Paardeberg Stud’s well performed stallion Expert Eye enjoyed a notable result at Royal Ascot on Thursday.
His son Mezcala won the Buckingham Palace Stakes over seven furlongs on Thursday.
Jack Channon’s improving four-year-old had won the Spring Mile at Doncaster on seasonal debut before another promising run in third at Newbury and he was not to be denied under Tom Marquand for the first time in 2026.

The field split into two groups as usual, with the majority of the runners heading towards the stands’ side, and it looked like Billy Loughnane might collect another Royal winner as he skipped into the lead on Elarak with a furlong and a half to travel.

He just ran out of puff on the final climb to the line, however, leaving the door ajar for Mezcala and the well-backed 9/2 joint-favourite took it by winning with a bit to spare.
Channon said: “We thought the Hunt Cup would be his race. He has got cover today, and that is the first time he has had it this year. He has got a great turn of foot, but he is a very good horse.

He is a real good, clean moving horse. A lot of the family do like a bit of juice. He is as good a mover as we have had in the family. He should have won at Newbury. George ((Bass) gave him a beautiful ride from where he was, but you can’t do all your own work in these high grade races.

Today is the first time he has had cover and he has shown what an electric turn off foot he has when he gets it. I still think it is a miler, but it is a real stiff seven furlongs here. He has won that off 94, so it might be another handicap beforehand, but if not we might look at stakes races.”

Out of the Al Kazeem mare Why We Dream,  four-year-old Mezcala has won three of eight starts.

His sire Expert Eye, whose first South African crop were born in 2025, won four group/graded races including the 2018 G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.