'He's still got his L-plates up' - baby steps for Portcullis, but another Royal Ascot hope shines on terrific day for the King and Queen

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Royal Ascot is unlikely to be on the agenda for the highly regarded Portcullis, but another hope for next month's summer showpiece emerged on a fine day for the King and Queen.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Portcullis made a sparkling debut in Newmarket's Wood Ditton Stakes last month, but he was forced to work harder when defying a 6lb penalty in the mile novice, winning by three-quarters of a length under William Buick.

He was left unchanged at 20-1 with Paddy Power for the St James's Palace Stakes, but the three-year-old is set to be kept in calmer waters.

"He's still got his L-plates up," John Gosden said. "He got on the wrong leg on the bend and got in a muddle and was a little confused in the straight. William said he didn't get the idea of racing until inside the last half-furlong and feels there's a lot of improvement to come.

"It won't be big steps. You won't see him launched into the deep end yet. We'll let him come to it as it's only May. We'll find the right race for him."

However, Warrant Holder could be in line for the royal meeting after divine intervention helped him land the 1m2½f handicap.

"I think the blessing he got from the Archbishop of York before the race did the trick," Gosden said. "It's lovely to have him back as he's been off for a long time. William got a good run on him up the rail. We'll see what the handicapper does but he's got a great mind.

"It would be lovely to run him in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. It'd be great to get him there and it would be very important, to say the least."

The pair were part of an across-the-card treble for the King and Queen, who took the 1m2f maiden at Newbury with Point Of Law.

Coronation tilt for Lilt?

Lilt fizzed into the reckoning for next month's Coronation Stakes when impressing in the Listed Sky Bet Fillies' Stakes, but connections are unsure if Royal Ascot would be her perfect tonic.

A winner on her debut at Doncaster last season, the William Haggas-trained daughter of Lope De Vega looked in trouble in the home straight. However, she powered past So Regal in the final furlong to win by a length and a half in a race better known as the Michael Seely Memorial.

Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas said: "She was green and she'd have learned a lot from today. When Tom [Marquand] wanted her to get going she was climbing a bit.

"I thought it may have been the ground, but it was more she didn't know what to do. When she got going, she got going well."

Tom Marquand riding Lilt (red) wins the Sky Bet Fillies' Stakes at YorkCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Lilt was cut to 8-1 (from 50) for the Coronation Stakes by Paddy Power, but a tilt at Group 1 company next is far from certain.

"It's up to James [Wigan, owner] and William to work out what to do," Haggas said. "She's been very good today and has learned a lot, but it's only her second run.

"If you do too much too soon you could ruin them. It's a long old year and why can't she be a nice four-year-old as well? She's a lovely, big filly and is nice enough to look after.

"There aren't many options for her next run, they're all difficult. Hopefully we can look way down the line with her."

Giggle laughs at rivals

Love A Giggle secured a place in the Queen Mary Stakes when continuing Karl Burke's strong record in the Marygate Fillies' Stakes.

The juvenile reeled in her rivals to get up by a head under Clifford Lee to give Burke a third win in the last five runnings of the 5f Listed sprint.

The trainer said: "She's small, but tough. As soon as she looked a little bit outpaced she came home strong.

"She's 100 per cent going to Ascot – why wouldn't we go there? That'll be a tougher race but she deserves to take her chance."

Cunha on a roll

Trainer Dylan Cunha's excellent Dante meeting rolled into the final day when Zarathos continued to make up for lost time in the 7f handicap.

Cunha, who took the concluding contest on Thursday with Arc Ole Ole, said: "It's mad. We've had four winners at York and they've come at its biggest meetings. It's clearly our lucky spot."

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