Royal Ascot day four: confirmed runners and riders for the Commonwealth Cup

Unbeaten Commonwealth Cup favourite Pierre Lapin is one of the 17 runners declared for Friday's Group 1 highlight at Royal Ascot.

Pierre Lapin won the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes on his second start at two for trainer Roger Varian and will face a deep field in the sixth running of the Commonwealth Cup (3.35), including Wesley Ward's Kimari. The US raider will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Middle Park runner-up Golden Horde and French challenger Wooded have also been declared, while Aidan O'Brien is set to run four including Lope Y Fernandez, who backs up quickly from his third in last Friday's Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Golden Horde (right) has also been declared for the Commonwealth CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

Art Power, Sunday Sovereign and Godolphin's Final Song were taken out at the declarations stage.

In the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (3.00), last year's Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is set to represent O'Brien, and he will again face last year's winner Defoe, the pair having finished second and fifth behind Ghaiyyath in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket earlier in the month.

Recent Haydock runner-up Elarqam is also in the 11-runner field.

William Haggas decided against running Born With Pride in Tuesday's Ribblesdale Stakes and he has followed his intention to run her in Friday's Queen's Vase (4.10). She is one of nine runners in the Group 2, with Lingfield Derby Trial second Berkshire Rocco also among them.

Friday's Royal Ascot card and betting

Day four of Royal Ascot also features two juvenile races, the Albany Stakes (1.50) and the Norfolk Stakes (2.25).

More Beautiful was an exciting winning debutante for O'Brien at Naas last week but she is not among the 14 Albany contenders. Roger Varian trained last year's Albany winner and he is doubly represented by Setarhe and Undertake.

Newmarket winner Eye Of Heaven has been talked up by connections and faces 13 rivals in the Norfolk including Michael Bell's exciting Yarmouth winner The Lir Jet.

Confirmed runners and riders for the Commonwealth Cup

1 Aberama Gold (Shane Gray)
2 Dubai Station (Ben Curtis)
3 Golden Horde (Adam Kirby)
4 Lope Y Fernandez (jockey tbc)
5 Mums Tipple (Sean Levey)
6 Pierre Lapin (Andrea Atzeni)
7 Pistoletto (jockey tbc)
8 Royal Commando (Kieran Shoemark)
9 Royal Crusade (William Buick)
10 Royal Lytham (jockey tbc)
11 Southern Hills (jockey tbc)
12 Ventura Rebel (Tony Hamilton)
13 Wooded (James Doyle)
14 Kimari (Frankie Dettori)
15 Les Hogues (Pat Cosgrave)
16 Millisle (Tom Marquand)
17 Shadn (Oisin Murphy)

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