Jungle Cat on the prowl in King’s Stand Stakes

Acapulco, runner-up in the Nunthorpe as a two-year-old, will represent America in the King’s Stand Stakes. Picture: Racingfotos.com

In addition to riding Emotionless, William Buick also has rides for Godolphin in the other two QIPCO British Champions Series races at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old, in his second year with Sheikh Mohammed’s operation, partners Toormore in the Queen Anne Stakes (2.30), which launches the meeting, and will be aboard Jungle Cat in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Between them, those Group One races are worth an aggregate of £1 million in prize money.

He is especially keen on the prospects of Jungle Cat, who finished half a length second to Profitable in the Pearl Bloodstock Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in late April.

“I think Jungle Cat has got as good a chance as anything in the race,” Buick said. “He should have have won the Palace House but I ended up in the middle of track on my own and didn’t have anything to challenge with. It was a bit of a nightmare and he was unfortunate.

“He had also run well in the Al Quoz Sprint [at Meydan in March) before that and is a good, honest horse. A stiff five furlongs suits him, and the climb to the finish will help.”

The King’s Stand has attracted a final field of 21. Buick hopes to arrive late on the scene but does not intend trying to replicate the rides given to Sole Power when that horse, who will be back for more at the age of nine on Tuesday, was successful in 2013 and 2014.

“Sole Power came from a mile back but this horse is straightforward,” Buick said. “He’s pretty quick, uncomplicated and can hold his own [position wise]. I won’t try to do anything flash.”

Profitable gave the Palace House form a significant boost when following up in the Temple Stakes at Haydock Park at the main expense of Mecca’s Angel, who had collared Wesley Ward’s American challenger Acapulco late on when landing last year’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Other notable runners include Mongolian Saturday, trained by Mongolian-born Enebish Ganbat in America, and Pearl Secret, a fast-finishing fourth in last year’s renewal.

Ganbat wears traditional Mongolian costumes and seems sure to catch the eye of fashion experts. “We are very happy to be here,” he said at a media event at Newmarket on Thursday. “It has been a longstanding plan to run our horse in England. It is a dream to be in the land that celebrates horses.”