Our man has two fancies on the opening day of Royal Ascot with Aidan O'Brien fancied to land the Queen Anne Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien has his horses in tremendous form ahead of a meeting at which he must always be respected, and CIRCUS MAXIMUS looks a solid bet to get Ballydoyle off to a winning start in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot on Tuesday.
The son of Galileo developed into a really tough Group One performer last season especially when fitted with blinkers and dropped to a mile after finishing sixth in the Derby.
At this meeting, Circus Maximus battled home gamely to deny King Of Comedy and Too Darn Hot in the St James's Palace Stakes before going under by a half length to the latter in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
A non-stayer in the Juddmonte International (where he possibly acted as pacemaker for stable-companion Japan), he was back to a mile again at Longchamp in September when narrowly fending off the Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Romanised in the Prix Du Moulin and then ran creditably in the Breeders Cup Mile.
All of which is high-class form and Ryan Moore's mount sets a very high bar for the opposition to reach over this stiff mile.
Frankie Dettori's mount Terebellum, an impressive winner of the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket recently, looks the likeliest danger dropping back from a mile-and-a-quarter while it is interesting that Sheikh Hamdan's number one rider Jim Crowley has deserted his Lockinge winning mount Mustashry in favour of the lightly raced Mohaather.
Later on, Moore also holds leading claims aboard JUBILOSO in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.
Sir Michael Stoute's strapping filly, who hails from the family of Frankel, stepped up considerably on two victories at Chelmsford and Newbury this time last year when chasing home Watch Me and the dual Classic winner Hermosa in the Coronation Stakes.
On the strength of that performance, Jubiloso went off a short-priced favourite back at seven furlongs in the Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood next time but met trouble in running before staying on strongly to take third behind the smart Billesdon Brook.
The filly's final start at Sandown was disappointing and is perhaps best forgotten whereas her effort at this meeting at Group One level must give her every chance in this Group Two contest in which the progressive Nazeef could be the danger if reproducing her all-weather form on turf.
- Preview posted 1540 BST on 15/06/2020
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