Magician set for showdown

Magician is set to spearhead Aidan O’Brien’s bid for a seventh St James’s Palace Stakes success at Royal Ascot today after overcoming a late injury scare.

Bruising that the Irish 2,000 Guineas hero suffered in a knock on Thursday has disappeared and he is posied to take his chance in what has the makings of a vintage renewal of the Group One over a mile.

Magician’s pilot Joseph O’Brien, son of the Ballydoyle handler, is looking forward to the contest and the chance to take on Newmarket 2000 Guineas victor Dawn Approach, who ruined his chance in the Investec Derby when refusing to settle for much of the mile-and-a-half journey.