O’Brien dominates Royal Lodge field with six entries
An impressive victory in the Tyros Stakes elevated the colt to prominence in the ante-post market for next year’s 2000 Guineas and he is one of six Ballydoyle entries along with Drumbeat, Hail Caesar, Indian Ocean, Masterofthehorse and Set Sail.
Other notable possibles include Mick Channon’s Vintage Stakes hero Orizaba, John Gosden’s Alwaary, the Michael Jarvis-trained Almiqdaad and Henry Cecil’s On Our Way.
The only supplementary entry was Roger Charlton’s Cityscape, a nine-length winner of a novice event at Salisbury earlier this month.
Almiqdaad had Cityscape in behind when winning a very hot maiden at Newmarket last month and the juvenile is held in high regard by Jarvis.
The Newmarket handler has had this event in mind ever since that impressive display and he believes he is up to making his presence felt at this level.
“He won a very nice maiden last time and I do think he is a very nice horse,” said Jarvis.
“We thought the track and the trip at Ascot would be ideal for him so this has been his target for a little while now.
“He handled fast ground well enough on his debut and there was a bit of cut when he won last time so I think he is pretty adaptable.
“He is certainly a very good moving horse so he wouldn’t want extremes of either fast or soft ground. He has proven himself over the mile which is another big plus.”
