'He just cruised by them' - Wesley Ward believes his Amo Racing Commonwealth Cup hope has a big chance despite 20-1 odds

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Wesley Ward believes he is bringing some heavy artillery to Royal Ascot next week, and has particularly lofty hopes for Outfielder in the Commonwealth Cup.

The US trainer is a mainstay at the big meeting and will bid to add to his impressive tally of 12 winners, having missed the fixture last year.

"I'm so excited and we're ready to go," said Ward. "Knowing how tough Ascot is getting each and every year, I'm bringing some extremely high-quality horses. When I started coming over, it was easier than it is now."

Ward said Amo Racing's Outfielder, who finished fourth in last year's Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville, has a live chance in Friday's Commonwealth Cup, for which he is a general 20-1 shot.

"I think he's got a big chance," he said. "He won very impressively at Churchill Downs last year. It was just on the heels of Ascot. We thought about it, but he just had a minor shin issue and you don't want any question marks.

"We erred on the side of caution and put him into the Prix Morny. That was a big ask from a maiden win."

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He added: "We ran him in a prep for this at Churchill Downs. He sat off the pace and just cruised by them and won very comfortably. The last couple of races he's run in wouldn't be of the quality he's getting into now, but he won convincingly in both, so we're ready to go."

Ward could run Ruiva, Shining Moment – who will be ridden by Oisin Murphy – and Fanshell Beach in the Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday as he bids for a fifth win in the race.

"On the Beyer figures we have here, Ruiva ran 89, which would be the highest in the United States by far," he said. "This filly is very fast. She had a really nice breeze in Newmarket and we were happy with her breeze at Keeneland on the grass, so she's answered everything. I really like her.

"Fanshell Beach likewise won on the dirt. She's by a freshman sire, Corniche, who won at the Breeders' Cup, and she's out of a mare by Unusual Heat – he was an extremely good sire. She had a really nice breeze on the grass at Keeneland and repeated that in Newmarket."

Campanelle: the most recent of Wesley Ward's four Queen Mary winners in 2020Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Ward plans to run last week's gamble Ez Tina and Coolmore's Through The Years in the Norfolk Stakes on Thursday.

He said: "Ez Tina had a really nice breeze on the July course and that would have been her first work on the grass, which she's bred for. It was a very impressive breeze.

"She's going to work with Outfielder at Newmarket on Sunday and hopefully she'll get him going, as he's a lazy bugger.

"Through The Years ran very well in her first race at Keeneland, where she was beaten right on the line. She came back to vindicate that effort in a track-record performance at Aqueduct. She's a very high quality filly by No Nay Never."

Ward will also be hoping to make his mark in handicap company with Bacio, who will run in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes on Friday.

"He's nearly undefeated," said the trainer. "He's had four starts, with three wins and a second. At two he was second in a prep for the Breeders' Cup. We've targeted this race with a big contingent of owners, who are excited."

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