HEREFORDSHIRE trainer David Simcock said it was a huge relief to have his first winner at Royal Ascot.

Ridden by jockey Jamie Spencer, who has had a long association with Simcock, Balios took over from the leader Mr Singh inside the final furlong to win the King Edward VII Stakes, known as the Ascot Derby, by a length and a quarter.

“It’s not a monkey off the back but it is a huge relief," said Simock, who is from Felton, near Burley Gate.

"We always made it very clear we like the horse and he won’t be over-raced this year.

"I said to Jamie, give him a ballsy ride and he got it so right.

"When a jockey likes a horse - and Jamie likes this one - it makes a massive difference."

Simcock has been training successfully in Newmarket for a number of years.

The 43-year-old began his career as pupil assistant trainer to Ian Balding and then moved to Lambourn where he enjoyed a stint with Major Dick Hern.

He then joined Luca Cumani in Newmarket as assistant trainer, coming into contact with stars such as Falbrav and Gossamer.

Simcock and his wife Jennie set up training in 2004 with a handful of horses but since then the duo have gone from strength-to-strength with his string now numbering over 100 horses.

He had his first home Group One training success five years ago with Dream Ahead in the Middle Park Stakes; the following season he scored in North America when his I’m A Dreamer won the valuable Grade 1 ‘Beverly D’ race at Arlington Park, Chicago.

Simcock added that Balios will probably have up to three more runs this year.

"I see him as a 10-12 furlong horse," he said.

"He's still very immature and can only improve.

"We have always liked the horse and we have made it very clear that we like the horse.

"He was a little inexperienced at Newmarket last time and I didn't want to change anything - I said to Jamie to give him a ballsy ride and it suited him down to the ground. It was a fantastic ride, even if he had got beat, he did what I had told him to do.

"Jamie got it so right and, I think when a jockey loves a horse, it makes a massive difference."

In the aftermath of the Royal Ascot win, Spencer joked that when Simcock was learning his trade as Assistant trainer to Luca Cumani he was “probably the laziest assistant any trainer had”, but added: "He and Jennie are brilliant together – they understand each other and they understand their horses.

"He didn't get to show what he could do at Newmarket.

"I had to help him down into the dip and he really ran on.

"If I had given him a hard race there, he may have won but at least we had a horse for Ascot."