Battaash tops 10 for King’s Stand prize

PA Sport Reporters
June 13, 2020 12:15 pm

Sprinter headlines declarations for day one of Royal Ascot.

Battaash will face 10 rivals as he bids for a first victory in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Second in the race for the past two seasons to the now-retired Blue Point, Charlie Hills’ speedster is reappearing after a rare below-par run in the Prix de l’Abbaye when he was last seen.

The surprise winner of that race, Kevin Ryan’s Glass Slippers, is among his rivals as is John Quinn’s filly Liberty Beach, who has the benefit of a recent run under her belt.

The first Group One action of the afternoon is the Queen Anne Stakes which has attracted a huge field of 16, headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Circus Maximus.

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum holds a strong hand with Mustashry, Turjomaan and Mohaather.

John Gosden’s Terebellum will have the assistance of Frankie Dettori, with Billesdon Brook and last year’s Jersey Stakes winner Space Traveller others in the mix.

The meeting opens with the Buckingham Palace Stakes, in which 27 runners are headed by Gosden and Dettori’s representative Daarik, one of four runners for Hamdam Al Maktoum again, with retained jockey Jim Crowley on Motakhayyel.

Gosden and Dettori supply the favourite in the Ribblesdale Stakes with Frankly Darling, a very impressive winner on her reappearance at Newcastle on the day racing resumed.

Stablemate Miss Yoda, winner of the Oaks Trial at Lingfield, Ralph Beckett’s Trefoil and O’Brien’s Ennistymon are all among a field of 12.

Only six have been declared for the King Edward VII Stakes with O’Brien’s Mogul set to go off a short price.

David Simcock’s Mohican Heights and William Muir’s Pyledriver are among the select field.

Crowley teams up with Gosden to ride Nazeef in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, while Dettori dons the silks of his old bosses at Al Shaqab Racing to ride Wasmya for French trainer Francis Graffard.

William Haggas’ unbeaten Miss O Connor, Amanda Perrett’s Lavender’s Blue and Sir Michael Stoute’s Jubiloso ensure there is plenty of strength in depth.

The card is brought to a close with the Ascot Stakes over almost two and a half miles, where Nicky Henderson’s classy hurdler Verdana Blue heads the weights with Ryan Moore booked.