The remarkable mare Highfield Princess heads a field of 16 declared for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
Trained by John Quinn, the three-time Group 1 winner finished second at Royal Ascot on Tuesday in the five-furlong King's Stand Stakes. She was hampered by the winner Bradsell but the stewards felt the placings were not affected.
Saturday's race is over six furlongs, a trip over which she is equally effective. She finished fifth in the race last year, two places behind Australian raider Artorius who is again in the line-up.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, the four-year-old has been plying his trade with real credit in top contests domestically recently.
There is a truly international feel to the race as fellow Australians Cannonball and The Astrologist are also in the mix, with Hong Kong’s Wellington, Christophe Clement’s American challenger Big Invasion and France’s Coeur De Pierre others from overseas taking part.
The home challenge is boosted by Sacred and Kinross, who is the mount of Frankie Dettori.
Al Suhail represents last year’s winning handler Charlie Appleby, with Sandrine (Andrew Balding), Rohaan (David Evans) and Art Power (Tim Easterby) all returning to Ascot having scored at the meeting in the past.
Hukum will be all the rage to down seven rivals in the Hardwicke Stakes following his comeback victory over Desert Crown at Sandown.
Owen Burrows’ charge had been off the track for almost a year prior to that Brigadier Gerard success, but looked better than ever and now returns to 12 furlongs to take on a stellar cast that includes the likes of Deauville Legend (James Ferguson), Pyledriver (William Muir and Chris Grassick) and Free Wind (John and Thady Gosden).
The day begins with the Chesham Stakes where 17 two-year-olds are headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Navan winner Pearls And Rubies as the master of Ballydoyle attempts to enhance his stellar record in the seven-furlong event, while a high-class field has been assembled for the Jersey Stakes over the same distance.
There will be 15 heading to post including Clarehaven’s talented Juddmonte-owned colt Covey, Roger Varian’s Surrey Stakes scorer Olivia Maralda and unbeaten stablemate Enfjaar plus O’Brien’s Lacken Stakes scorer The Antarctic.
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