American interests strong for upcoming Royal Ascot stakes races
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Entries for the eight Group One races at Royal Ascot in June are revealed today, with representation from six overseas countries - Australia, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan and the USA.
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Communications at Ascot, commented today: "We're very pleased with the variety and quality of the Royal Ascot entries this year.
"Seven countries, including Britain, are represented, and amongst them a Hong Kong Chairman's Sprint Prize winner, two US-trained Breeders' Cup winners and a dual winner of the Group One Newmarket Handicap in Australia.
First Day - Tuesday, June 19th, 2018
2.30pm £600,000 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, straight mile (36 entries)
Royal Ascot starts with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, one of three top flight races on the opening day.
US representation at entry stage comes from Yoshida, trained by Bill Mott and owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International Ltd, SF Racing LLC and Head of Plains.
The Japanese-bred four-year-old, a son of the 2006 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes third Heart's Cry, was a comfortable winner of the Group 3 Hill Prince Stakes over nine furlongs on turf at Belmont Park on October 7th, his final start of 2017.
Mott, who trained the great Cigar, revealed: "Yoshida is in lovely form. He had a great year in 2017 and he won well at Belmont in the Group 3 Hill Prince Stakes on his last run.
"I have been very happy with how he has wintered and we are strongly considering heading to Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes.
"We have nominated him to run and the plan is to run once here in America before that. We are targeting a race on May 5th [Group 3 Fort Marcy Stakes, Belmont Park] so we are currently preparing him for that race. If all goes well there, then Ascot will certainly be on our agenda.
"Yoshida is in very good order and he is doing very well at the moment. I couldn't be happier with him.
3.40pm £500,000 Group 1 King's Stand Stakes, five furlongs (43 entries)
The first of the two Group 1 sprints staged at Royal Ascot is the £500,000 King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs on the opening day.
The King's Stand Stakes is shaping up to be one of the races of the week, with star five-furlong sprinter Battaash (Charlie Hills) heading the European entries.
A strong US challenge is led by last year's winner Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward, USA), who is seeking a third success at the Royal meeting, having also captured the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes as a two-year-old in 2016.
The four-year-old Scat Daddy filly returned to action in the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland on April 14th, when she came home second to Triple Chelsea.
Trainer Wesley Ward, who pioneered American Royal Ascot challenges, has also made a King's Stand Stakes entry for Bound For Nowhere, fourth in last year's six-furlong Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and an impressive four-length winner of the Group 2 Shakertown Stakes over five and half furlongs at Keeneland on April 7th.
Ward revealed: "I am delighted with Lady Aurelia following her second-place finish in the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland. I'm very happy with how she has come out of the race and it was a very good run.
Bucchero, trained by Tim Glyshaw, is another Royal Ascot contender. The Indiana-bred six-year-old landed the Group 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland in October prior to finishing fourth to Stormy Liberal (Diamond Jubilee Stakes entered) in the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
Wednesday, June 20th
4.20pm £750,000 Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, a mile and a quarter (27 entries)
Cracksman and Enable (both John Gosden), who were the two top-rated horses in Europe and the best three-year-olds in the world in 2017, headline 27 entries for the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes over 10 furlongs.
Cracksman is set to return in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp this weekend, while Enable is earmarked for the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup (May 27) at the Curragh, Ireland, or the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs (June 1st).
Other entries to note include top class Godolphin horses, Group 1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor) and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victor Hawkbill (Charlie Appleby).
4.20pm £500,000 Group 1 Coronation Stakes, round mile (57 entries)
US interest comes from Rushing Fall (Chad Brown, USA). The unbeaten daughter of More Than Ready has proved herself the best of her generation in the USA, taking the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf in 2017 and beginning this year with success in the mile Group 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on April 8th.
Bob Edwards of owner e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, which also consists of his wife Kristine and their three children, Cassidy, Riley and Delaney, commented: "We are excited about the future of our turf rocket and couldn't be happier than seeing her in our silks at Royal Ascot.
"We are 58 days out from Royal Ascot and 10 to go until the Kentucky Derby. This is all new territory for the Edwards family and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds."
Saturday, June 23rd
4.20pm £600,000 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, six furlongs (40 entries)
The third Group 1 sprint of the week and the highlight of the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes has attracted a strong international entry.
Australian Redkirk Warrior (referenced earlier) and Americans Bound For Nowhere and Lady Aurelia are all entered in this contest in addition to Tuesday's five-furlong King's Stand Stakes.
In addition to the Wesley Ward-trained duo, there is another American entry in Stormy Liberal (Peter Miller, USA). The six-year-old led home a 1-2 for the trainer in last year's Group 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and looked as good as ever on his return when just failing by half-a-length behind Godolphin's Jungle Cat in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, UAE, on March 31.
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