Commonwealth Cup favourite Charles Darwin the headline act for Aidan O'Brien as Royal Ascot clues abound on Naas Trials day

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The Commonwealth Cup favourite Charles Darwin will warm up for Royal Ascot at Naas on Sunday in the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes, while the market leaders for the Coventry and Albany Stakes could also feature on what promises to be a highly informative Royal Ascot Trials day at the track.

Charles Darwin is 5-1 with Ladbrokes for the Commonwealth Cup following his stylish winning reappearance at Navan last month and Aidan O’Brien expects him to make a giant leap forward from that comeback success on Sunday, where a field of 12 have been entered at the five-day stage. 

The Ballydoyle trainer has also entered Brussels and Albert Einstein, with the latter set to wait for the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock the following weekend.

“He looks a real good horse does Charles Darwin,” O’Brien said. “It will be interesting to see how he jumps up from Navan and he could jump up a lot. He goes back to Naas on Sunday for the three-year-old sprint so that will be very interesting to see how he gets on.”

Great Barrier Reef: impressive winner at the CurraghCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Charles Darwin was successful on the same Naas card last year when landing what is now the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Race on the way to Norfolk Stakes glory at the royal meeting.

Few horses have created as much of an impression on their debut this season as Great Barrier Reef, who won a Curragh maiden ultra-impressively by six lengths, and he is already favourite for the Coventry Stakes on the back of that and no bigger than 3-1 with any firm.

The next rung up the ladder on the way there could arrive in the sprint won by Charles Darwin last year, which has attracted a dozen entries.

River Tiber won it in 2023 on the way to landing the Coventry Stakes and Great Barrier Reef will face some stiff opposition if showing up as Star Prospect, another stylish Curragh maiden winner, has also been entered for the in-form Joseph O’Brien.

Unibet installed Victorious as their 7-2 favourite for the Albany Stakes after she stormed to win a Naas maiden on her debut and she is entered in the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes, which has been won by some real stars in recent years, including Alpha Centauri (2017), Porta Fortuna (2023) and Fairy Godmother (2024).

Lady Iman: could return at NaasCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Paddy Twomey-trained Velozee is two from two and her recent victory in the First Flier Stakes at the Curragh stamped her down as a juvenile to follow for the rest of the season. She is set to serve it up to Victorious on Sunday, according to her trainer.

Twomey said of his speedy filly: "Stepping up to six furlongs won’t be an issue and a trip to Naas next weekend could be next on the agenda before attention turns towards Royal Ascot."

Elsewhere on the card, Lady Iman could make her return to action in the Listed Sole Power Sprint Stakes. She was sent off 11-2 for last year’s Nunthorpe at York but was unable to land a telling blow against her elders. 

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