Tag Archive for: Royal Ascot Festival

Satono Reve settling in well as Royal Ascot support continues

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Confidence is building that Satono Reve can become the first Japanese-trained winner at Royal Ascot.

The sprinter is in the care of Noriyuki Hori, who is a leading handler in his homeland and will have his first runner at the Royal meeting when his six-year-old lines up in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in the hands of top international jockey Joao Moreira.

Satono Reve had the assistance of Ryan Moore as he underwent his final preparations for his Ascot assignment on Newmarket’s July course on Wednesday morning, with Hori happy with how his contender has settled into his temporary surroundings in British racing’s heartland.

Ryan Moore rode Satono Reve at Newmarket
Ryan Moore rode Satono Reve at Newmarket (Adam Morgan/PA)

“After arriving from Hong Kong, Satono Reve had some time to recover before steadily building up his training,” said Hori.

“We completed his final gallop before the race – a five-furlong piece on the July course at Newmarket, ridden by Ryan Moore.

“Although it’s a different environment from what he’s used to, he’s been coming along well thanks to the warm support of James Horton, his team and everyone involved.”

There have been 10 previous attempts to find the Royal Ascot scoresheet by Japanese challengers, but Satono Reve brings top-class form to the table having enjoyed Grade One success at home and also twice chasing home Hong Kong sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising.

His odds for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes have tumbled in recent days, as the case for his challenge has become more evident, with Paddy Power making him a 6-1 chance for the final Group One of the meeting on Saturday week.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “There’s been a bit of interest for the Japanese raider and while it’s hard to equate winning a Grade One at Chukyo with the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, the volume we’ve seen has forced us into evasive action and the Hori-trained runner is into 6-1.”

Botti contemplating ideal path for Great Generation

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Following a couple of significant boosts to Great Generation’s form at the weekend, Marco Botti is trying to pick the best route to give him chance of further success with the filly.

Having won Lingfield’s Group Three Chartwell Stakes for the second successive year on her seasonal return, a step back up in class beckoned.

But having seen Jabaara win at Musselburgh and Spiritual bolt up at Epsom, with that pair both behind Great Generation, Botti may just be a little bolder with his planning.

“Obviously she’s a tough filly, but the seven-furlong trip is not an easy distance to make plans for as there are very few options,” said Botti.

“She’s in at Royal Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee, but I’m not sure if we go there or wait for the July Cup, or we could wait for the City of York and there’s the Lennox at Goodwood. We want to improve her CV now. She’s won a few Group Threes, so we want to be placed in a Group Two or even a Group One.

“I don’t know if we’ll skip Ascot. The ground will be considered as she needs top of the ground. I think the stiff six furlongs of the July Cup, I wouldn’t rule that out as that will suit her.

“The Lingfield form is very strong with both Jabaara and Spiritual winning at the weekend. We were very pleased with her there.”

Wesley Ward absent from Royal Ascot this year

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For the first time in well over a decade Wesley Ward will not saddle a runner at Royal Ascot, with his exciting juvenile Outfielder ruled out of the showpiece meeting following a late setback.

Hugely impressive on his Churchill Downs debut, the Speightstown colt looked a major contender for the Norfolk Stakes but will not be making the trip across the Atlantic.

Ward said: “He had a a nice breeze yesterday (Tuesday) on the grass here in Keeneland and unfortunately he came out with just a hair of a shin (problem), which 90 per cent of all two-year-olds get and it’s just unfortunate it’s right on the heels of Ascot.

“We’re here and not over there though, that’s one good thing. He didn’t have to leave Keeneland, so that was good.”

Part-owned by Amo Racing, Outfielder could still be seen in action on European soil this summer, with August’s Prix Morny at Deauville – a Group One Ward has previously won with No Nay Never (2013), Lady Aurelia (2016) and Campanelle (2020) – under consideration.

“Our original plan was to go for the Norfolk and then the Prix Morny, so we’ll just train him into the Morny if all goes to plan,” the trainer added.

Few in Europe had heard of Washington-born Ward when he first came to Ascot in 2009, but it did not take him long to make a big impression, with Strike The Tiger becoming the first American-trained horse to win at the Royal meeting when landing the Windsor Castle Stakes.

The very next day Ward was on the mark again with Jealous Again in the Queen Mary and he has sent horses to Berkshire in all but one of the subsequent 14 years, amassing a dozen winners in the process.

Wesley Ward (right) celebrating at Royal Ascot
Wesley Ward (right) celebrating at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

The ebullient handler will be conspicuous by his absence in 2025, but he is not too downbeat.

“I’ll still enjoy watching it here, that’s for sure,” he said.

“This was the 16th year we were getting ready to go over there. My eldest son Riley has been going every year since I started and he’s got all these friends that he’s met that go back and forward between American and the the UK, so he’s the one that’s gutted the most out of the whole family.

“Outfielder was obviously meant to be making the trip and we had another couple lined up and had some breezes on Monday, but while the breezes were good they weren’t Royal Ascot-winning good.

“You know me, I’m pretty positive and excited, but if I’m not thinking they’ve got big chances when it’s a lot of money to go over there for the owners… I want to make sure at least going into it that you think you have a winner.”

Zarigana team content with Coronation choice

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Zarigana is on course for a trip to Royal Ascot after connections resisted the temptation to bid for a Classic double in this weekend’s Prix de Diane in favour of a tilt at the Coronation Stakes.

Successful on three of her first four starts for Francis-Henri Graffard in the colours of the late Aga Khan, the Siyouni filly passed the post second to the Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect in the French 1000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, before being promoted to first by the stewards.

Zarigana could have taken on Shes Perfect again in the French Oaks at Chantilly on Sunday, but she will instead stick to a mile on the penultimate day of the Royal meeting next week.

Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs, said: “The trainer was very keen to run Zarigana in Ascot. We obviously did consider the Prix de Diane because I think she relaxed a lot more last time and she seems to be gaining maturity in her races, so it did become more of an option to consider the Diane for her.

“But I think Francis has trained her more to race over a mile in this first part of the season, that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t stretch her out later in the year. I think he felt it was always part of the programme that he had set aside for her that she would go to Royal Ascot after the Pouliches, especially as we had other fillies for the Diane.

“Zarigana is due to have her last piece of work tomorrow (Thursday) morning. She worked last week and is in good form, so provided all goes well tomorrow, I imagine it’s all systems go for Royal Ascot.”

In Zarigana’s absence, the Aga Khan’s team will be doubly represented in the Prix de Diane Longines, with French Guineas third Mandanaba carrying the colours of the late owner’s daughter Princess Zahra and Listed scorer Cankoura also in the mix.

Routh added: “Principally I think His Highness and Princess Zahra identify themselves as breeders who like to race their horses, and having fillies that are capable of running well in this race is one of our principal objectives of the year.

“We love to have fillies that can perform at the top level, the Prix de Diane is a race His Highness loved to have runners in and obviously he holds the record for the winning-most owner, and all of those fillies were bred by him as well.

“It’s a very special race for our organisation and we’re very happy to have two runners this year in the two different silks’.”

Dwyer reaches for blinkers as Asfoora defends Ascot title

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Asfoora will sport blinkers in search of a “little one per cent”, as the defence of her King Charles III Stakes title marks the start of another European adventure for the Australian ace.

The six-year-old is one of 26 confirmations for the Royal Ascot feature over the minimum distance and she has happily settled back into familiar surroundings on Newmarket’s Hamilton Road ahead of her bid for back-to-back victories at the meeting.

“Everything is going well and she has travelled over really well,” said trainer Henry Dwyer.

Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat
Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat (Adam Morgan/PA)

“We were a bit apprehensive over the logistics of it because last year we were here eight weeks before Ascot and had a lead-up run at Haydock which I thought was vital, whereas this year we’ve tried to do as much as we could at home and arrived later and then straight to Royal Ascot.

“We simply couldn’t get a flight and in an ideal world we would have been here earlier. We were thinking of going to France and having a lead-up run there which would have been good, but as it turned out we couldn’t get here in time.

“I think she’s a different horse this year and seems to be recovering really well and reserving herself a little bit.

“Even in her work she’s a different horse and she used to be really lit up and bouncy and blowy for a bit after her work because she was revved up, but now she’s sort of come back to us a bit.

“I think the blinkers may have been the missing link and I’ve always wanted to put blinkers on her as she is quite a ‘looky’ horse and now I think she has been holding back a little bit, the blinkers might add that little one per cent we need.”

Oisin Murphy rode Asfoora last term and the champion jockey is set to renew his association having been impressed when partnering the antipodean challenger in a racecourse gallop earlier this week.

“I think her fitness is good and she seems in a good place, Oisin seems confident so I just hope he’s right,” added Dwyer.

“Oisin galloped her on Monday on the July course which was a luxury as it was like a bowling green, it was beautiful ground.

“They ran an easy furlong from the five furlong to the four, then went sharp for 600 metres and she steamed through the line with the blinkers on and pulled up like she hadn’t been round.”

Royal Ascot is set to be the first leg of an extended stay in the northern hemisphere for Asfoora, with Dwyer ambitiously eyeing races into the autumn after seeing his stable star thrive in Britain last term.

Henry Dwyer is eyeing another summer of excitement in the UK
Henry Dwyer is eyeing another summer of excitement in the UK (John Walton/PA)

“Knowing that we wanted to get past York this time, we gave her two runs less in Australia this year,” explained Dwyer.

“She will run at Goodwood and York again, and then we would like to go to Ireland and France, but it depends on her. If she is in good order, we will be doing that and two less runs might mean heading to Ireland and France and I would love to get her there.

“It would be a real feather in the cap and bucket list item to just turn up there and would be a really special experience.”

Ed Bethell’s Regional and George Boughey’s Believing were second and fourth behind Asfoora last year and are in line for another crack at their conqueror of 12 months ago, while others to feature amongst the confirmations include new Wathnan Racing recruits Flora Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding) and Night Raider (Karl Burke), who finished second and third respectively behind Inisherin at York last month.

Mgheera is unbeaten in two stars for Ed Walker and heads to the race in peak condition, while Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Cecil Frail Stakes second Prime Art has been supplemented at a cost of £46,000.

The four-year-old underwent a racecourse gallop on Wednesday morning in the hands of Billy Loughnane and Chapple-Hyam said: “I was very happy with her, Billy was happy as well. She’s come on a ton since finishing second in the Listed race at Haydock and I’m very happy.”

Keane eager for flying Ascot start in new Juddmonte role

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Colin Keane is known as ‘baby Mick Kinane’ to some of those closest to him and hopes to prove just as deadly as the great Irish rider at Royal Ascot, with excitement building ahead of a key week in his new role at Juddmonte

The six-time Irish champion jockey was named retained rider to the leading owners earlier in the week and can look forward to a stellar book of mounts as he dives straight in at the deep end for his new employers at one of the year’s most important meetings.

Keane is embracing the challenge as he pays thanks to the role long-time ally Ger Lyons – one of the men who gave Keane his ‘baby Mick’ moniker – has played in his rise to becoming the weighing room’s most wanted man.

Colin Keane will be wearing the Juddmonte colours on a regular basis
Colin Keane will be wearing the Juddmonte colours on a regular basis (Brian Lawless/PA)

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be on the stage I’ve got to. I was with him from when I was an apprentice, I went straight there from my father’s and he has backed me 100 per cent,” said Keane.

“Ger has never hidden that and I’m very fortunate. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. It was a pretty straightforward decision (to take the Juddmonte job) and once I had a chat with Ger and he was happy enough, we were all happy.

“I think Pat (Healy, racing photographer) and Ger came up with ‘baby Mick’ and it’s not a bad nickname to have. But we try to keep it as relaxed as possible and get the job done.

“Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of our sport. It’s the place where everyone wants to go – owners, trainers and jockeys – and so I’m very fortunate to have some nice rides to look forward to next week.”

Keane is the first jockey since James Doyle to be committed to Juddmonte, joining the likes of Pat Eddery and Richard Hughes amongst those who have donned the famous pink, white and green silks on a regular basis for the Abdullah family’s operation.

Colin Keane was in Newmarket to ride Lead Artist on Wednesday
Colin Keane was in Newmarket to ride Lead Artist on Wednesday (Adam Morgan/PA)

It is not just decorated names in the saddle that are inextricably linked with Juddmonte but also some of the finest racehorses of all time, with the 30-year-old well aware of the history of his new role.

Keane added: “It was a ‘pinch yourself’ moment when the call came and I had to double check that it was actually Barry Mahon (Juddmonte’s European racing manager) on the other end of the phone!

“When you get opportunities like this, you have to take them and we could be talking here for a while now about the horses that have come and gone in these colours. Hopefully there will be more to come.

“I’ll be coming over whenever I am told and finding things out. I’ll be talking to Barry Mahon and he’ll be telling me where I need to go. I’ll go over and back from Ireland and maybe having the odd day in France. I’ll be kept busy, that’s for sure.”

First up for Keane will be his Ascot baptism of fire where his new associations will be put to the test on the grandest stage of racing.

Colin Keane tasted Classic glory on Field Of Gold
Colin Keane tasted Classic glory on Field Of Gold (Niall Carson/PA)

However, the Irishman is content to ride the waves of his brief honeymoon period ahead of a week in the spotlight in Berkshire, where Field Of Gold could prove the ace in his swelling pack as he looks to add to his two previous triumphs at the Royal meeting.

“I won’t be able to tell you what the pressure is like until next week and we’ll take it as it comes,” Keane added.

“I’ve a nice book of rides and the hardest problem is often getting on these horses, so it’s a nice problem to have. You just have to take your chances.

“You are riding these horses for brilliant trainers and they will guide you the best way possible and you will have done your homework for sure. You’re more looking forward to it than anything.”

Colin Keane familiarises himself with Lead Artist ahead of Queen Anne

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Lead Artist will face some familiar rivals as the Lockinge winner headlined 11 confirmations for Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The opening contest of the 2025 fixture is one of the highlights of the week, with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Lead Artist set to clash again with Newbury second Dancing Gemini, third-placed Rosallion and the fourth Notable Speech.

Both Notable Speech and Rosallion were Classic winners last year, taking the English and Irish 2000 Guineas respectively, and while John Gosden expects the pair to improve for their seasonal bows, he is backing Lead Artist to again make his presence felt.

He said: “Rosallion and Notable Speech are both going to come on for that Lockinge run and it is as good a Queen Anne as I have seen in a long time. Now those two have a race under their belt, it’s quite a humdinger to start the meeting with.

“Lead Artist has matured a lot mentally, which some of us do as we get older, and I like his enthusiasm as you can put him anywhere in a race, even though handy is where we would all like to be.”

Lead Artist has not run since that neck defeat of Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini, but enjoyed a racecourse gallop at Newmarket on Wednesday morning under owner Juddmonte’s new retained rider Colin Keane.

Oisin Murphy was in the saddle for last month’s Lockinge and Gosden felt it was a worthwhile exercise for Keane to get a feel for his mount ahead of the Group One.

He added: “It’s been a long time since the Lockinge so it’s great to come here and of course there has been not much rain, so we have been pretty much stuck on the all-weather all spring.

“Colin hasn’t ridden him before and maybe hasn’t seen him before, so it was good he could come here and get a feel for him.

“He does hold his condition really well and he’s a well-covered, powerful horse. But that comes from the sire line and they do hold their condition incredibly well.

“We’ve been pleased with him and he’s had a nice blow here which should set him up nicely for next Tuesday.”

The Gosden team has a powerful second string in Sardinian Warrior, who was just denied in the Prix d’Ispahan last time out while last year’s second Docklands, the supplemented Carl Spackler, Lake Forest, Diego Velazquez, Quddwah and Cairo are also in the mix

Field Of Gold on course for ’round two’ with Ruling Court

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John Gosden is relishing the Royal Ascot rematch between stable star Field Of Gold and his 2000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court in a mouthwatering St James’s Palace Stakes.

The Clarehaven hotshot suffered defeat at Newmarket to Charlie Appleby’s Justify colt – who was a late withdrawal from the Derby due to rain-softened ground – but gained Classic redemption in sublime style at the Curragh last month.

“Round two with Ruling Court is exciting and is what Royal Ascot is all about. There will be a fabulous line-up of horses in a lot of races,” said Gosden, who watched some of his team for the Royal meeting work on Newmarket’s July course on Wednesday morning.

“There was no need for him to come and have a gallop today as he’s only just run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, but he’s fine and heading to the St James’s Palace.”

Having followed in the footsteps of his sire Kingman almost symmetrically to this point, Gosden is now hoping he can replicate his father once again by scoring in a blockbuster opening-day clash also contains Aidan O’Brien’s Poule d’Essai des Poulains champion Henri Matisse.

However, to do so the long-striding grey could need the draw gods to shine favourably and Gosden continued: “We will have to see how the race works out and you have to take a good look at the draw haven’t you over the mile at Ascot.

“If you’re drawn on the inside you might never see daylight and we’ll see how that draw goes and take things from there.”

Gosden, who has won the St James’s Palace Stakes three times among his 66 Royal Ascot winners, also gave his backing to Colin Keane, who was on the July course assisting in preparations after securing the prime position of Juddmonte retained jockey ahead of the summer’s showpiece meeting.

The six-time Irish champion stepped in aboard Field Of Gold when the colt scorched to Irish 2,000 Guineas glory and although it was Queen Anne Stakes hope Lead Artist instead of the his Classic hero that he partnered in Wednesday morning work, Gosden hailed the 30-year-old’s class in the saddle.

“He’s a very talented jockey and horseman and an extremely nice fellow,” explained Gosden.

“The travelling will be demanding, but I’m sure he will fit in well once he gets to know all the horses. I think if you travel regularly on Ryanair you might be seeing him. He’ll be over plenty riding work as well as at the races and he’s come over today especially.

“He’s a classy jockey and you’re not six-time Irish champion without being at the top of your game as racing over there is tough and no one gives a quarter to anyone. So to that extent he is very talented and it’s an exciting opportunity for him.”

As well as Ruling Court, Appleby has Guineas third Shadow Of Light and Opera Ballo in contention, while Juddmonte can also call on the Andrew Balding-trained pair of Jonquil and Windlord.

O’Brien also has a total of three contenders, with First Wave and Officer still in the mix alongside Henri Matisse, as Rashabar (Brian Meehan) and Scorthy Champ (Joseph O’Brien) complete the 11-strong list.

Chapple-Hyam planning to supplement Kon Tiki for Coronation Stakes

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Kon Tiki will be put through her paces at Newmarket on Friday, with trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam planning to supplement her charge for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Night Of Thunder filly is unbeaten in three starts, supplementing two all-weather novice successes with a Listed strike on her first turf spin at York’s Dante meeting.

After bypassing a run in the Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly at the start of the month, Kon Tiki will have a racecourse gallop before connections pay £46,000 to add her to the Coronation field.

Speaking at the July course on Wednesday morning, Chapple-Hyam said: “She’s really good, she’s coming here on Friday morning for a gallop and she’s being supplemented then on the Saturday.

“We looked at the Sandringham in France which was on French Derby day, it just came that fortnight too quick and she came in season, so it was a combination.”

Carl Spackler in great shape with Ascot approaching

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Connections of Carl Spackler rate Ascot itself as the biggest challenge for their new American recruit in Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes.

The five-year-old was sold to Yulong Investments last month, shortly after recording his third Grade One victory for trainer Chad Brown in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland.

Now with Australian handler Ciaron Maher, Carl Spackler will make his yard debut in the opening event of the Royal meeting, with William Bourne, Maher’s bloodstock manager, acknowledging the course as a key obstacle for the Lope De Vega horse to overcome.

He said: “I would say his biggest challenge is the conditions and the track. A stiff mile at Ascot is probably the biggest ask coming from America, I think that will be his biggest challenge in handling that.

“It would be amazing (to win). It’s pretty unique to purchase a horse in America, to be trained by an Australian and run at Royal Ascot, but the long-term plan is to bring him out for the Cox Plate, so we’d be thrilled to get this on the way through.”

Carl Spackler was put through his paces on Newmarket’s July course on Wednesday morning, with Jamie Spencer in the saddle, although top Australian jockey James McDonald will be in the plate on Tuesday.

Bourne said: “We came here wanting to have a hit out. That’s his second gallop since he’s been here in Newmarket, he came in with good condition, a very healthy horse from Chad Brown and after the feedback from Jamie Spencer on his first gallop, he needed a good hit out so coming here today, he got that and that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve.

“He’s done it really nicely and Jamie said when he gave him a little squeeze late on, he really exploded and he was pretty impressed by how much he’d switched on from his first to his second gallop. It’s obviously not an easy task for us, but the horse looks fit and well.”

McDonald is no stranger to Royal Ascot success, having ridden three winners at the fixture in 2022, and has enjoyed plenty of big-race wins for Yulong, not least with ex-British runner Via Sistina who he has steered to six Group One wins since her transfer to Australia.

James McDonald was an Ascot winner aboard Nature Strip in 2022
James McDonald was an Ascot winner aboard Nature Strip in 2022 (David Davies/PA)

Bourne said: “James is great, obviously he’s had a lot of luck with the colours on with Via Sistina and he’s had winners at Royal Ascot before. He’s a great fit for the owners, they wanted him and it’s a great to have a world-class jockey on your horse in a Group One.

“He’s Yulong’s main rider in Australia and if ‘J-Mac’ was available, we were very happy to use him.

“James is happy to come over and ride the horse, I was chatting to him last week, he’s watched his tapes and is getting very excited about the horse. He didn’t know who he was and I got a very bland response, but after watching the tapes and having a look at the horse, he’s very excited and upbeat.”

Winner of eight of his 12 starts in America, although Carl Spackler has the Cox Plate, Australia’s premier weight-for-age race, firmly on his agenda in the autumn, should he run well at Ascot, he might yet have a second British start.

Bourne added: “We’ll play it by ear, we’re going to look at Goodwood as an option but his ultimate goal will be the Cox Plate, so we will see how he runs on Tuesday and go from there. He’s obviously a quality horse and there will be plenty of options for him.”

Zahrann under consideration for King Edward VII challenge

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The King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot next week remains under consideration for Zahrann following his impressive recent victory at Leopardstown.

Narrowly beaten on his Navan debut before bolting up at Cork, the Johnny Murtagh-trained three-year-old faced a significant step up in class for the Listed King George V Cup but overcame signs of inexperience to come from last to first and win going away in the colours of the late Aga Khan.

Murtagh raised the option of a trip to Ascot in the immediate aftermath and Pat Downes, general manager at the Aga Khan’s Irish studs, said on Tuesday: “He will certainly have an entry in the King Edward and beyond that we’re just going to see how he is over the next few days.

“He was obviously still a little bit raw when winning at Leopardstown and we’ll just have to think what is in the best interests of the horse for his next race, but certainly the King Edward is a possibility as we speak now.

“We were delighted with him in Leopardstown, the race was run at a pretty sedate pace so he was a bit further back than ideal and came wide into the straight as well, so I thought he did well to pick them up and win well at the line.”

The possibility of Zahrann being supplemented for the Irish Derby was also mooted, but given the Curragh Classic comes just nine days after his potential Royal Ascot engagement he appears highly unlikely to do both.

“It would be one or the other and I would say, given how he ran at Leopardstown it might be better to take a smaller step with him than a bigger step just at this point in his career,” Downes added.

“He’s got some nice entries for the second half of the year and he’s certainly a horse we would see being effective over 10 or 12 furlongs, so hopefully there’s some good days ahead with him.”

Zahrann could be part of a small but select team of horses to carry the famous green and red silks at the Royal meeting, with his stablemate Reyenzi also pencilled in alongside some major challengers from France.

Reyenzi (third right) in action at the Curragh
Reyenzi (third right) in action at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

Reyenzi was first past the post in the Group Three Gallinule Stakes last month before being demoted to third by the stewards after causing interference.

Downes said: “The plan for Reyenzi at the moment is that he’ll run in the Hampton Court. He ran around a bit the last day for sure, but it was only his third lifetime start and hopefully he’ll have learned from that and he’s been in good form since.

“Then the two main ones from France would be Zarigana in the Coronation Stakes and Candelari in the Gold Cup and we’ll probably have a couple of others as well.”

Johnson Houghton targets Ascot with Woodcote second

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Royal Ascot beckons for Eve Johnson Houghton’s eyecatching Woodcote runner-up Havana Hurricane.

The Havana Gold colt won on his debut at Goodwood in May and despite missing the break at Epsom, ran on to be beaten just a length and a half by Godolphin’s £720,000 breeze-up buy Maximized.

Royal Ascot now beckons, with the Windsor Castle and Norfolk Stakes possible targets for the shrewdly-bought 9,000 guineas purchase.

“He’s great, he’s been very well and is such a laid-back horse,” said Johnson Houghton.

“Horses don’t know how much they cost, they haven’t got a clue. Once we get them in the yard we don’t really care what they cost either, we treat them all the same.

“He could go for the Windsor Castle or the Norfolk, he’ll be entered in both.

“He’s got bags of pace, clearly, even when he does give the rest of them a head start! A stiff five at Ascot has got to really suit him.”

Havana Hurricane holds an entry for the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury in mid-July, for which he would carry a relative feather weight as allocations are based on purchase price.

Johnson Houghton added: “He’s in the Super Sprint, we’ll see how Ascot goes of course, but it’s very tasty prize-money for us to look at and I think he’s pretty useful.”

Jockey plans still to be made for Dancing Gemini

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Roger Teal has yet to decide who will ride Dancing Gemini in the Royal Ascot curtain-raiser, the Queen Anne Stakes, next week.

Just touched off in the Lockinge by Lead Artist, the four-year-old will lock horns once again with John and Thady Gosden’s colt, as well as the likes of Rosallion and Notable Speech.

It will be a real case of jockey merry-go-round, however, as Colin Keane will be replacing Oisin Murphy on Lead Artist due to his new retained role with Juddmonte, while Ryan Moore, who rode Dancing Gemini at Newbury, could be required by Aidan O’Brien for Diego Velazquez.

The leaves the door open for either Rossa Ryan or Kieran Shoemark, who have both ridden Dancing Gemini to victory this season.

“There are three boys who have ridden him this season and we don’t know which way the cards are going to fall yet,” said Teal on Sky Sports Racing.

“One of them will be on board but I can’t say which one yet, we’ll just have to see what Mr O’Brien does with Ryan and Ralph Beckett with Rossa. Kieran is free so it will be one of the three.

“Rosallion and Notable Speech have a couple of lengths to make up on us and if the ground is on the easier side, I know the forecast is unpredictable at the moment, but if there’s soft in it then it will be more in our favour than theirs.

“I was tremendously proud of him, but I won’t lie I was gutted at Newbury. Second in a Lockinge is great, but to win would have been much better, hopefully we can win the Queen Anne and that will make up for it.

“Having a horse like Gemini in the yard is great for morale, they all play their part in getting this horse to where we are today.”

Bookmakers shorten Los Angeles with Economics to miss Ascot

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Los Angeles has been cut in the ante-post market on the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, with Economics ruled out.

The William Haggas-trained Economics had been seen as one of the main dangers to Aidan O’Brien’s star, following a three-year-old campaign that saw him win the Dante Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes.

He was due to make his reappearance on day two of the Royal fixture, but Haggas told the Racing Post he would not be running and was “out in the short term, but it’s no big deal and hopefully he can be back in action soon”.

In his absence Los Angeles is the 3-1 favourite from 7-2 with William Hill, with Owen Burrows’ Champion Stakes winner Anmaat next best at 4-1.

William Hill spokesman Lee Phelps said: “News that William Haggas’ Economics has been ruled out of Royal Ascot has shaken up the Prince of Wales’s Stakes market.

“With one of his key competitors out, we have clipped Los Angeles from 7-2 to 3-1 at the head of the market.

“One horse we’re now fearing could be a popular pick is Anmaat after a strong reappearance behind Los Angeles at the Curragh and the Champion Stakes winner could be the punters’ pick at 4-1.

“Economics had been third in the betting, but that place now belongs to Wathnan Racing’s French raider Map Of Stars (5-1).”

Paddy Power make Los Angeles a 5-2 chance, with Map Of Stars 4-1 and Anmaat 9-2.

Connections opt to miss French Oaks with Falakeyah

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Falakeyah will not be running in the Prix de Diane on Sunday, with the race coming too soon for Owen Burrows’ filly following a dirty scope 10 days ago.

Despite working well on Tuesday morning, Burrows felt the French Classic at Chantilly was just coming at the wrong time for his unbeaten three-year-old, who needs a little longer to recuperate.

Having bypassed the Oaks at Epsom to wait for France, her third Group One option of three after she won on her comeback at Newmarket was the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, should connections decide on coming back to a mile next week, she would need to be supplemented.

Angus Gold, racing manager for the filly’s owners, Shadwell, said: “She scoped dirty 10 days ago.

“We treated her and worked her this morning, she worked beautifully, we were all very happy, but Owen just said she had a decent blow having missed a crucial bit of work.

“It is hard enough to win a Classic when you are 110 per cent so we’re not going to risk running her.

“We haven’t got as far as discussing the next plan yet, but she won’t be going to France, it’s just bad timing.”