INCREDIBLE teenage jockey Billy Loughnane came of age at Royal Ascot – after banging in a freak 80-1 winner in a dramatic photo-finish.
The superstar former champion apprentice, 18, saw off Hollie Doyle in a pulsating finish to the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on day one – then looked close to tears celebrating with his dad.
While most of the other runners in the six-furlong sprint gravitated to the stands-side rail, Loughnane scorched a path down the outer on Rashabar.
Totally unfancied in the betting before the off, the Brian Meehan-trained two-year-old kept finding more and more under a determined Loughnane.
And he did just enough to hold off Doyle on 40-1 Electrolyte – the official winning margin being just a nose.
While 50-1 Columnist rounded out the top three.
If you stuck a quid on the tricast – the first three horses home – you’d be £83,273 better off.
ITV cameras captured the touching moment Billy shared a big bear hug with his dad and fellow trainer David in the moments after victory.
It was a nice payday for the jockey too, who would have made around £9,000 for his efforts.
A delighted Loughnane said afterwards: “Wow! What a feeling. Brian was very confident.
“My plan was always to go right but the quickest way is a straight line! The horse is very tough and it worked out.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I had won at the line. I saw the big TV and thought I might have just won it but you never know for certain.
“This is the best feeling in the world”
“You grow up watching races like this and it’s always been a dream to win one, my first group race in the UK… it means a lot.”
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