Royal Ascot preview: What the trainers say including Sir Michael Stoute on Bay Bridge

14:30 - Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)

Karl Burke hailed Dramatised as the fastest filly he has trained ahead of her tilt at the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

The daughter of Showcasing justified market confidence with a brilliant display on her racecourse debut at Newmarket in late April, since when connections have kept their powder dry for the Royal meeting.

Burke possesses a strong team of juvenile fillies this season, but there is little doubt Dramatised is top of the shop in his mind.

“She looks in great shape. If she lands in the paddock as she is now I’ll be very happy,” he said.

“We’ve had no issues at all. She had a little break after Newmarket, we were always going to go straight to Ascot and she’s had one away-day gallop, which went very well.”

Dramatised is a clear second-favourite to Wesley Ward’s Love Reigns, who showed blistering speed when winning by almost 10 lengths on her introduction at Keeneland. Burke, though, is confident his star youngster will give the American raider a run for her money.

He added: “Her figures for her first run at Newmarket were pretty good and I’m adamant and convinced she’s come on from that. She’s as quick as I’ve trained anyway, so we’ll see.”

The Spigot Lodge handler has an interesting second string to his bow in the form Yahsat, who was narrowly beaten by stablemate Pillow Talk in the Marygate Stakes at York last month.

“Yahsat is worthy of her place there. She was only just beaten by Pillow Talk, who goes in the Norfolk,” said Burke.

“She’s a very speedy filly herself and she’s drawn very close to the American horse, so she’ll get a nice tow off that. I’m excited to see her run. If we didn’t have Dramatised in the race, I’d be very bullish about her getting a place at least anyway.”

Dramatised and Love Reigns are two of 12 unbeaten fillies declared for the five-furlong dash. Should Love Reigns prevail, she would be a fifth win in the race for Ward.

Assessing her chances when speaking last week, Ward said: “She had about the best debut race I’ve ever had here at Keeneland – she won by almost 10 lengths and just scampered away from them.

“The guy that gives the figures here really didn’t want to give her a figure because he was sort of unsure thinking ‘how could she run that fast?’.

“She has had three or four pieces of work since then and all of them have been nice and steady and beautiful breezes. Every horse that kind of engaged her, she just exploded away from them.”

Katey Kontent (Clive Cox) and Maria Branwell (David O’Meara) are both two from two and prominent in the market, while All The Time (Ed and Simon Crisford) bids to build on the promise of her Nottingham bow in the colours of the Royal Ascot Racing Club.

Harry Herbert, racing manager for the owners, said: “It is exciting for the Royal Ascot Racing Club. We bought her at the breeze-up sales, for the club. It is a great thrill when those breeze-ups come off and you can run them two or three weeks later and win as impressively as she did.

“It was a very fast time and she had worked very well in a couple of pieces for Simon and Ed, and James (Doyle) were impressed with her. It was nice that he is available to ride as well, knowing the filly.

“It is a red-hot Queen Mary, but with the Royal Ascot Racing Club owning her, it would be madness not to have a go and see where we fit in the big picture.”

No less than five runners are either owned or part-owned by Amo Racing with Olivia Maralda, Omniqueen, One More Olly, Miami Girl and Primrose Ridge all in contention for the powerful operation.

Olivia Maralda, trained in Ireland by Michael O’Callaghan, counts Brazilian footballer Philippe Coutinho, currently playing in the Premier League for Aston Villa, among his owners.

Amo’s racing manager, Emily Scott, said: “We go there with 25 per cent of the field, so it’s exciting.

“I think Rossa (Ryan) picking Miami Girl is a bit of an indication that he holds her in high regard and I think although Olivia Maralda hasn’t won, she’s bumped into a couple of very smart fillies and she could also run a big race.

“All of them deserve to be there. They all bring nice form there and I don’t think you can discount any of them, to be honest.”

15:40 - Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1)

Sir Michael Stoute feels quick ground will not be a problem as Bay Bridge bids to take his winning spree to six in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Royal Ascot’s day two highlight features four horses who have all won at the highest level taking on a warm favourite in Bay Bridge, who seeks to strike in Group One company at the first attempt.

Bay Bridge is a typical Stoute improver who has won his last five races, including a deeply impressive in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last month.

The Newmarket handler’s string is in sublime form heading into the meeting as Bay Bridge bids to add his name to a list of the yard’s former winners of the race – Hard Fought, Stagecraft, Poet’s Word and Crystal Ocean.

However, the master of Freemason Lodge, who attempts to land a third renewal of the 10-furlong prize in six seasons, is under no illusions as to the task facing the James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud-owned son of New Bay.

Stoute said: “Bay Bridge performed very well at Sandown, where he was very impressive, but he is now taking on much tougher opposition, so it’s going to be interesting. He showed promise from the first time he won and he’s continued to progress.

"He seems in fine shape and I don’t think fast ground will be a problem. It’s going to be a fascinating race and we are looking forward to it."

In a race that forms part of the Qipco British Champions Series, Bay Bridge will face stiff competition from Japan in the form of Shahryar, who was third to Contrail in the Japan Cup and recorded a famous success in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.

The Hideaki Fujiwara-trained four-year-old drops back in trip, with big-race jockey Cristian Demuro maintaining the partnership after riding him to victory in Dubai.

Yasuhiro Matsumoto, manager of Northern Farm, who bred the Deep Impact colt, says he has settled well since his arrival and sees Royal Ascot as an important stepping stone for Shahryar’s potential future as a stallion.

“The transportation went well, especially as Shahryar had experience transporting to Dubai,” said Matsumoto.

“As a horseman, I want to win races in the UK with Japanese horses. It is a dream and a real honour for us to have runners at Royal Ascot. Many people think the Arc is the pinnacle, but I think many of the best sire-making races are in the UK.”

With the ground tightening up and no sign of rain in the forecast, Shahryar may have his optimum conditions and there is sure to be huge interest in Japan, despite the strength of the opposition and the 12.40am local post time.

Matsumoto added: “Shahryar’s optimum distance is 2,000m to 2,400m (a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half). Bay Bridge is going to be a strong competitor. In general, when we see high-level international sport, people are fascinated, and I think this will apply to Royal Ascot.”

State Of Rest has won at the highest level in America, Australia and France for Joseph O’Brien, and almost made it four successive Group/Grade One wins, only to go down half a length to Alenquer in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last month.

The Starspangledbanner colt rates a danger, especially with the trainer in excellent recent form, along with the tough French raider Grand Glory, winner of six of his 18 stakes races for Gianluca Bietolini, including last season’s Group One Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.

Winner of the 2020 renewal and dual Dubai Turf hero, Lord North completes the select line-up, with the training partnership of John Gosden and his son and Thady hoping a change of tactics might see the six-year-old in a better light than when a close-up fourth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“Lord North has won the race before, but we are very frightened of the Japanese horse and another very good horse trained here in Newmarket called Bay Bridge,” said Gosden senior.

“Our fella is a grand horse and I think he needs to be ridden a little differently compared to the Tattersalls Gold Cup, when he sat too close to the pace. I think it is going to be a fabulous race, as it should be.

“I like Bay Bridge – he has always been a lovely horse and, to me, he could be better than the rest.”

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