G1 St James's Palace Stakes

It may have been super-smooth at Newmarket, but Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace Stakes offered a different test to Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) which he was able to pass and at the same time show his other side. Whereas Billy Loughnane had enjoyed a trouble-free run through the 2,000 Guineas, this was a messy affair with some scrimmaging but the imperturbable rhythm of George Boughey's luminary saw him once again get there in front of Gstaad (Starspangledbanner). At the line, it was a short head this time but that...

French 2000 Guineas hero Rayif (Sea The Moon) will not take part in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes as he is not 100%, according to Aga Khan Studs' racing manager Nemone Routh. A winner of the G3 Prix Francois Boutin and third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two, the Francis-Henri Graffard trainee was a smart winner of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains in May. He will not take on the English and Irish 2000 Guineas winners Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) and Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), respectively, on...

Emulating his sire Kingman in style as well as bare results, Field Of Gold got the Juddmonte-Colin Keane retainer off to a flyer at the highest level in Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes. Making a mockery of the Royal Ascot rematch with his 2,000 Guineas conqueror Ruling Court, the 8-11 favourite left that son of Justify and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett) trailing with his ruthless acceleration between the two and the one. Like his sire going one better than Newmarket in the G1 Irish...

With the exception of Ballydoyle's hot prospect 2-year-old Albert Einstein, there are no key figures missing from Royal Ascot's opening card on Tuesday and the scene is set for the first of the week's moments of truth. With the St James's Palace featuring the winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and "French 2,000 Guineas" and the Queen Anne boasting all the elite milers of Europe and a bit extra, the standard has been met again in the year which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession. From...

Tuesday, Royal Ascot, post time: 14:30, QUEEN ANNE STAKES-G1, £793,625, 4yo/up, 8fT Field: Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road), Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}), Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never), Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Sardinian Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). TDN Verdict: This could be a case of take the Lockinge form and throw it in the air to see where...

Royal Ascot's Tuesday fields have been confirmed, with the key contest on the opening fixture being the 2,000 Guineas rematch between Godolphin's Ruling Court and Juddmonte's Field Of Gold in the seven-strong G1 St James's Palace Stakes. The sons of Justify and Kingman will be met by Wootton Bassett's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Henri Matisse from Ballydoyle, with the most notable withdrawal being Godolphin's dual Group 1 winner Shadow Of Light. In the opening G1 Queen Anne Stakes, the field of 11 features all the four main protagonists...