(TONY BOURKE is a former, long-serving chief racing writer at The Age)

Trainer Danny O'Brien is not giving up that easily after tasting defeat for the second time with Star Witness at this year's Royal Ascot meeting which wound up on Saturday.

After his unlucky second to Prohibit in Tuesday's King Stand Stakes (1000m), Star Witness had to settle for third behind the hometown sprinters Society Rock and Monsieur Chevalier in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) after looking the likely winner inside the final 200 metres.

Star Witness was in front of a large group of horses down the far side rail with the French-trained Amico Fritz leading clearly on the inside rail.

In the final 50 metres, Star Witness, backed from 6/1 to 4/1, was swamped by the James Fanshawe-trained Society Rock (25/1) who won by a half length from Monsieur Chevalier (25/1), with the Australian a length and a quarter away third.

Jockey Steven Arnold said the slow track, indicated by the time of 1:17.2 compared with the course record of 1:12.27, did not really suit Star Witness.

‘'He travelled beautifully,'' Arnold said, ‘'It was just a shame it (the track) was soft because he bottomed out in the last 50 metres..''

O'Brien said there was now every chance Star Witness would run in the July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket on July 9.

‘'He's run two bottling races and it would be lovely to win one,''O'Brien said.

For trainer James Fanshawe, the win of Society Rock, ridden by Pat Cosgrave and giving him his first success at Royal Ascot, made up for his second behind Australian sprinter Starspangledbanner last year.

Fanshawe made a great result even better when he won the following race, the Wokingham Stakes, with Deacon Blues.

The generally lousy weather during the week failed to dampen the spirits of racegoers who turned up in their droves, particularly the women who refused to let the rain and biting winds stop them from wearing the flimsy fashion creations designed for summer.

For the celebration of 300 years racing at Ascot, the attendances were up for each of the five days including a record 76,000 on Friday.

One supposes that if the Queen can brave the conditions in her open carriage over the week it sets an example for her subjects.

Incidentally, one of the most popular things the Queen did during the week was present a commendation in the parade ring yesterday to police horse Clyde in recognition of his 18 years' service.

Apart from his duties at state visits, Clyde, 21, has also helped police several high-profile demonstrations and has been a regular at football matches around Britain.

Clyde is to be retired to the Horse Trust at Speen in Buckinghamshire.

Despite the defeat of So You Think on Tuesday, trainer Aidan O'Brien finished off the week in fine style with wins in the first two races yesterday with Maybe and Await The Dawn.

In particular, the four-year-old Awake The Dawn stamped him as a high-class stayer of the future.

Yesterday's double gave O'Brien four winners, two seconds and a third earned him a Blue Crystal ball as the leading trainer at Royal Ascot this year.

Gai Waterhouse was also at Royal Ascot and made the presentation to the winning connections after the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

Although we had no Australian winner at Ascot, several English-based trainers including including Luca Cumani, who is now a regular, and Wiilliam Haggas, have indicated they willing to bring horses to Melbourne in the spring.

Haggas said Harris Tweed, runner-up to Awake The Dream in the Hardwicke Stakes, could make the trip for the Melbourne Cup and even take on his NZ bred namesake in the race.

Cumani's hopes include Drunken Sailor, who ran third in the Hardwicke, and, Manighar, who finished fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup and the Melbourne-owned Bauer who will be back for his third crack in the Melbourne Cup in which he was just beaten three years ago.