Timeform's US racing expert Jake Price profiles the key American challengers at Royal Ascot.
LENNILU (Timeform rating 92p)
For those of a longer memory, the name Patrick Biancone will be recognised with fillies such as All Along and Triptych. The Frenchman has now long been in the US and has the unbeaten Lennilu on course for the Queen Mary Stakes.
She won a four-and-a-half furlongs maiden in the slop on the dirt at Keeneland on debut, the pair immediately behind her both winning next time. She then made full use of her experience with a cosy success in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Lennilu looks all speed, being out of a winning half-sister to Disco Partner, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
BIBI DAHL (71p)
Bibi Dahl chased home Lennilu in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes, beaten nearly four lengths back in second. It was a promising effort considering it was her racecourse debut, and she showed some early zip before pulling well clear of the third.
She’s a daughter of US Triple Crown hero American Pharoah and cost a hefty $1,350,000 as a yearling, so there’s plenty of expectations with this Amo Racing-owned filly. A rematch with Lennilu in the Queen Mary Stakes could prove a step too far at this stage of her career, but she’s firmly in the “could be anything” bracket.
TOUGH CRITIC (84p)
Once-raced winner Tough Critic is entered in the Windsor Castle Stakes and has a pedigree for Royal Ascot. By Coventry Stakes and Commonwealth Cup winner Caravaggio, his dam is a half-sister to the 2009 Norfolk Stakes winner Radiohead.
Tough Critic overcame greenness to win a Keeneland maiden special weight. He was left out the back in the early stages, but the penny gradually dropped and he made eye-catching progress in the long Keeneland home stretch to reel in Wesley Ward’s Longshoreman. This colt is open to improvement and his trainer George Weaver won the 2023 renewal of the Queen Mary Stakes with Crimson Advocate.
SANDAL'S SONG (90p)
George Weaver’s second Royal Ascot hope won the “win and you’re in” Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream on debut. He was slow to break but soon recovered to track the pace before making his move on the entrance to the stretch and holding runner-up Squire comfortably at bay. He looked a very straightforward colt and his performance was more commendable given Squire was a previous winner.
Sandal’s Song is on target for the Norfolk Stakes and has recently been added to the expanding roster of Wathnan Racing.
SHISOSPICY (110)
Shisospicy ran out a 16-and-a-quarter-lengths winner of a Gulfstream maiden special weight on dirt first time out but subsequently found her career stalling. A switch to turf has seen a complete upturn in fortunes and she’s now unbeaten in her last three. Her latest success in the Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs was most impressive.
Her target is the Commonwealth Cup and she wouldn’t need to improve a great deal to be involved. Trainer Jose D'Angelo’s first Royal Ascot runner was Gabaldon who finished second in last year’s Windsor Castle Stakes.
LAURELIN (103p)
Coronation Stakes hopeful Laurelin arrives on this side of the Atlantic unbeaten in three races at Aqueduct. In her second outing, the Tepin Stakes, she beat subsequent Grade 2 winner Five G by half a length. She then signed off with a listed stakes success in the Memories of Silver, travelling like a good filly and always doing enough once in front.
Laurelin is trained by Graham Motion, who sent over Sharing and Spenderalla to finish runner-up in this race in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
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