Royal Ascot key trainer quotes including the Gold Cup

14:30 Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)

Wesley Ward is confident American Rascal can give hot favourite Elite Status a run for his money in the Norfolk Stakes. The Karl Burke-trained Elite Status has been all the rage for the Group Two contest, having followed up an impressive racecourse debut at Doncaster with a dominant display in the National Stakes at Sandown.

But Ward knows what it takes to win the Norfolk, having previously struck gold with No Nay Never (2013) and Shang Shang Shang (2018), and his latest candidate is certainly bred for the job as a son of the popular American’s dual Royal Ascot heroine Lady Aurelia.

American Rascal looked to have inherited a good portion of his mother’s blistering speed when powering over 10 lengths clear on the dirt at Keeneland in April and he can be expected to blaze a trail from stall one in the day three curtain-raiser.

“Everything is unbelievable with American Rascal, it’s all systems forward. He’s travelled great, been training great. We couldn’t be happier with him,” said Ward.

“American Rascal is the star of the show for us, anyway.”

Elite Status appears to be the top dog in what appears a particularly strong team of juveniles for Burke this season, and the Spigot Lodge expects his star youngster to take some stopping.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “I think and I hope he’s a very talented horse for the future and this track will play to his strengths. If he gets luck in running, for me he’s the one they’ve got to beat, but it’s very well me saying it, he’s got to go and do it.

“It was a very impressive performance at Sandown, not just visually but on the clock. The race beforehand was probably the strongest two-year-old race of the season and he annihilated them, so fingers crossed we can do it again.”

American Rascal is joined by compatriot No Nay Mets, who won on his introduction at Gulfstream for trainer George Weaver and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Noche Magica (Paddy Twomey), Devious (Donnacha O’Brien) and His Majesty (Aidan O’Brien) also feature.

15:40 Ribblesdale Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)

The other Group Two on the card is the Ribblesdale Stakes, in which the unbeaten Al Asifah will be widely expected to play a starring role.

John and Thady Gosden’s filly did not make her debut until late May, but was far too good for her rivals on her first start at Haydock and again proved in a different class when stepped up to Listed class at Goodwood.

She turns out just 11 days later after being supplemented for the Ribblesdale by the Shadwell team, with racing manager Angus Gold excited about her prospects.

He said: “She’s come out of Goodwood in really good shape, she didn’t have a hard race. In everyone’s opinion she is a filly of great potential, but it is a big step up and we’ll see where she fits in a bit more after we see her in the Ribblesdale.

“We’ve been playing catch up a bit as she was just a bit immature last year and had a few little niggling problems which held her up. It’s all come a bit quick for her, which is normally not our way, but equally because she seems to have taken her Goodwood race well.

“Sheikha Hissa is going to be here, we wanted her to have the chance to see the filly and she was keen to see her, so it just fits in time-wise. We would have another month to wait otherwise and anything can happen in that time. Hopefully, while she is in very good form, we thought we would roll the dice.”

Al Asifah may not have things al her own way, with Sir Michael Stoute’s Infinite Cosmos and Bluestocking from Ralph Beckett’s yard the two obvious dangers.

Infinite Cosmos brings strong form claims after finishing third behind subsequent Oaks heroine Soul Sister in the Musidora Stakes at York, while Bluestocking has been kept fresh since being beaten a head by Warm Heart, also in the Ribblesdale field, on her seasonal bow in a Newbury Listed event.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for Bluestocking’s owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing her and hopefully she will have come on for her reappearance. She was so green at Newbury on her second start, you would like to think she is going to improve.

“Ralph is happy with her and she’s been training nicely. She’s a filly we are looking forward to. It’s a big jump up, the Gosden filly looked exceptional last week and I know Sir Michael thinks an awful lot of his filly.

“It could be a pretty strong renewal, but we like our filly and I think she is going in the right direction. Whether that is in the Ribblesdale or later in the season, I think she will develop into a top filly.”

16:20 Gold Cup (Group 1)

Roger Varian feels Eldar Eldarov has not yet reached the ceiling of his ability ahead of his bid for Gold Cup glory. The four-year-old is a previous winner at the showpiece meeting, having last season claimed the narrowest of victories in the Queen’s Vase.

He went on to secure Classic honours in the St Leger at Doncaster and lost little in defeat when a strong-finishing second to Giavellotto on his reappearance in last month’s Yorkshire Cup.

Varian has been delighted with his star stayer since and while he has trained several Group One winners in recent years, the Newmarket handler admits having a genuine contender for the two-and-a-half-mile feature is a bit special.

“He’s in great form and has done everything right and everything asked of him since his good run at York,” said Varian.

“It’s exciting to get him back out and back to Ascot, he obviously won at the Royal meeting last year and it is very exciting to have such a strong contender for the Gold Cup.

“It promotes that sort of horse, which is great – we all like to have fast horses and milers but to have stayers is great also and I think the staying programme has had a bit of a resurgence over the last few years and I hope it will continue to be the case.

“The Gold Cup is one of those iconic races, it’s got masses of history and there is always something nice about having a good staying horse. A horse like Eldar Eldarov might be in the camp for two or three years to come yet and as we have seen with some of those good staying horses, they can capture the public imagination as well.

“He’s got a long way to go before he’s held in any similar regard to any of those top staying horses, but he has won a Queen’s Vase, he’s won a St Leger and his profile is on the rise, I think. His best days could very much be ahead of him, so we are very much looking forward to running him in the Gold Cup.”

Eldar Eldarov disputes favouritism with Andrew Balding’s Coltrane, who plundered the Ascot Stakes 12 months ago and doubled his course tally with an impressive display in last month’s Sagaro Stakes.

Three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy will partner Coltrane and is relishing the opportunity.

“He’s trained well and won the Sagaro in good style,” he said.

“It looks a hot race, as you’d expect. Eldar Eldarov is the St Leger winner and carries 1lb less, you also have to respect whatever Aidan O’Brien has in the race (Emily Dickinson and Broome) and Courage Mon Ami is an improver as well.

“It’s a wonderful chance and I’m looking forward to riding Coltrane. I watched Yeats dominate the race, and Stradivarius, so it’s great to be riding a horse who is probably going to go off favourite.”

Subjectivist was sensational in winning the Gold Cup in 2021, but an injury which initially threatened to end his racing career has restricted him to just two subsequent starts. Charlie Johnston’s six-year-old was well beaten on his return from almost two years off in Saudi Arabia, but his third to Broome in the Dubai Gold Cup was a step in the right direction.

Courage Mon Ami is unbeaten in three starts for John and Thady Gosden, but faces a big rise in class as he bids to provide Frankie Dettori with a dream Gold Cup success in his final year before retirement.

Willie Mullins is represented by Grade One-winning hurdler Echoes In Rain, as he looks to become the first trainer to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in the same year.

The daughter of Authorized was last seen winning the Mares Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and carries the colours of Barnane Stud, which is owned by the family of former England international cricketer Craig Kieswetter.

“Her win at Punchestown was really impressive. When she travels well she has an electric turn of foot and she just powers home,” said Kieswetter.

“Hopefully things work out accordingly throughout the race and she settles down nicely and then she can give everyone a crack coming down the straight there. Most importantly we’re just looking forward to another big day at the Royal meeting and it would be amazing if the green and red silks can come home first.”

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