Settled behind the leaders from his wide draw by Ryan Moore as Frankie took the Juddmonte representative to the front, the 11-5 second favourite moved to his chief rival with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and was cajoled clear to score by an impressive 3 3/4 lengths. Chaldean finished like a non-stayer, but the 13-8 market-leader held on for second by a neck from Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

“He's a very good colt who is improving and improving and has a big engine and a lot of class,” Moore said after registering his 75th Royal success. “Maybe I should have ridden him colder, as he quickened up past them and then probably shut down. He took me there quite easy and, when he put his foot down, he found plenty.”

Delivered to the Irish 2000 Guineas via Naas's Madrid H. and The Curragh's Listed Tetrarch S., Paddington came into the Curragh Classic with a lower profile than usual for his stable only to emerge very much the real deal en route to this moment of truth. Forced to travel wide from his outside post, he fortunately proved more tractable than he had in the initial stages of the Irish Guineas and was at least granted a true pace with Frankie going out to put the gun to the heads of his rivals.

Heading to the three pole, Chaldean looked strong but a furlong later the writing was already on the wall with Frankie at work and Ryan looming large to his right. Whereas Andrew Balding's charge tended to tread water from there, Paddington was hands and heels to the line to win with comfort. Intriguingly, the winner was faster than the runner-up for six of the eight furlongs and for all of the last five in a race that ended up being run too fast too early.

O'Brien, who now boasts nine St James's Palace S., was opening the door to a program over more than a mile in time. “He is able to quicken very well–that is his big thing,” he said. “John [Magnier] said to me that this horse would get further than a mile if you wanted him to, no problem. The lads will have to think about whether they want to go to Goodwood [for the Sussex S.]. He has all the options, because he has the speed to be a top miler as we see, so it's very exciting.”

Andrew Balding said of Chaldean, “Frankie has felt he probably just overdid it a little early, but I'm not sure whether that would have made a difference to the result. They are two very high-class horses.”

Roger Varian said of Charyn, who put up a personal best in third, “I am delighted with how he ran–he seems to be improving. He was beaten the same distance today by Paddington as he was at The Curragh. He's versatile, tough and genuine. I don't think he's out of place in this company and I think he'll keep improving all year.”

Pedigree Notes

Bred and raised at Monceaux for the Wildensteins, Paddington who was the joint-second highest-priced lot when realising €420,000 at the 2021 Arqana October Sale is currently the last known foal out of the Listed Prix Belle de Nuit winner Modern Eagle (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}). Her first progeny was Masterpiece (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was twice listed-placed in France while she is a daughter of the G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Millionaia (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and a half to the Listed Vintage Tipple S. winner and G3 Loughbrown S.-placed Mighty Blue (Fr) by Montjeu's son Authorized (Ire). Millionaia is out of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Moonlight Dance (Alysheba), who is also the second dam of the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris scorer Ming Dynasty (Fr) (King's Best) while the fourth dam Madelia (Fr) (Caro) scored three times at the highest level including in the Diane.

Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
ST JAMES'S PALACE S.-G1, £600,000, Ascot, 6-20, 3yo, c, 7f 213yT, 1:40.74, gd.
1–PADDINGTON (GB), 128, c, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Modern Eagle (Ger) (SW-Fr), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Millionaia (Ire), by Peintre Celebre
3rd Dam: Moonlight Dance, by Alysheba
(€420,000 Ylg '21 ARQDOY). O-Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg & Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £340,260. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, 6-5-0-0, $811,659. Masterpiece (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), MSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Chaldean (GB), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Suelita (GB), by Dutch Art (GB). (550,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-Juddmonte; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £129,000.
3–Charyn (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Futoon (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Grangemore Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £64,560.
Margins: 3 3/4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 2.20, 1.63, 33.00.
Also Ran: Isaac Shelby (GB), Indestructible (Ire), Mostabshir (GB), Cicero's Gift (GB), Royal Scotsman (GB), Galeron (Ire).

AIDAN O'BRIEN'S #RoyalAscot RECORD-BREAKER!

Paddington is brilliant in the St James's Palace Stakes for Ryan Moore and gives Aidan O'Brien his 83rd Royal @Ascot winner! pic.twitter.com/pDWaFHMynT

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 20, 2023

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“He's taken it well, he's good,” said Mahon. “Andrew [Balding, trainer] was happy with him when I spoke to him yesterday. He said he was quite tired on Sunday, but he said yesterday morning he was in good form again.

“The ground was very soft, yet on the Friday meeting, it was good to firm. They watered the ground in case the showers missed.

“I stayed the far side of the town and on Friday night, I promise you, there was a monsoon. But he handled the ground, although it wouldn't be his ideal conditions.”

A winner of the G3 Acomb S., G2 Champagne S., and G1 Dewhurst S. in succession at two, Chaldean parted ways with regular jockey Frankie Dettori at the start of the G3 Greenham S. on his intended seasonal debut.

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New Energy, a £65,000 purchase by Lavery and bloodstock agent Ted Durcan from Ballylinch Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-up Sale last year, is on course to run in the St James's Palace S. at the royal meeting. 

“He's come out of the race really well and our next target will be Ascot, most probably the St James's Palace,” said Lavery on Monday.

“We'll enter him up for the Jersey as well, just in case, but I think that will be our next step. I think he deserves to run in the St James's Palace, that's the best way of putting it.”

Lavery, who sent out Lady Kaya (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) to finish second in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2019, added, “We were absolutely thrilled, we always thought he'd be better at Group One pace and he got that at the weekend. I was really thrilled with him.

“It was a beautiful ride from Billy Lee, too. I do think Native Trail was just idling in front and if we'd have got to him he'd have just pulled out more, but we were delighted and it's really exciting.”

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“We've put him in the St James's Palace S., the six-furlong race [Commonwealth Cup] and the Jersey S.,” said Hannon.

“It looked like he definitely got a mile at Newmarket, so you may well see him in the St James's Palace. I thought he ran a super race in the Guineas, I was delighted with him.

“I doubt [he will run again], he'll go straight there and at the moment it's looking like the St James's Palace S.”

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“It was fast ground when Poetic Flare won at Ascot and it might well be that he's better on that better ground, but he seems to handle all going and he's pretty good on soft too,” he added. “My preference would be for good ground, but I'm not much given to worrying anyway. Whatever it is, I'll take it. I'm very happy with my horse and I don't worry too much about anybody else's.”

How the fillies stack up against the colts remains to be seen, but TDN Rising Star Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) are among the elite of their sex and their own private duels have seen them win one apiece. Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free was in front of Rockcliffe Stud's homebred on ground similar to this in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 18, but she was only third as Snow Lantern prevailed in the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 9. Snow Lantern's trainer Richard Hannon had been considering the G1 Nassau S., but opted to stick with her proven route for now. “The decision to run here was in part ground-led, but we wanted to keep her at a mile,” he said. “She is learning to settle now and we don't want to upset her equilibrium.”

“If she gets beaten and is not good enough, we can give her a break and come back in the [G1] Sun Chariot in six weeks' time,” Hannon added. “She's doing nothing wrong over a mile and going a mile and a quarter on this ground might have been a bit of a stretch. If she relaxes, she'll get a mile and a quarter but we can do that next year. Sky Lantern was beaten here in the Prestige, where she looked like winning all the way but was a little bit weak as a 2-year-old. This filly is very versatile and if she got beaten I'd rather it was that she didn't handle the track than she was not good enough. This is soft and then some, but she showed she handled the ground at Ascot.”

Oisin Murphy knows Alcohol Free inside out and is hoping that the easing in the ground will help her in her rematch with Snow Lantern. “Alcohol Free is in great form and any rain won't inconvenience her,” he said. “I was pleased with her when I rode her on Saturday and hopefully she'll run a big race. She won't have any problems with the track at Goodwood. She prefers to meet the ground and the first half of the race at Goodwood is going uphill and then it's practically flat in the straight which will suit her fine.” Trainer Andrew Balding added, “It looks like conditions should be ideal. The turning track seemed to suit her really well when she won at Royal Ascot, so I think Goodwood will suit her really well. At Newmarket in the Falmouth it wasn't the plan to make the running and she rather set it up for the others. Hopefully if there's some sort of pace to aim at, she's got a fairly electric turn of foot.”

Ballydoyle's duo are the GI Breeders' Cup Mile first and third Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), with the former coming back to winning form in the seven-furlong G2 Minstrel S. on contrasting  ground at The Curragh July 18. Lope Y Fernandez was runner-up in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot last time June 15, which represented his fifth placing at the highest level, and whether he can prevail at last in this company is a matter of how strong the 3-year-old milers are. “We are looking forward to Lope Y Fernandez and we think he's come forward again since Ascot,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “We are very happy with him. He's very straightforward and is progressing well. Order of Australia has come out of his win at the Curragh very well and the Sussex Stakes is a race which could suit him.”

Representing the form of Ascot's G2 Summer Mile July 10, Juddmonte's Tilsit (First Defence) and Abdulla Belhabb's Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) were first and second there with the former looking a cosy winner. Successful in the G3 Thoroughbred S. over this track and trip 12 months ago, Tilsit is one who has crept under the radar and as a lightly-raced relative of Kingman (GB) warrants respect. “He's probably come out of Ascot the best he's come out of any race–he's in great form,” Tilsit's trainer Charlie Hills said. “He won a group 3 at the meeting last year, so we know he handles the track.”

In the G3 Markel Molecomb S. for the fastest of the juveniles, Clarendon Thoroughbred Racing's Fearby (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) holds pole position after his five-length success in the Listed Dragon S. over this five-furlong trip at Sandown July 2. Golden Horde carried the AlMohamediya Racing silks to success in the G2 Richmond S. two years ago and are carried by another Clive Cox-trained colt in Chimgan (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), who was strong at the finish on his winning debut at Nottingham July 5. The G3 Whispering Angel Oak Tree S. is a wide-open affair, with the June 17 Buckingham Palace H. and July 4 Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies' S. scorer Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) one of the more progressive fillies in the line-up for the seven-furlong contest.EST

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In an upgrade on the atmospheric void that was 2020, there will be 12,000 in attendance to create some buzz at Flat racing's magnificent summer showcase which still boasts a strong, if slightly diminished, international element. While French entries have suffered the most this year, it is debatable whether they would have supplied anything to hamper the opening race's star turn Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}). One of if not the key protagonist of this year's meeting, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's 'TDN Rising Star' has all the ingredients of a “banker” with Frankie Dettori in the saddle looking for an instant addition to his 73 Royal Ascot winners.

Heading 11 declarations confirmed on Sunday for the mile contest, last year's G1 St James's Palace S. hero who has since also captured the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the May 15 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury comes here with an air of invulnerability. “He's a lovely horse and has done everything right in his life,” John Gosden said last week. “We're happy with him and there's plenty to look forward to with him.”

As usual, Wesley Ward is looking strong and he kicks off the 2021 expedition with Gregory Kaufman's Kaufymaker (Jimmy Creed), who bids to become the first filly since Diadem in 1916 to win the G2 Coventry S. There is also a North American flavour to the G1 King's Stand S., in which the elite sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) faces 15 rivals including the Mar. 27 G1

Al Quoz Sprint hero Extravagant Kid (Kiss the Kid) and Wesley Ward's Maven (American Pharoah). Frankie Dettori has been snapped up by Brendan Walsh for Extravagant Kid after Ryan Moore was committed to Doreen Tabor's Keep Busy (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and that is not the only notable spare ride for the 50-year-old with Joseph O'Brien booking him for Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 St James's Palace S. Last of 14 in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket May 1, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. winner bids to bounce back along with fellow flops Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Battleground (War Front), with Ryan Moore picking the latter this time.

Of the 13 declared for the St James's Palace, the Guineas hero Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is the current favourite for a wide-open affair with Jim Bolger happy to go again after the homebred was subsequently sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and runner-up in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. “It's been an extraordinary season, with just one real hiccup and another that was self-inflicted at The Curragh,” his owner, breeder and trainer said. “Nothing went right in the race at Longchamp and we've drawn a line through it. He came back very quickly to finish second at The Curragh, so he's very, very hardy–you couldn't do that with every horse. The biggest trouble I have is keeping the weight off him. He's a great doer and he still has to do plenty at home, despite the schedule.”

“Dawn Approach was pretty hardy too and took it well, but he wouldn't have been the same as Poetic Flare,” Bolger added. “I might have had one or two others like him and I remember when I won the 4-year-old hurdle at Aintree in 1978 with Beparoejojo she had to have a blow-out on the morning of the race, but I've never had a colt of his quality who needed as much work as he does. He's very well and I think he has a big chance–the bookmakers seem to think so too. He goes on any ground too, which is a big advantage. It was good-to-firm when he won at Newmarket, but personally I'd prefer it if there was no firm in the description as horses last longer that way.”

In recent times, it seems almost impossible that the meeting can escape significant rain and there is also a very real threat of thunderstorms in the middle of the week this time. Tuesday's action is certain to start on a lively surface, however, as Ascot's Clerk of the Course Chris Stickels ponders the watering policy. “Going wise we are good, good-to-firm in places and in the middle of a watering cycle,” he explained on Sunday. “It's a very warm day today–29 degrees as the afternoon goes on and we are expecting a warm, dry day tomorrow too. The track is in lovely condition. We'll end up with good-to-firm ground by the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday.”

“The question then comes what do we do in the evening after racing, depending on the forecast,” he added. “We'll have to play that one by ear when the forecast for the remainder of the week becomes clearer. We may have to put a bit of water on on Tuesday night to hold it at good-to-firm. There does look like a breakdown in the middle of the week. Certainly Wednesday night into Thursday, when some thunderstorms might develop from northern France. The nature of thunderstorms is they are hit-and-miss, but there is confidence in that forecast after racing Wednesday and on Thursday. This far out on Sunday, talking about Wednesday night, it's very difficult to imagine what is going to happen at this stage.”

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Bolger told Luck on Sunday of Mac Swiney, “As they say in the west of Ireland, I was mighty impressed with him. I thought that he stuck to the task really well–any horse wishing to take him on and beat him in the future will have to be up for it because he isn't going to give in easily.”

A winner of half of his eight starts, the chestnut won the G2 Futurity S. last August and added the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy on Oct. 24. He was fourth in his 3-year-old bow behind current Derby favourite Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. at Leopardstown on May 9.

“I'm very fortunate that the two talented 3-year-olds colts I have at the moment both have great temperaments and they can take anything that I throw at them.

“They're only different in the amount of work that they take. Mac Swiney takes very little work, whereas the other fella takes an awful lot of work, which is why I felt he would stand up to the three Guineas.”

Added Bolger of his Derby hopeful, “I'm the world's worst punter, so asking me what price he should be wouldn't get a very knowledgeable answer. In my mind there isn't anything ahead of him–the form is there now.”

Poetic Flare, who won the G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown at two and took the Listed Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2000 Guineas Trial S. there on Apr. 11, contested all three Guineas. The bay reported home sixth in the G1 French 2000 Guineas in very soft ground on May 16 prior to his Irish Guineas second. His next target is most likely the St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot.

Bolger said, “The three Guineas came about the year I had Finsceal Beo. In the end it was a few showers of rain in France that cost us the French Guineas, otherwise we would have had all three.

“We realised this [Poetic Flare] was a very talented horse with a lot of durability about him. He's tough and he could take it.

“Apart from a few things we got wrong in France and then beating him ourselves with a different horse, we could have had the three, so it is possible.

“With a little different circumstance he could be the winner of three Guineas today and that would be fairly unique.

“I said earlier in the week that whatever beat Poetic Flare would win the race. It's not often I'm right, but I was right on that occasion.”

Bolger added, “I'd say there's a good chance that he will [run in the St James's Palace]. It depends how he gets on in the meantime, but I'd say he's more likely to turn up there than not.

“I'd say he'll stay at a mile. The only thing that might cause us to divert from that would be the Eclipse at Sandown, but then I have to keep that in mind for Mac Swiney as well.”

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“2000 Guineas runner up Master Of The Seas unfortunately had a setback after training on Saturday and will now be on the easy list for two to four weeks, meaning he will miss Royal Ascot,” Godolphin tweeted on Monday morning.

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“They've all come out of their races well,” said Appleby. “The whole team look good–they all had an easy canter this [Tuesday] morning, and everybody is very happy with them.

“It was a great weekend for racing, and we were delighted with the way all ours ran. We had a touch of seconditis–but as I always say to the team, I'd rather finish second than second-last.

“We know the horses are in the right races and they're in good condition–and if we keep knocking on the door those doors will open.”

He added on his colts' next targets, “Master Of The Seas has had three runs this years now, so he deserves to have a little break. Hopefully we'll turn up at Ascot with some fresh legs. We'll look forward to potentially having a rematch with the winner in the St James's Palace.

“Naval Crown has got a couple of options, and I would say most likely we will look towards the Jersey with him. He's got plenty of boot, but to be fair, two of his best runs have been over the mile–beating Master Of The Seas at Meydan, and in the Guineas. He's got two solid mile performances behind him now, but it does look the most logical option for him to head to the Jersey.”

“Everyone is testing their [Derby] credentials over the next week, with the races at Chester followed by Lingfield at the weekend and then on to York next week,” said Appleby of the Chester-bound pair of Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB})at Lingfield and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who is returning in the G2 Dante S. at York.

“One Ruler is in the mix, for sure. The way he's bounced out of the Guineas, I'm very pleased with him. It's always hard to say where your horse is going to go immediately after the race, until you start to see how they've come out of it.

“The signs with all of them have been very good, so conversations will be had during the course of the week, firming up some plans for these horses.”

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“I’m really pleased with him. William [Buick] sat on him on Wednesday and he had a nice breeze,” he said. “You can definitely see this horse has sharpened up for his run in the Guineas. As much as I’m not going to get away from the fact I was delighted with the way we were going into the Guineas, he is a horse as we saw last year that progressed race on race and I feel that race has definitely brought him forward. There is a drying forecast, but that doesn’t bother me because he has won on soft ground and even when he won the National S. it was on the slow side of good. Obviously, we have got to re-oppose the horse that was second in the Guineas and it is a good race, but I couldn’t be any happier with our fellow.”

Wichita will not appreciate it if the ground is on the easier side, if his third placing in the G1 Dewhurst S. on soft ground is any guide. Aidan O’Brien, who also saddles the Guineas also-rans Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), is the leading trainer in this race’s history with eight wins and he has a tactical edge with safety in numbers.     “We’re not sure about how he’ll cope with the ground really,” the trainer said of Wichita. “He’s a big, powerful horse but you can never be sure until they run on it. He does have a lot of power, so you’d think he’d be okay and we’ve been happy with him since the Guineas.”

Palace Pier has a lot to find on the formbook, having defeated this week’s Golden Gates H. flop Acquitted (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a mile handicap on Newcastle’s Tapeta June 6, but he is unbeaten and represents the Gosden-Dettori axis so is worthy of respect. Last year’s G2 Champagne S. winner Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and the G3 Solario S. scorer Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) add ballast despite coming up short in Group 1 company on their juvenile finales. John Gosden has warned that Palace Pier might be compromised by conditions.

“I’m not sure about the ground,” he said. “He’s got a smooth action and might find it too tacky, but we’re going to run. We went to Newcastle to get a run in and if he handles the ground I think he’ll run very well.”

Like the St James’s Palace S., the Coronation has also been shovelled onto the curtain-closer to allow the G1 1,000 Guineas fillies extra time for vital R & R. TDN Rising Star Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) ended a winter-long spell of expectation with relative disappointment when only a well-beaten third behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the June 7 Newmarket Classic, but she was too fresh and keen there and may be a different proposition this time. Last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile winner has some high-class individuals to contend with again in the form of the G2 Debutante S. winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}), the impressive Listed Pretty Polly Fillies’ S. scorer Run Wild (Ger) (Amaron {GB}) and the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). She even has to reverse Guineas form  with the runner-up Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and has two Ballydoyle contenders to deal with, so this is no easy task.

Quadrilateral’s rider Jason Watson sees her latest effort in a different light and said, “I think her run in the Guineas was mightily impressive considering how keen she was early on and it’s done her a lot of good–it’s taken the edge off and I think we’ll her see a more relaxed horse this time. I have sat on her since and we’ve been happy with her. She just got over-excited first time out and I can’t see why Ascot won’t suit her as she’s an all-rounder who is not ground-dependant or track-dependant.”

Harry Charlton, assistant to father Roger, added, “The team thought it was wrong to step straight up into the Oaks, having by chance run a bit keen in the Guineas after pinging the stalls. To go from a mile to a mile and a half seemed a bit unnatural. The way the race panned out wasn’t ideal for her, but she still ran a good race to finish third. She seems in good nick and she took the run in the Guineas well. She is a horse that always eats well and I think she will improve for what she did. Newmarket probably doesn’t play to her strengths, because she is a big, rangy filly and this might well suit her better.”

After the major yards have fought it out in the two 3-year-old highlights, another blueblood lines up as favourite for the Diamond Jubilee only this time for the little-known Denis Hogan stable. Godolphin cast-off Sceptical (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is favourite to emulate the Royal success of his dam Jealous Again (Trippi) less than eight months after trading at 25-1 for his racecourse debut in a five-furlong maiden at Dundalk. He meets a different class of sprinter than those he dispatched in the Listed Woodlands S. at Naas June 8 and while he will have a legion of well-wishers here he is the market leader only through potential at present.

“There’s so much about the horse, that I just hope everything goes well on the day really,” Hogan commented. “I suppose softer ground would be a bit of an unknown. My gallop here can get very soft during the winter and he seemed to cope with that alright, so I’d be hopeful. But at the same time, he’s only raced on the grass once and that was on good-to-firm at Naas.”

Already proven in this territory, Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud’s G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) has a lot in his favour, while Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is still unexposed at this trip. The dual G1 Prix de la Foret heroine was runner-up over this course and distance in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint, while it is hard to forget the finishing flourish of Saeed Suhail’s Dream of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) in last year’s renewal. Just a head behind Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) at the death, he was in front a stride after the line and Sir Michael Stoute is bound to have him cherry-ripe for his return.

Ascot’s high-octane fixture also sees the G2 Coventry S. feature a clash between the TDN Rising Stars Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with Godolphin’s Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) just one of the other exciting prospects engaged. Admiral Nelson looked one of his stable’s potential 2021 Classic protagonists on his winning debut over five furlongs at The Curragh June 12, the same day that Shadwell’s Qaader lit up Newbury with a four-length debut win. The latter is joined by the June 2 Kempton winner Army of India (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) and the June 6 Newcastle winner Thunder of Niagara (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) from Mark Johnston’s stable.

His son, Charlie Johnston said, “On homework, before they ran, Army of India was probably top of the pile. On the strength of what they beat, you would probably lean towards Thunder of Niagara, and on visual impressions you would probably lean to Qaader. All three have earned the right to be there, and we just hope at least one is good enough basically.”

Creative Force has had a relatively luxurious 16-day period to recover from his initial exertions and the form of his Newmarket success over this trip was boosted on Friday by the G2 Norfolk S. third Imperial Force (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Trainer Charlie Appleby is quietly confident.

“He was very professional on his first start at Newmarket, when he jumped and travelled well. That was a pleasing introduction and he has come forward for the run. He is a half-brother to Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was proven in slower ground. He has a sensible draw in the middle and we will be disappointed if he doesn’t run a nice race.”

In the G2 Queen Mary S., TDN Rising Star More Beautiful (War Front) is another gem for Aidan O’Brien who looked to have the world at her feet when successful on debut over this five-furlong trip at Naas June 8. Cheveley Park Stud’s June 4 Newmarket winner Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is one of those from the higher-profile stables charged with taking her on along with Stonestreet Stables’ May 31 Gulfstream Park maiden special weight scorer Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). She is joined by fellow Wesley Ward trainee Royal Approval (Tiznow) who she beat on debut and their trainer thinks the winner of that contest has the edge.

“Campanelle is a filly with real quality and the time of the race was a Breeders’ Cup quality time,” he explained. “She’s a bigger, longer type of filly but has plenty of speed to her. She goes there with a big chance, I think.”

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