brilliant for him.

“We’ve had some Royal Ascot winners over the years with the likes of Lord Glitters, but they are hard to come by and are all very much appreciated.”

Tudhope said: “Get Shirty is a lovely horse. He stays and it is great for the owners who have given great support to David. It is great to ride a winner for David at Royal Ascot, too.”

The winner did not have the smoothest run in the straight, and Tudhope added: “I don’t feel like I could do much about it as it was my gap and you have to go for it.”

6.10pm Copper Horse Handicap

1 Get Shirty (Akela Thoroughbreds Limited) David O’Meara 6-9-06 Danny Tudhope 16/1

2 Cleveland (Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier) Aidan O’Brien IRE 4-9-10 2/1F

3 Okita Soushi (Toshihiro Matsumoto) Joseph O’Brien IRE 4-9-11 Declan McDonogh 11/2

4 Alright Sunshine (Richard & Katherine Gilbert) Keith Dalgliesh 7-9-06 Bill Garritty 40/1

16 ran

David O’Meara – 5th Royal Ascot winner

Danny Tudhope – 8th Royal Ascot winner