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Royal Ascot

Five horses entered on Saturday with Royal Ascot aspirations - including three top-level sprinters

Here we provide the lowdown on five horses with Royal Ascot aspirations who are entered in races on Saturday . . .


Rogue Lightning

Wathan Racing suffered a blow on Monday with the news that Courage Mon Ami is a doubt for next month's Ascot Gold Cup but the owners are likely to be represented at the royal meeting with their new acquisition Rogue Lightning.

The son of Kodiac was purchased for £1 million at the Goffs Qipco Champions Day Sale in October having previously been picked up for 42,000gns when going through the sales ring at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale in 2022.

Rogue Lightning racked up a hat-trick last season before ending his campaign with a fifth in the Abbaye at Longchamp on his Group 1 debut. He remains in training with Tom Clover for his four-year-old campaign, with connections using Saturday's Group 2 Temple Stakes (1.50) at Haydock as a stepping stone to the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He is a 5-1 chance for the Temple Stakes and a best-priced 10-1 for next month's King Charles III.

Silk
Rogue Lightning13:50 Haydock
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Jky: Tnr: Tom Clover

Regal Jubilee

John and Thady Gosden and Cheveley Park combined to win the Lockinge Stakes with Audience last weekend and they could bid for more Saturday success with Regal Jubilee in Goodwood's Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes (2.05).

Regal Jubilee is closely related to the likeable five-time Group 3 winner Regal Reality and was an impressive winner of a Listed contest over a mile at Newmarket on her final start at two.

She made a promising reappearance when finishing a neck runner-up in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury last month, but she failed to replicate that form when well beaten in the 1,000 Guineas next time.

Dropping back to Listed level should suit Regal Jubilee, and she has the potential to improve now stepping up to 1m2f for the first time.

She is entered in the Ribblesdale Stakes (1m4f) and Coronation Stakes (a mile) at Royal Ascot and this should give connections a better idea of which race to go for.

Silk
Regal Jubilee14:05 Goodwood
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Jky: Tnr: John & Thady Gosden

Vandeek

Simon and Ed Crisford's exciting sprinter Vandeek makes his eagerly anticipated return in the Sandy Lane Stakes (2.25) on Saturday.

The Havana Grey colt was unbeaten in four juvenile starts, including at Group 1 level in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park.

He is expected to be a hot favourite to maintain his unblemished record and his Haydock rivals could include 2,000 Guineas sixth Inisherin.

Vandeek's big early season target is the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, for which he is the general 11-4 favourite.

Silk
Vandeek14:25 Haydock
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Jky: James Doyle Tnr: Simon & Ed Crisford

Moss Tucker

The six-year-old Moss Tucker produced a career-best Racing Post Rating of 120 when running out a two-length winner of the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Naas last month, after which Saturday's Group 2 Greenlands Stakes (2.30) at the Curragh was nominated as his next target.

Moss Tucker was twice a winner at the Curragh last season including in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes over 5f.

He is back up to 6f for the Greenlands and trainer Ken Condon has entered him in both Group 1 sprints at the royal meeting. However, he warned after Moss Tucker's Naas success that he would only run at Ascot if there was cut in the ground.

Moss Tucker is a best-priced 12-1 for the King Charles III Stakes and a general 16-1 chance for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Silk
Moss Tucker14:30 Curragh
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Jky: Tnr: K J Condon

Space Legend

William Haggas last won Goodwood's Cocked Hat Stakes (3.45) with subsequent Irish Derby runner-up Storm The Stars in 2015 and could run Space Legend in Saturday's event.

Space Legend chased home the now 105-rated Bold Style in a Chelmsford novice on his debut in December and stepped forward on that run when scoring by five and a half lengths in a 1m2f Leicester maiden last month.

He steps up into Listed company at Goodwood this weekend and an entry in next month's King Edward VII Stakes suggests connections think plenty of him.

Silk
Space Legend15:45 Goodwood
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Jky: Tom Marquand Tnr: William Haggas

Read these next:

What's on this week: Britain's richest evening meeting takes centre stage before Irish Guineas weekend 

4-1 from 14s: how did the markets react to yesterday's often informative Royal Ascot trials at Naas? 

Unbeaten Commonwealth Cup favourite Vandeek on course for Haydock return in Sandy Lane 


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Joe EcclesDigital journalist

inRoyal Ascot

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