Overseas raiders targeting Royal Ascot

Animal Kingdom and big race rider John Velazquez breeze up Ascot’s straight mile. Image courtesy of Ascot Racecourse/Steve Cargill.

Animal Kingdom, trained in the USA by Graham Motion, got his first taste of Ascot last week when familiarising himself with something he has never encountered before – a straight mile!

Used to running round bends, the brilliant winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and this year’s Dubai World Cup will need to readjust when he lines up for the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of Royal Ascot, two weeks’ today.

He has run well over a mile before, notably when chasing home Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year, but a straight one with undulations will be a whole new experience.

His biggest opponent is like to be Farhh, who ran away with the JLT Lockinge Stakes on his reappearance last month for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

The other overseas raiders include Aussie sprinters Sea Siren, trained by John O’Shea, and Shamexpress, trained by Danny O’Brien.

Both Group 1 winners ‘Down Under’, they are due to arrive in Newmarket on Thursday ready for a tilt at the six furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes two weeks on Saturday.

Shamexpress may also run in the five furlong King’s Stand Stakes, the race that follows the Queen Anne two weeks from today, while he is also entered for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday 13 July.

Shea Shea, winner of the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup Night for South African trainer Mike De Kock, will also target both Royal Ascot sprints, while another USA challenger, Havelock, trained by Darrin Miller, is coming just for the Diamond Jubilee.

In addition, USA trainer Wesley Ward, who has tasted Royal Ascot success with two-year-olds in the past, is planning to bring five contenders for the juvenile races. They will be well worth keeping an eye on!

In all there are seven QIPCO British Champions Series races at Royal Ascot – the Queen Anne Stakes (MILE), King’s Stand Stakes (SPRINT), St James’s Palace Stakes (MILE), Prince of Wales’s Stakes (MIDDLE DISTANCE), Gold Cup (Long Distance), Coronation Stakes (FILLIES & MARES) and Diamond Jubilee (SPRINT).

These five sensational days, which make up what is universally regarded as the world’s greatest race meeting, feature 30 races all of which will be shown live on Channel 4 for the first time this year.