Royal Ascot latest news

Estimate wins the Longines Sagaro Stakes in the Royal colours on her seasonal reappearance last month. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com

As the clock counts down to a scintillating Royal Ascot, where the going is currently Good (Good-to-Firm in places) after some showers on Friday night, here’s the latest news.

Magician knocked himself on Thursday, but his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, said yesterday: "He was 100 per cent sound today but just to be on the safe side we will make a final decision on Sunday."

The brilliant Irish 2000 Guineas winner is set to lock horns with the equally impressive QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner, Dawn Approach, in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Now O’Brien has said that Magician will be declared, as will Mars who ran well in both the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and Investec Derby.

Mars is a definite runner under Ryan Moore, while Magician will run as long as O’Brien is happy with him come Tuesday under stable jockey Joseph O’Brien.

Meanwhile Estimate, owned by Her Majesty The Queen, is favourite for the Gold Cup on Thursday.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly, who won The Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last year and the Longines Sagaro Stakes, also at Ascot, last month is one of 19 horses left in the two and half mile contest, race two in the Long Distance division of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Also in there is Rite Of Passage, trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, who won the 2010 Gold Cup and last year’s QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.

Friday’s Coronation Stakes promises to be a cracker as well, with Sky Lantern and Just The Judge, first and second in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, facing a rematch.

Just The Judge has gone on to win the Irish 1000 Guineas and is likely to start favourite for a race in which the unbeaten Pavlosk has been supplemented by trainer Sir Michael Stoute at a cost of £25,000.