Scenic Blasts them away at Ascot

Western Australian galloper Scenic Blast has become the fourth Australian horse in seven years to win the Group One King's Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot, hammering a quality field of sprinters to etch his name on a growing list of world-beating Australian sprinters.

Scenic Blast ($3.50) sat off the pace in the 1000m sprint, but produced a sensational burst of speed between the 600m mark and the 300m mark to surge to the lead and all but secure the race. Talented filly Fleeting Spirit ($4.5) cut the margin back to less than a length on the line, but the truth was she never looked like cutting Dan Morton's star four-year-old down. $33 shot Anglezxark ran a distant third.

After drawing the very inside barrier, Steven Arnold on Scenic Blast had little option but to take a sit, but the amazing burst of speed produced mid-race put the race in the bag before the furlong mark.

Scenic Blast follows in the footsteps of Choisir, Takeover Target and Miss Andretti as Australian trained winners of the race, which is one of the highlights of the first day of the Royal Ascot carnival.

Morton immediately put paid to suggestions that Scenic Blast would contest the Golden Jubilee at Ascot on Saturday, instead plotting a path for the July Cup at Newmarket in a few weeks' time.

Scenic Blast has already secured wins in Flemington's two feature sprints, the Lightning Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap in 2009 and could be set to add further international glory after such a powerful performance.

Takeover Target will look to make it a clean sweep of the international sprints at Royal Ascot when he takes on the Royal Jubilee Stakes on Saturday.