'Wesley Ward was hot on her' - Jim and Fitri Hay add to Royal Ascot squad with US sprinter Saturday Flirt

Leading owners Jim and Fitri Hay have added more firepower to their powerful Royal Ascot squad with the purchase of Saturday Flirt from trainer Wesley Ward.

The two-year-old, who was owned and bred by Ward, with whom the Hays have a handful of horses in the US, scored on her debut at Keeneland in April. She is entered in Wednesday's Queen Mary Stakes but is more likely to run in the following day's Norfolk Stakes, a race her trainer has won twice before.

"Wesley has trained for the Hays for years and is a good friend of mine," said Alex Cole, racing manager to the Hays. "He's been badgering me about this filly since February and was hot on her. He bred her and she won well at Keeneland but not in typical Ward style – she didn't blast out the stalls but came from off the pace."