‘A dream come true’; Justify’s breeders win at Royal Ascot

None of the runners based in the United States won Tuesday as Royal Ascot’s 2018 meet opened. But another owned and bred here did.

Without Parole’s victory in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes continued a magical year for John Gunther and his daughter, Tanya, who also bred Triple Crown winner Justify.

“It’s a dream come true,” John Gunther told ITV after the race. 

He’s been coming to Royal Ascot for 20 years, with this his first starter. Before the meet, Gunther said a Royal Ascot victory would mean more to him than Justify’s sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont.

“And it does. And it always will,” he said.

“The Triple Crown was huge, too,” Tanya Gunther said through tears. “Come on, Dad.”

John Gunther called his daughter “the brains” of an operation that also bred Triple Crown series runner Vino Rosso, giving Glenwood two representatives in this year’s Derby. But Tanya was quick to note her father would breed anything he could to Frankel.

Frankel won this event in 2011 amid his 14-race unbeaten career. Without Parole, who was born overseas, gave the stallion his fourth Group 1 winner.

Without Parole, who’s trained by the great John Gosden and was ridden Tuesday by Frankie Dettori, caught pace-setting Threeandfourpence in the stretch before holding off a late run by Gustav Klimt going a one-turn mile.

Out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe, Without Parole is now 4-for-4.

“This meant everything to me,” John Gunther said. “Just to be able to mate the mare that we did to Frankel, and Juddmonte giving me the nomination because the mare was unproven.”

Since pairing Without You Babe with Frankel, the mare made a name for herself when Tamarkuz won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

The Gunthers were presented their trophy by the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, and the royal family’s newest member, Meghan Markle.