Europe

With solid form in Ireland behind her, Susan Magnier's Cuff (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) arrives at Royal Ascot with a reputation to defend in the G3 Albany S. on Friday. With three subsequent winners in her wake on her last two starts, including the re-opposing Bolger trainee Oh Grace (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), the Listed Coolmore Sprint S. winner sets the standard which the others have to meet as she bids to provide Aidan O'Brien with a first edition of this race inaugurated only in 2002. Ballydoyle also put forward Evie Stockwell's...

SONG HITS THE RIGHT NOTES Having hit the board in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly S. on seasonal return at the beginning of last month, Even Song (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) justified 15-8 favouritism with a determined triumph in Thursday's G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot. Settling into a smooth rhythm in seventh behind a steady pace, she found and open slot soon after turning for home and stayed on strongly once quickening to the fore approaching the final eighth to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths from Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}),...

The "Ascot Derby", or G2 King Edward VII S., is where the Derby failures meet those who were directly targeted at the Royal meeting with mixed results, but the telling statistic could be that it has been 10 years since an Epsom also-ran succeeded here in Papal Bull (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Given that Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) ran so well when fifth in the blue riband June 4, it is reasonable to expect that the form of the May 7 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial holds some ballast. The Richard...

One of the biggest impacts that the inclement weather has had on this week's action has been on the G1 Commonwealth Cup, with Friday's second running of the enterprising new initiative for the 3-year-old sprinters excluding the dynamic 2-year-olds of 2015 Acapulco (Scat Daddy) and Air Force Blue (War Front). While the former at least will be keenly missed, having been briefly under consideration for this after her King's Stand withdrawal, the race which produced such a barnstormer 12 months ago could yet be saved by the potential champion filly...

In a race perfectly crafted by a trio of runners for a Godolphin operation that is meeting lofty expectations at this year's Royal meeting, it was Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) who emerged firmly on top to lead home a one-two in the royal blue as Prize Money (GB) (Authorized {GB}) proved the chief danger. Kept mainly to the Polytrack at two, the chestnut followed a seven-furlong maiden win at Lingfield in July with an impressive nursery success over that trip at Kempton the following month before beating the subsequent listed winner...

Having turned 12,000 guineas into £1.3 million in less than eight months, Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) arrives at Royal Ascot in the position of favourite for the G1 Coronation S., which would have been laughable as she left Richard Hannon's stable still a maiden after four starts in the autumn. As she was transported to the sales, the bay had last been seen finishing eighth at 25-1 behind Nemoralia (More Than Ready) in a Doncaster nursery in September, and it is a measure of her scarcely believable rise...

PRINCE RISES TO ROYAL OCCASION Accounting for The Last Lion (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) going five furlongs at Beverley in his only prior start last month, Robert Cowell trainee Prince of Lir (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) rose to the occasion and caused an 8-1 stir when grinding out a game success from that familar foe in Thursday's G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. Well away from the two box to stalk the pace in the second rank, he was under mild niggling from halfway and was resolute under a power drive once...

Having earned 'TDN Rising Star' status when breaking apart a Keeneland maiden special weight and setting a new track record in April, Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) justified 2-1 favouritism by posting a scintillating performance in Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot. The bay lunged from the gate and was in instant control, stealing lengths on the field within one furlong. Holding sway on the bridle throughout, she had all her rivals on the stretch when shaken up approaching the final eighth and went through the gears in the...

5.55 Leopardstown, €16,500, Mdn, 2yo, 6fT Susan Magnier colourbearer ISTAN (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), a son of the 2005 G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Something Exciting (GB) (Halling), gets a third bite of the cherry for Aidan O'Brien and is the choice of Seamus Heffernan from three Ballydoyle representatives in this 14-strong field. Returning off a third to subsequent G2 Coventry S. fifth Van Der Decken (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) at The Curragh last month, his rivals include stablemate Courage Under Fire (War Front), who is a hitherto unraced half-brother to GI...

Off the mark on debut over this trip on debut at Kempton Nov. 4, Persuasive returned to score over the same distance at Goodwood May 20 before adding another handicap to her record on Chelmsford's Polytrack at the start of the month. Justifying strong support here, she closed out the second day of Royal Ascot as the first had gone with a win for the John Gosden stable. Settled behind the leaders on what appears to be a hugely favoured strip of ground towards the far side early, the grey...

Beaten out of sight by A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last month's G1 Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly, My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) went postward as the unconsidered outsider-of-six for Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot, but turned previous form on its head with a game neck defeat of 'TDN Rising Star' Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to add lustre to jockey Adam Kirby's fantasy week. The bay had been elevated from handicap ranks to annex Chantilly's Listed Prix du Ranelagh last term and continued...

Held in the highest esteem for a while by Andre Fabre, Godolphin's Usherette (Ire) (Shamardal) proved the master of Chantilly right once again as she turned Wednesday's competitive-looking G2 Duke of Cambridge S. into her own Royal Ascot procession. Kept away from this kind of testing ground so far, the homebred went into the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August off two conditions wins and it all proved too much for her when seventh but after being packed up for the year and brought back with two more conditions...