Stradivarius returns to Ascot in Sagaro Stakes

PA Sport Reporters
April 26, 2021 10:00 am

Supremacy all set for Pavilion mission.

Three-time Gold Cup winner Stradivarius returns to Ascot on Wednesday when he makes his seasonal reappearance in the Longines Sagaro Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden’s seven-year-old escapes a penalty in the Group Three as he failed to win in three outings following his Goodwood Cup success.

He will face six rivals and they include last year’s Sagaro winner Nayef Road, trained by Mark Johnston, who triumphed at Newcastle as the race was one of a number of calendar changes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nayef Road was second to Stradivarius at both Ascot and Goodwood last season.

Frankie Dettori was again jumping for joy from Stradivarius last season (Julian Finney/PA)

There are two improving stayers among the opposition in Roger Teal’s Ocean Wind and Archie Watson’s Stag Horn.

Desert Skyline, Island Brave and Prince Of Arran complete the field.

Clive Cox’s Middle Park winner Supremacy is the star turn among 10 in the Qipco British Champions Series horseracinghof.com Pavilion Stakes.

As well as his Group One at Newmarket, Supremacy also won the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

Martyn Meade’s Method is his chief threat on official ratings, although he was well behind Supremacy in the Middle Park.

Supremacy was a Group One winner in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Mighty Gurkha and Saint Lawrence are others in the race with three-figure ratings.

Lincoln winner Haqeeqy steps up in class in the Charlie Waller Trust Paradise Stakes, which is seen as a trial for the Queen Anne.

Ridden by the now suspended Benoit de la Sayette at Doncaster, Jim Crowley takes over on the Gosden-trained four-year-old, who is owned by Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Paul and Oliver Cole’s Duke Of Hazzard has his first run since a wind operation, while Sir Busker returns to Ascot having run so well to finish fourth in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day.

Haqeeqy shone in the Lincoln (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Marie’s Diamond, Prince Eiji and Sir Michael Stoute’s Solid Stone all take their chance.

Six promising three-year-olds line up in the Naas Racecourse Royal Ascot Trials Day British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes, including Charlie Appleby’s Danilova, the beaten favourite in the Sweet Solera last year.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s Brocklesby winner Chipotle faces two other previous winners in Gubbass and The Gatekeeper as well as newcomers War Of Courage and Wrought Iron in the Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial Conditions Stakes.