Royal Ascot is almost upon us and with the champagne on ice, La Grange is preparing for the biggest flat racing bonanza of the year. Ground conditions are currently being described as good to soft, however, with plenty of drying winds forecast; it could result in fast going.
At this stage we have a few tentative entries, with more definite decisions to be made next week. SHARAARAH, owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum holds engagements in both the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) on Tuesday and the Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) on Wednesday with the latter being the most likely race for her. This daughter of Oasis Dream won a decent maiden at Kempton over six furlongs and is a half sister to the sprinter BURWAAZ, who was fourth in the Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) last year.
The Sir Robert Ogden owned AMAZONAS, won her only start at Yarmouth and goes for the Albany Stakes (Group 3) on Friday, so hopefully she can follow in the footsteps of HABAAYIB who won this race for Dunlop in 2009.
RED CADEAUX holds an entry in the Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) on Saturday and we are optimistic that the recent Yorkshire Cup winner and Coronation Cup second can continue his remarkable run of form for Hong Kong based owner Ronnie Arculli.
TESTOSTERONE (below) is a talented filly, who has not had a run for us yet but is also engaged in the Hardwicke Stakes on Saturday. This Nurlan Bizakov owned four year old won three times last year, taking the Prix De Royaumont (Group 3) and the Prix De Malleret (Group 2), as well as being second to Galikova in the Prix Vermeille (Group 1). She is a big scopey type who should be capable of building on her already impressive resume.
Elsewhere, we have ROMEO MONTAGUE entered in the Ascot Stakes (Handicap) on Tuesday and hopefully Mrs Ruperts gelding son of Montjeu, who is not an easy horse to win with, can reproduce the form he showed at York recently where he was second in quite a competitive handicap.