'We arrive at Ascot with plenty of hope' - Trainer quotes ahead of Royal Ascot on Tuesday June 18

Rock back at Ascot

Crack French miler Big Rock returns to the scene of his finest hour seeking to give his new handler Maurizio Guarnieri a red-letter day in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That brilliant Queen Elizabeth II Stakes success, where the Rock Of Gibraltar colt romped to a six-length success, came under the tutelage of Christopher Head, but owners Yeguada Centurion SL decided on a switch to the Chantilly-based Italian ahead of the new season.

Guarnieri has already made one huge call since Big Rock’s underwhelming return in Newbury’s Lockinge Stakes, replacing the four-year-old’s regular jockey Aurelien Lemaitre with Christophe Soumillon, and he is hopeful the new partnership can combine successfully in the traditional curtain-raiser to the Royal meeting.

“The colt did a good trial nine days ago with two leaders and the new jockey Soumillon sat on the horse,” said Guarnieri.

“We were happy with the horse and Soumillon was happy, so we arrive at Ascot with plenty of hope.

“I know the race will be really hard to win and Facteur Cheval at this moment is the best miler in the world.

“Charyn ran a super race last time at Newbury and so did the horse that won, Audience. So this race is very very hard, but I hope Big Rock has improved from his last race.”

As identified by Guarnieri, one of Big Rock’s biggest dangers could come from fellow French raider Facteur Cheval, who was a brave second behind Big Rock on Qipco British Champions Day.

The testing ground proved to be in Big Rock’s favour on that occasion, but trainer Jerome Reynier is full of confidence following his charge’s thrilling victory at Meydan in the Dubai Turf.

He said: “He knows the straight mile at Ascot because he did so well in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last year behind Big Rock. The ground conditions are not going to be the same but we saw him performing really well on good ground in Dubai, so we can go to Royal Ascot with a lot of hope.

“Last year he had to face champions like Paddington and Big Rock and it was the first time he had travelled. Goodwood and Ascot were his first times out of France and now as a five-year-old he is more mature mentally and physically and he’s ready to run even better. Now he is in the shape of his life and we couldn’t be any more happier with him.

“We wanted to run him in the Queen Elizabeth Cup in Hong Kong after Dubai, but we thought that would not be very fair on him, so I think it was a good move to not go to Hong Kong to maximise our chances here in the Queen Anne Stakes.”

It was John and Thady Gosden’s Audience who took advantage of both Big Rock and stablemate Inspiral’s below-par efforts when causing a shock in the Lockinge last month.

With Inspiral defecting to Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the five-year-old is tasked with not only proving that Newbury triumph was nothing more than a flash in the pan, but also representing his high-profile connections on the biggest stage.

“I hope he will dispel any thoughts that his win in the Lockinge was a bit a fluke,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“He’s a high-class horse, his fractions for the first four furlongs at Newbury were impressive and the time of the race as a whole was good. I think that indicates he deserves to be taking his chance.”

Roger Varian’s Charyn filled the runner-up spot in the Lockinge, faring best of those who set out to catch the front-running Audience in the closing stages.

He will now bid to regain the winning thread and add to his profitable beginning to the 2024 season under Silvestre de Sousa.

“He is very complete now. He’s a big, strong horse and very uncomplicated,” said Varian ahead of this British Champions Series event.

“You could say that at Doncaster and Sandown he didn’t perform any better than he had done at his peak as a three-year-old, when he was bumping into Paddington fairly regularly, but I think his Lockinge run tells you he’s a better horse this year.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Audience, who is a good horse in his own right, but he raced on his own and Charyn destroyed the others, which included some jolly nice ones. For me that was a career best and marked him out as a genuine Group One horse.

“I don’t think he could be any better. He’s thriving at the moment. His condition since the Lockinge has been good and his work in the last fortnight has been very on point. It will be slightly different ground by the look of it and there are some nice French horses he hasn’t seen before but I couldn’t be more pleased with him.”

Royal Scotsman was among those who struggled to land a blow at Newbury, but Paul and Oliver Cole’s star performer showed he retained plenty of talent with front-running tactics employed successfully at Epsom.

Harry Eustace’s Docklands faces the toughest assignment of his career as he attempts to win at the meeting for the second consecutive year, while William Haggas’ Maljoom was an unlucky loser in the 2022 St James’s Palace Stakes and having been seen just twice since, is out to prove he is still a force in Group One company.

Classic clash in St James's Palace

Rosallion will face the “biggest test of his life” when he bids to turn the tables on his 2000 Guineas conqueror Notable Speech in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This Group One event has often been the scene of a rematch from the opening Classic of the season and 10 years ago Rosallion’s trainer Richard Hannon watched Kingman gain revenge on his very own Newmarket hero Night Of Thunder at the Royal meeting.

Now it is the Everleigh handler seeking redemption for his star colt having lost bragging rights in the one-mile division on the Rowley Mile.

Rosallion did get his own Classic on the board when successful at the Curragh last month, but it is Charlie Appleby’s unbeaten son of Dubawi that poses the acid test for a horse Hannon has always held in the highest regard.

“We’ve been delighted with him since his win in the Irish Guineas and physically he looks like he has come on again,” said Hannon ahead of a race billed as one of the best of the meeting.

“I really couldn’t be happier with him, and like everyone I’m really looking forward to the race – it looks a fantastic race.

“I would rather be drawn one than the outside and I think that will be fine, there are no excuses from there.

“This is probably the biggest test of his life and he will have to be at his very best to win it. Whatever wins this will be an extremely good horse and I think there are probably four of five extremely good horses in there.”

Connections of Notable Speech are respectful of the challenge Rosallion presents, in a race that could firmly establish the one-mile pecking order, with Mario Baratti’s French 2000 Guineas scorer Metropolitan also in the mix.

“We’re always going to be wary of Rosallion because A) he’s a Group One winner and a Classic winner and B) he’s a son of Blue Point and we know what he could bring to Ascot – it was his favourite track,” said Appleby in a preview video on the Godolphin X account.

“We’re also being joined by the French Guineas winner, so it’s going to be a fascinating race, but we’re very pleased with our horse, the way he’s going it – he’s ticked every box.

“It’s billed to be the race of the week and let’s hope it is. We’re very much there with a horse that’s in great order.”

Big-race jockey William Buick is no doubt about Notable Speech’s powers of acceleration ahead of the British Champion Series contest.

Buick said: “I don’t like to compare horses, but I’ve never ridden one before who can do what Notable Speech can do. He’s an extraordinary horse, and the way he won the Guineas was impressive.

“He’d had an unconventional preparation, but he’d shown a very good turn of foot in his last win at Kempton and he’d worked on the grass at Newmarket since then. He’s a very uncomplicated and laid-back character who does what he needs to. So far he’s shown no chinks.”

As well as Metropolitan, the French three-year-olds are also represented by Jerome Reynier’s Darlinghurst who brings smart form to the table and appears an improving colt.

The son of Dark Angel is unbeaten in four starts this season and having accounted for French Derby runner-up First Look when claiming the Group Three Prix de Guiche, has few scars of battle as he takes his place in this red-hot event.

“He hasn’t really had any tough battles or Classic races, so this is going to be like we say in France, his Arc,” said Reynier.

“I guess this became the plan when he won his Class Two in Cagnes-Sur-Mur. The times and the speed of his turn of foot was quite impressive and we said after that we would give him two months off and go for the Prix de Guiche on turf and then if he wins that we would aim to go to Royal Ascot with a chance.

“The way he won the Prix de Guiche with Christophe Soumillon on board was quite impressive and the form has been quite strong with First Look.”

Aidan O’Brien saddled Paddington to take home this prize 12 months ago and will have his first chance of the week to record his 400th Flat winner at the highest level when he saddles both Henry Longfellow and Unquestionable.

Both were top-class operators at two, with the former striking in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes and the latter at the Breeders’ Cup.

However, they struggled to land a blow in their respective early-season Classic assignments and are now required to bounce back to their very best against elite opposition.

“We’ve been very happy with Henry Longfellow since France and everything has gone well – we have just put the French race down as a bit of a non-event really,” O’Brien told Racing TV.

“It was our first run and we were just feeling our way really, but he came out of it well and we have been very happy with his work since. This was always his target after France and we’re looking forward to seeing him run again.

“We always thought the world of this horse, but obviously it is a very good race and that is what everybody wants and we’re delighted about. We’re all going to learn about all of them really, but we’re very happy and we wouldn’t be running if we weren’t happy and prepared to put him in there with a fighting chance.”

On Unquestionable, he added: “He ran a very solid race at the Curragh and was always going to improve from that, he’s a very solid horse.

“Obviously this was always going to be his second run and he was running at the Curragh with an eye on Ascot as well.”

Ed Walker’s Heron Stakes winner Almaqam and Owen Burrows’ 2000 Guineas fifth Alyanaabi complete the field for one of the opening day’s feature events.

Big day for Appleby ace

Big Evs provided Mick Appleby with the biggest victory of his career when successful at the Breeders’ Cup and now the speedster attempts to become a two-time winner at Royal Ascot in the King Charles III Stakes.

Victory in the Windsor Castle 12 months was only the beginning of a fairytale season for connections, with further success in the Molecomb at Goodwood and Flying Childers at Doncaster only building towards a Hollywood crescendo in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains at Santa Anita.

The team behind the scintillating son of Blue Point are already dreaming of a return to the Breeders’ Cup later in the year, but for now he has the chance to firmly establish himself as the star of the sprinting ranks with back-to-back victories at the summer showpiece.

“I think it’s going to be a tough race for him, but he’s in great form and hopefully he will go well,” said Appleby.

“He’s still got his raw speed and there is not a lot who can live with him in the yard for speed. It’s obviously going to be a bit tougher though against the older horses.

“It would be great if he could go back-to-back at Royal Ascot and then hopefully it can be back-to-back at the Breeders’ Cup.”

Big Evs made a winning return at York in the Listed Westow Stakes, where he advertised all the characteristics that made him a champion as a two-year-old.

Appleby admits to breathing a sigh of relief once Big Evs crossed the line on the Knavesmire, such was the eager anticipation ahead of his return.

And the Rutland handler also feels his professional York comeback in the hands of Tom Marquand proves he is more than a one-trick pony as he erased the memories of his one disappointing performance at two.

Appleby continued: “We don’t think he likes York to be honest and he had a blip in the Nunthorpe last year, I just don’t think the track suits him. I think there was more pressure on his comeback there than at the Breeders’ Cup.

“He is very versatile and at York he was slightly fidgety in the stalls and half missed the break. Tom went to Plan B and it worked. He does not have to make the running and we can do whatever we want now.

“He probably went to York about 90 per cent and that race would have put him spot on so he goes to Ascot fully fit.”

One of the horses Big Evs got the better of at the Breeders’ Cup was last year’s Queen Mary heroine Crimson Advocate, who has recently made the switch from US handler George Weaver to John and Thady Gosden.

A winner of Gulfstream’s Roar Stakes prior to departing the States, she now has the chance to emulate Wesley Ward’s Lady Aurelia who returned a year after Queen Mary success to take home this prize.

“She’s a Queen Mary winner and course form is very important at Ascot,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.

“She did well in her comeback race in America. She got here last Tuesday and we’re looking forward to getting her back to Ascot.”

Wathnan will also be represented by Tom Clover’s Rogue Lightning who cost the Qatar-based operation £1million last autumn following some rapid progression through the sprint ranks.

“He came through the ranks well last year and didn’t get much luck when stepped up to Group One level in the Abbaye,” continued Brown.

“He had a bad draw and didn’t get much luck in running, but he ran a very good race and captured our attention and when he was put in the Champions Day Sale we all thought it was an opportunity we should take.

“We were very happy with his first run back at Haydock and Tom Clover feels he has really sharpened up for that run. Hopefully there isn’t too much rain as we feel the quicker the better for him and we’re looking forward to seeing him back.”

Valiant Force went into Amo Racing folklore when landing the Norfolk Stakes at 150-1 last year and following some time in America is back with Adrian Murray looking for more success at the Royal meeting.

Meanwhile, Regional provided Ed Bethell with the biggest day of his training career when a Group One winner at Haydock last year and following a pleasing return at the Curragh proved he could be about to give his handler another day to remember.

“I’m really really happy with him and he galloped well last week,” said Bethell.

“He proved he was a top sprinter last year and he has gone and done it again in the Greenlands (at the Curragh) with a penalty.

“He needed the run that day and I was happy with that and he has taken a good step forwards.

“It is a dream and we have all been dreaming about this day, but we are under no illusions how difficult it might be. We’ll just keep everything crossed and see how we get on.”

Temple Stakes winner Kerdos is one of two for Clive Cox – who also saddles Diligent Harry – while George Boughey’s Believing is another Haydock scorer heading to Berkshire in top form following his Achilles Stakes romp.

Australian raider Asfoora could only finish fourth at Haydock on her UK bow, but Henry Dwyer is confident a much-improved model will be seen at Ascot as she bids to add her name to the antipodean roll of honour at the meeting.

Dwyer said: “At Haydock, we knew we needed the run a little bit. It was too wet and a wet 1,000 metres becomes an 1,100 or 1,200-metre race which she wasn’t ready for.

“I think at her peak, which I think will be at Ascot and beyond, she is well and truly up to it.

“I think she will run really well at Ascot, I would love to see her run in the top three or four. If she can do that, she will be really well-placed for the next two runs.

“A win would be amazing. On a personal level, just to be running competitively is a win for us. Bringing a horses halfway across the world, especially with her idiosyncrasies and trying to get her to her peak, which I feel we’ve done. Her peak may not be good enough, but if it is it will be a huge thrill.”

It was Australia’s Nature Strip that was the thorn in the side of Henry Candy’s Twilight Calls when second in this in 2022 and he is back for a third crack having finished a luckless fourth 12 months ago.

“He was bit unlucky we felt last year as Ryan (Moore) got blocked and checked once and we never got the run that he hoped for,” said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“Ryan is on him again this year, so we’ll roll the dice and see if we can make it third time lucky.

“He ran very respectably in the Palace House, the race didn’t really go to suit him as they ended up sort of single file, but I think it was encouraging and Ryan was very positive when he got off.”

Keatley confident in Coventry

It is eight years since Adrian Keatley tasted Classic success, but he could have the horse to take him back to the big time when Francisco’s Piece goes for Royal Ascot glory in the Coventry Stakes.

Jet Setting gave Keatley his biggest winner to date when claiming the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2016 and the now North Yorkshire-based Irishman has been slowly rediscovering a few gems in recent years.

Following a winning start at Pontefract, Francisco’s Piece went down fighting to the highly-touted Shadow Army at York, before giving a glimpse that his handler may have unearthed the real deal when impressing at Listed level at Chantilly.

He now steps up to six furlongs as he tackles the opening two-year-old race of the week and the Francisco’s Piece story could have an added twist still to come when he goes under the hammer at the Goffs London Sale.

“We’ve been delighted with him ever since he started off his career with us and we’ve been delighted with all his performances,” said Keatley.

“He’s very unlucky not to have three ‘ones’ beside his name and he handled France very well. He is a horse with a great mind and travelled over and back to France very well.

“We’re very happy heading into the race on Tuesday and think he has been crying out for the step up to six furlongs. Paul (Mulrennan, jockey) is very confident he will really like the track and we’re happy enough with the draw, being near enough in the middle.

“This is what we do the job for every day of the week and we’re trying to look for these horses, so hopefully he can do the business for us.”

Charlie Appleby has never won the Coventry, but will hope that changes with his impressive Lingfield scorer Al Qudra, who joins stablemate Symbol Of Honour in the six-furlong event.

“Al Qudra has had his three starts and he won well on his last start. He takes a nice bit of experience into the race and I feel the stiff six furlongs will suit him,” said Appleby in a Godolphin preview video.

“Symbol Of Honour was very green first time up at Newmarket, but came forward nicely to go and win well at Lingfield. He improved so much from his first to his second run and we feel he’s come forward again.

“With a bit of luck we have two competitive runners there.”

Al Qudra had previously finished behind Richard Hannon’s The Actor at Newmarket and as someone who assisted his father in sending out Canford Cliffs to win this contest in 2009, he is well qualified in his assessment that his colt is being underestimated in a race without a standout.

“He has appeared there under the radar, he’s a real two-year-old and I like him a lot,” said Hannon.

“He holds it together mentally and I’m hoping for a big run. He’s a very nice horse, six furlongs will suit him. He’s drawn four and I’ve been delighted with him since Newmarket.

“For me, I haven’t seen an outstanding two-year-old yet and it looks quite an open Coventry.”

Big-spending Wathnan Racing have three colts in the mix and having driven up and down the country, retained jockey James Doyle has elected to partner Richard Fahey’s Hamilton scorer Catalyse over stablemate Columnist and Archie Watson’s Electrolyte.

“James will ride Catalyse in the Coventry, he was impressive up at Hamilton,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners. “There was another breeze-up horse in second that was highly regarded.

“It’s the Coventry and it’s very tough. There will be plenty of horses going there with the same profile as him, but it’s great to be going with a horse that has a chance, that is all you can ask for.”

Camille Pissarro is the sole Ballydoyle entrant as Aidan O’Brien’s Marble Hill Stakes runner-up bids to follow up last year’s win for connections by River Tiber.

“He obviously made a very good start when winning on his debut at Navan and, although he was narrowly beaten in the Marble Hill last time, I think that is a strong line of form,” jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair.

“We think he has improved and come forward since that run – he was still learning at the Curragh – and he has a good chance.

“He is a nice, big, well-related colt with a fair bit to recommend him, as do a lot of others in here, in truth.”

As identified by Moore, O’Brien’s son Joseph also has strong claims with impressive Curragh scorer Cowardofthecounty.

He has been kept fresh following his win in the early stages of the campaign and is joined in the line-up by Marble Hill third Midnight Strike, whose form ties in nicely with Camille Pissarro.

Karl Burke’s Andesite and Richard Spencer’s Yah Mo Be There finished first and second when they clashed in a warm York heat in May and lock horns once again, while John and Thady Gosden’s narrow Kempton runner-up Ingot is one seeking to shed his maiden tag on the big stage.

“He’s a well-bred son of Blue Point, being out of a dual Group One winner in Integral,” said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“He ran promisingly on his debut, I’m not saying he’s necessarily going to win, but I think he deserves to take his chance.

“We’ll see if he can improve and see what happens.”

The Amo-racing owned debutant Angelo Buonarroti, who cost €1million at the recent breeze-up sales, will be a first-ever British runner for Raphael Freire.

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• Karl Burke Stable Tour
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