'Chrome' Among 388 Nominees for Royal Ascot
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U.S. Horse of the Year California Chrome and Hong Kong star Able Friend are among 388 entries representing 10 countries for the Royal Ascot meeting in June.
The number of entries for the established seven group I races (311) is in line with the number received in 2014 (309). However, the 77 entries for the meet's new group I sprint for 3-year-olds, the Commonwealth Cup, is the highest number of entries received for any of the eight top-level races this year's Royal meeting, set to run from Tuesday, June 16, through Saturday, June 20.
Entries for Royal Ascot have been received from the United Kingdom (237), Ireland (75), France (46), the USA (11), Australia (8), Hong Kong (4), Germany (3), Japan (2), Spain (1) and Sweden (1).
The Prince of Wales's Stakes is shaping up as a truly international clash with 2014 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness (gr. I) winner California Chrome, recently second in the Emirates Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), already in Great Britain with trainer Rae Guest ahead of the Royal meeting, with a run in the Al Shaqab Lockinge (Eng-II) at Newbury possible in mid-May first.
Spielberg (trained by Kazuo Fujisawa), winner of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Jpn-I) in November (defeating Japan's Horse of the Year Gentildonna), is set to represent Japan while Criterion (NZ) (David Hayes), winner of the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Aus-I) at The Championships in Sydney earlier in the month, could carry the Australian flag.
Ireland's Free Eagle (Dermot Weld), Ascot regular and French stalwart Cirrus des Aigles (Corine Barande-Barbe), and The Grey Gatsby (Kevin Ryan), trained in the United Kingdom to win the Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) last year, are among a strong European contingent.
The Queen Anne Stakes could feature a fascinating showdown between Able Friend (John Moore) and France's recent winner of the Dubai Turf (UAE-I), Solow (Freddy Head). Also possible are Lelouch (Kazuo Fujisawa) for Japan and last year's Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner Karakontie (Jonathan Pease) another strong option for France.
Ireland's Sole Power (Eddie Lynam) will be bid for an unprecedented third King's Stand Stakes win. Opposition from Australia is set to come through Brazen Beau (Chris Waller) and Shamal Wind (Robert Smerdon), both group I winners on their last starts. Undrafted (Wesley Ward) and Holy Lute (James Cassidy) have been entered for the U.S. and Gold-Fun (Richard Gibson) is in the race for Hong Kong.
Brazen Beau, Undrafted, and Gold-Fun are also entered for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes along with Wandjina (Gai Waterhouse), winner of the Australian Guineas (Aus-I), Not Listenin'tome (John Moore) and Big Macher (Richard Baltas), a most unlucky fifth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I) for the U.S.
The King's Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes are the first British legs of the Global Sprint Challenge, which continues with the Darley July Cup (Eng-I) at Newmarket in July.
The Gold Cup features recent Dubai Gold Cup (UAE-II) winner;Brown Panther (Tom Dascombe) along with QIPCO Long Distance Cup (Eng-II) winner Forgotten Rules (Dermot Weld) among established quality stayers in Europe.
The St James's Palace Stakes and Coronation Stakes will likely provide a showdown for Europe's top classic generation milers, following the English, French and Irish Guineas (all group I) and they could be joined by U.S.-based Hootenanny and Luck of the Kitten (both Wesley Ward) in the St James's Palace and by Miss Temple City (Graham Motion) in the Coronation.
Among the entries for the Commonwealth Cup are last year's star 2-year-old fillies, Anthem Alexander (Eddie Lynam) and Tiggy Wiggy (Richard Hannon), first and second in the 2014 Queen Mary Stakes (Eng-I); Coventry Stakes (Eng-II) The Wow Signal (John Quinn), and U.S.-based Hootenanny, Luck of the Kitten, and Sunset Glow (Wesley Ward). There are the two entries for Australia, who are Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds; Godolphin's Holler (John O'Shea) and the yet-to-race Cyrus Rocks (Gai Waterhouse).
All eight group I races at Royal Ascot are part of the QIPCO British Champion Series.