Eye of Heaven Takes On The Lir Jet in Norfolk Stakes

The Norfolk Stakes (G2) is best thought of as the true 2-year-old championship at Royal Ascot. It is all about the here and now. Few winners get even as far as the Commonwealth Cup (G1) the following season, but they are typically the quickest 2-year-olds around at that particular moment in mid-to-late June.

Early impressions matter even more than usual this season for the June 19 test at Royal Ascot. These horses are closer to being fully formed than runners in the Coventry Stakes (G2) or Chesham Stakes and have therefore had to fit more development into the 18 days of this season that have passed so far.

You could tell before he made his debut at Newmarket two weeks ago that Eye of Heaven was showing the right signs at home. He was backed as though defeat was impossible, and to all intents and purposes, it was. He did not have the rail, virtually a prerequisite that week, but still won handily. In third, shaping second-best, was Tactical, who won the Windsor Castle Stakes on Wednesday.

The vibes about Eye of Heaven have been backed up by proxy. Of trainer Mark Johnston's first 32 juvenile runners of the season, eight have won. Eye of Heaven is taken to be the best of another good bunch of early 2-year-olds at Kingsley House.

Conversely, the usually feared raiding party from Wesley Ward's barn has not carried the same aura this year. Many of those he has sent have not even won their first starts in the United States, including Golden Pal in this race, and his two Windsor Castle runners finished in midfield.

The one who gives Eye of Heaven's backers most cause for concern on form is The Lir Jet, who looked aptly named when he won at Yarmouth by nearly three lengths. He has since been bought by Qatar Racing.

In terms of how the race will be run, much may depend on how much rain falls at Ascot. Straight-course races over the first few days increasingly congregated on the stands rail. If the Norfolk runners stick to that approach, it would work somewhat to the detriment of Eye of Heaven, who is in stall five of 13, and definitely give Oisin Murphy on The Lir Jet plenty to think about from stall 1.



Michael Bell is not concerned by the draw for his rapid juvenile The Lir Jet, who bids to emulate his sire, Prince of Lir, by winning the Norfolk. Prince of Lir won the group 2 on soft ground in 2016.

A stands-side draw appeared to be beneficial on the straight course on the first two days of the royal meeting, but Bell is not worried about stall 1 for The Lir Jet, who showed plenty of speed to win on his debut at Yarmouth by 2 3/4 lengths.

Bell said: "He's taken that race well and looks to be on the ball since Yarmouth, so we're very much looking forward to it. I don't think the draw will be, with the size of the field, too much of an issue. The principals are drawn near him, and there are only 13 runners."

Bell added: "From what I've seen of him, he won't be inconvenienced by (the surface). Sheikh Fahad bought him with a view to running in this race, and he's going there with a live chance."

Varian Holds Strong Hand in Albany

Winning debutantes Setarhe and Undertake give Roger Varian a strong representation as last year's winning Albany Stakes trainer bids for his third win in seven years in the fillies' group 3.

Varian is yet to win another 2-year-old contest at Royal Ascot, but his two Albany winners, Cursory Glance (2014) and Daahyeh (2019), both progressed throughout their juvenile campaign and graduated to higher group-race honors, with the former winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1).

The trainer will be hoping to continue the trend with one of his pair, with Newmarket victor Setarhe overcoming an inconvenient position on debut to win decisively. He is also represented by the David Egan-ridden Undertake. 

"Setarhe showed a lot of class when winning on her debut at Newmarket," Varian said. "This will be a different surface, but if she handles it, she will take the beating. Undertake did nothing wrong when winning at Lingfield, and she should handle the ground and run another good race."

In contrast to Varian, this has not been a lucky race for Ward despite the tendency of his horses to thrive in the royal meeting's other 2-year-old races.

He has another crack at a first Albany win with Flying Aletha, who won her maiden at Gulfstream Park by 5 1/2 lengths.

Aidan O'Brien, who saddled Brave Anna to victory in this race four years ago, relies on Navan second Mother Earth.

"She's in good form and seems to have come forward nicely from her first start at Navan, so we're hoping she can run well," O'Brien said.