Longer trip sure to suit Marzocco

The Queen’s Vase is a race worth getting involved in on day four of the Royal Ascot meeting and the John Gosden-trained Marzocco looks the type to appreciate the step up to two miles on fast ground, and the lightly raced colt can continue his progress with victory here.

By Kitten’s Joy out of a Dynaformer mare, he won his maiden at the first time of asking, scoring at Kempton at the backend of last season. He then made his return at Epsom in late April, and finished a close second (Hartnell finished fifth) behind a horse, Our Channel, who was deemed worthy of a place in the Epsom Derby.

He then went to the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood and ran a race full of promise to take second place, beaten just a neck by Obversational. Early in the straight he looked set for a modest fourth-place finish but the further they went, the better he got, and his strong late charge was just denied.