Watering commences ahead of Royal showpiece
Watering has begun at Royal Ascot in preparation for next week’s five-day spectacular.
“We are starting watering. We will do some tonight and some tomorrow,” clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said today.
But after that Cheyne will monitor the situation on a daily basis as there is a possibility of rain over the weekend.
“It’s a pretty frustrating forecast. Two days ago we were told that we were in for a dry few days but now there is the possibility of thunderstorms coming over from northern France on Saturday,” he said.
The going is currently described as good to firm, good in places.
Interest in the five-day Festival gained momentum today with the publication of confirmations for the opening programme on Tuesday.
There were impressive entries for the two Group One races, the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes, and a highly-competitive look to the Group Two King’s Stand Stakes.
Martillo, winner of the German 2000 Guineas, was today supplemented for the St James’s Palace.
The son of Anabaa, who took the Group Two contest by six lengths from Royal Price, is owned by Manfred Hellwig and trained by Ralf Suerland.
He could clash with the victors of two other European 2000 Guineas – Indian Haven (Irish) and Clodovil (French) – in the Group One contest over the Old Mile and worth £145,000 to the winner.
Aidan O’Brien has captured the race for the last three years with Giant’s Causeway, Black Minnaloushe and Rock Of Gibraltar and the Ballydoyle trainer has left in five among a total of 16 confirmed.
They are Alberto Giacometti, France, Hold That Tiger, Spartacus and Statue Of Liberty.
Other interesting horses standing their ground include Sagitta 2000 Guineas runner-up Zafeen and Sir Michael Stoute’s highly-promising colt Kalaman.
Kalaman, winner of the Heron Stakes at Kempton, is as short as 6-4 favourite with Ladbrokes to leap from Listed company to Group One.
But there is an even hotter market leader for the Queen Anne Stakes in Hawk Wing.
He is a best-priced 1-2 following his brilliant win in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old slammed Where Or When by 11 lengths in last month’s Group One event at Newbury, and his presence in the £250,0000 contest over the straight mile for which 16 horses stood their ground, is eagerly awaited.
The runner-up, trained by Terry Mills, will aim to take his revenge and try to repeat the shock success he gained over Hawk Wing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over Ascot’s Old Mile course last September.
Godolphin will be pinning their hopes for a fifth Queen Anne success on Dubai Destination.
The four-year-old recently made a successful seasonal reappearance in a conditions race at Nottingham after over 12 months absence from the track.
Godolphin won the mile feature four years in succession courtesy of Charnwood Forest (1996), Allied Forces (1997), Intikhab (1998) and Cape Cross (1999).
Tillerman, beaten a short head by No Excuse Needed 12 months ago, may try to go one better, while The Queen has a probable runner in Windsor winner Right Approach.
An international flavour is added by UAE 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Victory Moon, trained in South Africa by Mike de Kock.
Dominica, winner of last year’s King’s Stand Stakes, was among a field of 28 horses left in at today’s confirmation stage for the Group Two sprint at Royal Ascot next Tuesday.
The four-year-old filly, trained by Marcus Tregoning, defeated Continent by a head and the subsequent Darley July Cup hero is among a team of three from the David Nicholls stable.
Continent is 7-1 favourite with Coral to take his revenge with Dominica at 8-1.
The Thirsk trainer also has Bahamian Pirate and Caption Rio in the £140,000 five-furlong dash.
Godolphin are set to rely on last summer’s Queen Mary winner Romantic Liaison, while John Gosden has left in Malhub, who took the Golden Jubilee Stakes here last June and Oasis Dream, the Shadwell Stud Stakes Middle Park Stakes scorer last autumn.
Gosden plans to keep an eye on the weather.
He said: “I’ve got a lot of horses that want cut in the ground and I’d say that judging by the weather forecast we’re going to be in trouble. If it is fast ground that will cut my string for Ascot in half. Most of them will work tomorrow and we’ll see how they go.
“Malhub is in good form and at least he will like the ground. He will go for either the King’s Stand or the Golden Jubilee, I haven’t decided yet.
“Oasis Dream is also on course to run provided he works well enough tomorrow.”
Looking further ahead Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, the owner of Malhub, has yet to decide whether the Marcus Tregoning-trained Nayef runs in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on the Wednesday or in the Hardwicke Stakes on the Saturday.
“He came back from Dubai at the end of April, he’s back in work and Marcus has been really pleased with him recently,” Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager told attheraces.
“We are going to leave him in the Prince of Wales’s and also he’ll be in the Hardwicke as well and Sheikh Hamdan will make up his mind nearer the time which race to go in. He’s in great form.
Gold is also looking forward to Mustajed running in the Group Three Coventry Stakes next Tuesday.
The full-brother to 20002 Nell Gwyn winner Misterah showed great promise when making a winning debut at Newbury last month.
“Hopefully he’ll go for the Coventry. He looks a nice horse and hopefully he will perform with credit,” added Gold.
Queen Anne Stakes, Coral bet: 1-2 Hawk Wing, 9-2 Dubai Destination, 6-1 Where Or When, 11-1 Tillerman, Desert Deer, 12-1 Firebreak, 14’s Palace Stakes, Coral bet: 7-4 Kalaman, 7-2 Clodovil, 4-1 Indian Haven, 7-1 Zafeen, 9-1 France, 10-1 Tout Seul, Martillo, 16-1 bar.
King’s Stand Stakes, Coral bet: 7-1 Continent, 8-1 Dominica, 9-1 Polar Way, 10-1 The Trader, Firebolt, 12-1 Captain Rio, Danehurst, Elusive City, 14-1 Saddad, Acclamation, Bahamian Pirate, Olivia Grace, 16-1 bar.
