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Lady Aurelia starts back on Royal Ascot trail in familiar territory

Lady Aurelia completes a Royal Ascot double, following up her Queen Mary win with a victory in the King's Stand Stakes
Lady Aurelia completes a Royal Ascot double, following up her Queen Mary win with a victory in the King's Stand StakesCredit: Caroline Norris

Preview: USA, Saturday (9.57pm BST)

Keeneland: Giant’s Causeway Stakes (Listed) 5½f, 3yo+ fillies and mares, turf

Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward/John Velazquez) starts her four-year-old season in familiar surroundings on Saturday by bidding for back-to-back wins in this $100,000 contest.

The superstar sprinter has used Keeneland as a launchpad for the past two seasons before travelling across the Atlantic to blow away her opposition – first in the Queen Mary two years ago and again in last year’s King’s Stand Stakes.

Drawn in stall eight, Lady Aurelia faces nine rivals on Saturday, headed by potential spoiler Morticia, who was second at Gulfstream last time and has a good record at Keeneland.

The aim for Lady Aurelia after her run at Keeneland is the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, for which she is the 4-1 joint-favourite with Battaash.

Also on Saturday

Keeneland: Lexington Stakes (Grade 3) 1m½f, 3yo, dirt

The last chance saloon on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and My Boy Jack (Keith Desormeaux/Kent Desormeaux) heads the betting and the list of possible Classic candidates.

"If I can't win the Lexington, this horse has got no business in the Derby," Keith Desormeaux told bloodhorse.com.

"These are serious, serious horses this year, even more than in years past; I think the talent this year is off the charts. If he can't win the Lexington and do it decisively, then he has no business in the Kentucky Derby."

Keeneland: Jenny Wiley Stakes (Grade 1) 1m½, 4yo+ f&m, turf

Former Ralph Beckett-trained filly Bletchley (Mark Casse/Brian Hernandez jnr) bids to make it two wins from two runs since switching Stateside.
Bletchley (far side): Albany runner-up won at Leicester last time
Bletchley (far side): finished second in the Albany when trained in BritainCredit: Charlie Crowhurst

She is among the outsiders in this race with Don Bruja (Ignacio Correas/Jose Ortiz) leading the market.


Read exclusive previews from 6pm tonight on racingpost.com


Peter ScargillDeputy industry editor

Published on 13 April 2018inInternational

Last updated 13:46, 15 April 2018

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