O’Brien ‘very happy’ with Found ahead of Coronation
Despite not making her debut until last August, she made great strides in 2014.
On just her second outing she was beaten less than a length in the Moyglare Stud Stakes before running out an impressive winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.
A setback in the spring meant the Guineas at Newmarket came too soon for her, but she ran just a day later in Group Three company when she was surprisingly beaten.
She showed more on her next start in the Irish Guineas when just held off by Pleascach and a crack at the Oaks was bypassed to run in this race.
“We were absolutely delighted with her (at the Curragh). She ran a great race and finished really well. We’ve been very happy since,” said the Ballydoyle handler.
“She stepped up nicely from her first run at the Curragh.
“Obviously she’ll stay at a mile for this race, but we might step up after that. She won around Longchamp going right-handed so hopefully she will be OK at Ascot.”
Ryan Moore will be in the saddle and told Racing UK: “Things just haven’t quite worked out for her so far this year, but I’m hopeful she goes to Ascot with a very good chance. We think a lot of her.”
The French filly Ervedya, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, appears to be the best of her generation in France but was beaten by Found at the end of last year.
She has two more wins to her name this season, including a smooth success in the French Guineas.
She is owned by the Aga Khan, whose racing manager Georges Rimaud said: “We are looking forward to it. We are facing stiff competition, but the filly has travelled well and everything is as good as it can be. She is ready.
“There are no issues with fast ground or soft ground. She is equally competitive on either – as long as it’s safe we are happy.It is a difficult race, but this is normal and what you would expect.”
Irish Rookie ran a fine race to be second to Ervedya at Longchamp and trainer Martyn Meade was going to step her up in trip for the French Oaks last weekend.
However, she has been showing so much speed in her work at home connections decided to supplement her for this instead.
Her jockey Fergus Sweeney said: “We thought at the start of the year a mile would be her absolute minimum but now we’re not quite so sure.
“I’m confident she has improved since France and it gives you a good chance. There are a lot of good fillies there but I can’t see why she shouldn’t be good enough.
“A Group One winner would be nice for the CV and I’m hoping this could be the year.”
Arabian Queen was an impressive winner of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom for David Elsworth and while the veteran trainer recognises this will be much tougher for his diminutive filly, he feels she is capable of making her presence felt.
“This is the toughest assignment Arabian Queen has ever had, it’s a race full of quality and will probably be won by the best three-year-old mile filly in Europe. It’s a big ask for her but believe you me, she’s a very good filly,” said Elworth
“She’s in good form having come out of her Epsom win well. In the end she had quite an easy race there and she’s going to go to Ascot ready to run to her full potential. I think there’s still some improvement in her.
“She made the running both at Epsom, because we wanted to take advantage of her good draw, and when she won her Group Two last season, because it just unfolded that way. But I would be quite happy for her to take a lead from something.
“She’s not very big, but as the old saying goes ’it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog’. I had one even smaller called Foodbroker Fancy and it didn’t stop her.”
Godolphin have three runners, 1000 Guineas runner up Lucida, trained by Jim Bolger, Sperry for John Gosden and Saeed bin Suroor’s Local Time. Gosden also runs Yasmeen.
The American runner Miss Temple City completes the field.
