Spencer relishing Glory’s Gold bid
Aidan O’Brien’s stayer also won the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at the Berkshire course in the autumn to prove himself top class.
The trainer’s son, Joseph O’Brien, was in the saddle when Fame And Glory made a successful reappearance in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan last month, and Spencer expects the six-year-old to be in prime condition when he defends his crown.
“He won the two main staying races there, the one on Champions Day and the Gold Cup itself, so they were good days,” Spencer, retained rider to owner Fitri Hay, told At The Races.
“Joseph said that he was a bit fresh and keen (at Navan), but he showed plenty of life. it was his first start of the year.
“He improved from his runs last year when he got to Ascot and I’m sure Aidan will have him in top-top shape.
“He’s up against good horses like Saddler’s Rock and Colour Vision, so we will have to see how the race pans out.”
Meanwhile, Pat Smullen is excited at the prospect of Emulous going for the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The Irish jockey was delighted with her victory in the Group Three Equestrian Stakes at the Curragh on her seasonal reappearance last month, when she had to give weight to all her eight rivals.
The Dermot Weld-trained filly, owned by Khalid Abdullah, is now likely to go for the Group Two contest over the straight mile at the Royal meeting on Wednesday.
“She had a Group One penalty and won very easily, hopefully that will leave her right for a crack at Royal Ascot,” Smullen told At The Races.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with her. Her comeback run was very encouraging and she’s always been a filly we’ve thought a lot of.
“She seems to be getting better as she gets older. Right now you’d have to be pleased with the way she is.
“I’d say the Windsor Forest is where she’ll go. That was the thought after she won at the Curragh.”
Smullen feels Rock Critic, also trained by Weld, has a big chance in the Hunt Cup.
“The Hunt Cup is the plan with him. He’s a good old horse and comes good this time of year,” he said.
“He loves good ground and it’s a race he can be very competitive in.
“He’s big horse and well able to take all the knocking around in a race like that.
“He travels very well in his races and that helps in those big, competitive handicaps.”
Cristoforo Colombo has virtually halved in price for next week’s Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot after being the subject of a sustained gamble.
Coral now make the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt their 7-2 favourite from 6-1 for the Group Two event, the fourth race on the opening afternoon of the showpiece meeting, following his maiden win at Navan last month.
His sire, Henrythenavigator, who was also trained by O’Brien, won the Coventry in 2007.
Chris Wall has warned he will only run Premio Loco against Frankel in the Queen Anne Stakes if the ground suitable at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
Premio Loco is seven times a Group winner, but is only at his best on good ground or faster.
Should the ground be deemed too soft, Wall would have no option but to miss the Group One contest that opens the five-day extravaganza.
“I just hope they don’t get too much rain. I would like to run Premio Loco in the Queen Anne,” said the trainer.
“I know we have no hope of beating Frankel, but it would be good to have a nice day at Ascot and run well in a race with Frankel in it.
“I won’t run him if it’s too soft. The hope is that at least on the straight course on which the Queen Anne is run on being a new track it drains very freely on there.
“If they had three dry days with a bit of sunshine and a breeze, the ground may get to be on the good side of good to soft. I’d probably let the horse run, but if it was proper good to soft or softer he just can’t go in it and it’s a waste of time running him.
“If he didn’t run we’d have to wait a bit longer. The next stop might be something like the Summer Mile at Ascot in early July. That would probably be his next port of call and I don’t think there is anything overseas either, so we’d just have to wait.”
Ascot clerk of the course Chris Stickels expects the going to be on the easy side of good for the start of the five-day meeting on Tuesday. He describes the ground as soft with the odd heavy patch after significant rain over the last couple of days.
Drier weather is forecast until Friday but more rain is expected over the weekend. Stickels feels it is unlikely the going will be good for Tuesday’s card.
