Royal Ascot day four: Quotes from connections and Man On The Spot tips

2.30 Albany Stakes (Fillies' Group 3)

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Views from connections

Aidan O'Brien - Just Wonderful and Fairyland

"Seamus' filly won her maiden over five furlongs then won a Listed race over the colts over six the next day. She is a very straightforward filly and it looks like she will get further than six furlongs.

"Ryan's filly has only won a maiden but was very impressive and he loved her when she won it. She is a nice filly as well but we will learn a lot about them both after the race. Fairyland has done well to win twice and the other filly did very well to win as she was across the other side of the track at the Curragh but she still won very nicely."

Man On The Spot Verdict

Matthieu Palussiere won this last year with a 20/1 chance and sends over No More Regrets, second last time in Italy, this time. She’s joined by compatriots Byron Bay and Reponse Exacte, both debut winners. Merry Go Round has travelled over from Germany and Stillwater Cove represents American trainer Wesley Ward, though the extra furlong has to be a worry for that one. There are three Irish fillies and all boast decent form. Jessica Harrington’s Chicas Amigas was second to stablemate Servalan, who ran well in Wednesday’s Queen Mary, in a Listed race at Naas last time and Aidan O’Brien runs two. Ryan Moore rides JUST WONDERFUL, who made a winning start at the Curragh despite being easy to back. She has a very nice pedigree and is open to bags of improvement and may get the better of stablemate Fairyland, who has done nothing wrong so far and rates the danger. The unbeaten Main Edition is probably the best of Mark Johnston’s pair, though Octave was trying to give weight to Tuesday’s Coventry Stakes winner Calyx at Newmarket and finished eight lengths clear of the remainder. La Pelosa won nicely at Kempton and Angel's Hideaway did likewise at Haydock after finishing third in a race at Newmarket that’s working out well.

3.05 King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)

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Views from connections

Aidan O'Brien - Delano Roosevelt, Rostropovich and Giuseppe Garibaldi

"Delano Roosevelt ran well in the Derby and he has come out of it well. He has been in good form since.

"We are not really sure what happened with Rostropovich in France, but we were a little bit disappointed with his run. He is stepping up to a mile and a half now. He should like the ground and the track. He also seems to be in good form.

"Giuseppe Garibaldi took a run or two to win his maiden then he won a Listed race at Leopardstown last time. We were going to go a mile and six (furlongs) but we just said we would leave him at a mile and a half. He travels well in his races. We will probably step him up after this."

Charlie Appleby - Old Persian

"He's got a nice, progressive profile. It's another step up in trip and in class. Those are the two question marks but we feel he deserves to be there. He won't look out of place and I'm confident we'll see that bit more improvement stepping up in trip."

Tim Easterby - Wells Farhh Go

"The Dante was 10 furlongs and he was just getting going. Over a mile and a half he'll love it. He's going there a fresh horse and we're looking forward to running him."

Man On The Spot Verdict

Delano Roosevelt was below par in the Derby but still finished ahead of stablemate Kew Gardens, who won Wednesday’s Queen’s Vase, and is one of the few proven at this level. Rostropovich wasn’t disgraced in the French Derby but stamina could be an issue over 1m4f but another Ballydoyle runner, Giuseppe Garibaldi, won a Listed race over this trip at Leopardstown last time. Wells Farhh Go won a Group 3 last year and was much too keen on his reappearance in the Dante. If the latter settles better, he could be interesting in this as he’s still unexposed. Raa Atoll should have few problems confirming Nottingham running with Elector and took a further step forward upped to this trip at Leicester but we’ll take OLD PERSIAN to continue his good progress this year. He finished ahead of Highbrow last month and gave the impression he was ready for a step up in distance when scoring at HQ on his next start.

3.40 Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)

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Views from connections

Paul Hanagan, jockey - Sands Of Mali

"I don't think the distance (a nose) he won last time told the whole result, really. He got a bit lonely in front, but he was always holding on. He showed a good attitude and determination to stick his head out again. We are kind of hoping they are going to go quick. He is not the type of horse you can mess about with as he jumps so quick and gets into that big, long stride. It was a good Sandy Lane and we've always thought a lot of this horse, so we are pretty confident. He is the one I've been looking forward to all meeting."

James Tate - Invincible Army

"We're looking forward to the rematch. He should keep improving with every race."

Aidan O'Brien - Sioux Nation

"He won over five (furlongs) here last year and he is a fast horse. He seems in good form and he has been progressing with his runs. We think he is ready for this but it will be his first time over six furlongs on a real stiff track. It was six the last day but it will be more competitive this time. Fleet Review is solid and he gets the six furlongs well."

Charlie Hills - Equilateral

"I think he's a very talented horse with a great attitude. He's lightly raced and obviously it is a big step up in class but, for me, he's got the right mindset to overcome the step up in class."

Clive Cox - Heartache

"She did disappoint a little bit on her comeback run, but she's come out of the race well and she's now got to step up and prove it over six (furlongs)."

Owen Burrows - Enjazaat

"He was three lengths behind Invincible Army on rain-softened ground in the Pavilion Stakes. I am not saying he will win but I think if he gets a bit of luck he could nick a place as a strong-run six (furlongs) will suit."

John Gosden - Emblazoned

"He is improving and he proved he belonged in that company at Haydock. I think it is a good Commonwealth Cup. Some really fantastic horses have won it and it looks a good race again this year. He ran a big race at Haydock but he is improving all the time and he will need to again. It is great to have horse to run in a race like this but we are aware what price we are in the market."

Man On The Spot Verdict

Equilateral has been all the rage for this since slaughtering a subsequent dual winner in a novice event at Doncaster when conceding 12lb. He could be anything and it would be no surprise to see him in the firing-line, though he’s drawn low and much of the action has been down the centre of the track this week. Sioux Nation beat Fleet Review, Speak In Colours and Now You're Talking when justifying favouritism in a Group 3 at Naas last month. Main Desire improved again when completing his hat-trick in a Listed race at York and Eqtidaar finished ahead of a couple these when fourth at Newbury, though looks held on an earlier form here. Sands Of Mali won a Group 3 at Chantilly on his reappearance and then edged out INVINCIBLE ARMY in the Group 2 Sandy Lane at Haydock when Emblazoned finished third. But the runner-up can finally get the better of Richard Fahey’s colt today given the latter may get isolated up against the stands’ rail. James Tate’s charge won the Pavilion Stakes here in May which produced the second and third in last year’s race. Cardsharp got back on track at Salisbury but has plenty to find on earlier form and Heartache may benefit from a drop back to 5f.

4.20 Coronation Stakes (Group 1)

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Views from connections

Aidan O'Brien - Clemmie

"She is in good form. She has come forward since the Guineas, but she will come forward again. She needed the run in the Guineas badly. She ran well and just got tired. She had a little bit of a setback and lost a good bit of fitness, but she is coming back. She will come forward more after this.

"I think a mile will be within reach, but we will see. We weren't sure if it was the trip or if she got tired in Ireland, but we think she got tired. It will be interesting."

David Simcock - Teppal

"She had a really good day at Longchamp. She did ever so well to go into that off the back of two novice runs straight into a Classic. It was very special. She was fit and in good shape and the rest was her. She quickened very well that day. You would like to think through natural impression she will improve, but we don't know as at home we've not asked her that.

"She has got a great temperament and is a pleasure to train. She is very straightforward. You've got the three Guineas winners together and we will see which is the best one, which is always nice."

Jessica Harrington - Alpha Centauri

"It was a funny race, with the O'Brien horse going off in front very hard. Alpha Centauri had to do all the hard work herself, which is never easy because she had to go and chase and potentially was going to drag the other horses into the race, but they could never get to her.

"All has been good since. She is tough, genuine and pretty talented. What she loves is a nice, firm surface. She's a very big filly and I think what happens of soft ground is that she basically can't pull her body out of it."

Richard Hannon - Billesdon Brook

"I think it's the first time for 30 years the winners of the English, Irish and French Guineas have all met in the Coronation. She's in great form, we're very happy with her. People can question the form of each Guineas if they want, but we need to meet to see who is the best.

"She's as good as she was going into the Guineas, this will be a fantastic race and if she wins then great. We haven't done anything different with her, she's not doing handstands or anything but she wasn't before the Guineas. We could have gone over 10 furlongs but why when you've won a Guineas. She's taking on a lot of horses she's beaten. We can go over further later."

Racing manager Chris Richardson - Veracious

"It has been frustrating but there is plenty of time for her. Whatever she does on her next run she will improve for."

John Gosden - Aim Of Artemis

"She has been happy and well since Newmarket. We were inclined to come here as it is against three-year-old fillies on the old mile and that is a distance that suits her at the moment. I was thinking she would want to go a mile and a quarter, but the jockey (Robert Havlin) said after the race at Newmarket to stay at a mile."

Man On The Spot Verdict

This looks like one of the best races of the week. It would be easy to regard Billesdon Brook’s 66/1 victory in the 1,000 Guineas as a fluke but connections have forked out to supplement here for this and the second, Laurens, won last week’s French Oaks and the third, Happily, finished a similar distance behind ALPHA CENTAURI in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. That latter race has provided plenty of winners of this Group 1 and Jessica Harrington’s filly, just beaten when favourite for the Albany Stakes here last year, can come out on top today on her favoured ground. Clemmie was only ninth at the Curragh but she’ll strip fitter today and was last year’s top-rated juvenile. Teppal was better drawn than Coeur De Beaute when winning the French 1,000 Guineas but still had to battle for a gap and she is another who will have come on for the run. Capla Temptress looks held on the form book while Threading’s task at York was made easier with two late withdrawals. Veracious will need to be very smart to win this on her reappearance but Aim Of Artemis won at Newmarket, despite veering across the track, though this is a much stiffer assignment.

5.00 Sandringham Stakes (Fillies' Handicap)

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Views from connections

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Man On The Spot Verdict

This looks wide-open but Ship Of Dreams and Tajaanus are eased in grade, as is QAZYNA (NAP). Roger Varian’s filly was impressive in beating two subsequent winners in a maiden over this trip at Newmarket in April before failing to see out 1m2f in the Pretty Polly. She’s only had three runs and an official rating of 94 looks fair given her potential. Ceilidhs Dream has a very similar profile with her defeat of Sea Of Class at Newmarket looking particularly smart form – she looks a big danger. Dathanna, Desert Diamond and Ganayem are all chasing hat-tricks and much respected with probably more to come but Curragh winner Hence is more exposed than stablemate Broadway. Poetic Charm is making her seasonal reappearance but won two out of three last year and Wisdom Mind has been in good form in Ireland. Others to consider include Di Fede and recent maiden winner Perfection.

5.35 Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap)

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Views from connections

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Man On The Spot Verdict

Eve Johnson Houghton has already had a winner here this week and Count Calabash will get a run from his reserve spot. He’s won both starts this year and is on the upgrade so goes on the short-list. Walton Street looks the pick of three Godolphin entries despite not having raced since beating Eynhallow at Meydan in February. Thundering Blue needs everything to go his way and steps up in distance while Appeared has his first run since August, though goes well fresh and likes it here and is only 2lb higher than when second in last year’s renewal. Grey Britain sprang a 50/1 shock at Newmarket but is now on a career-high mark and this opposition will test recent winners Nayel and Fire Fighting. DASH OF SPICE actually burst a blood vessel when making all at Epsom so that effort was all the more noteworthy. He’s been it with an 11lb rise in the weights but is probably verging on group-class now and a high draw has proved no barrier to success in this in recent years. Blakeney Point and Clear Skies have form at a higher level and are not easily dismissed. Crowned Eagle and Top Tug are also worth a second look.