Dubai Racing Carnival and Dubai World Cup day form will be strongly represented throughout all five days of Royal Ascot, which begins June 17.
There are eight group 1s across the week, the first of which is the opening Queen Anne Stakes. Cairo, second in the Al Rashidiya (G2) at Meydan Racecourse in December, takes his chance for trainer Alice Haynes but faces a tough task against favorite Rosallion and three-time U.S. grade I winner Carl Spackler.
The King Charles III Stakes (G1) is always a strong sprint and it sees the return of the first and third from G1 Al Quoz Sprint (G1) on April's Dubai World Cup card, Believing and Regional. Believing is in foal to Frankel but arrives at Ascot in excellent form, according to her trainer George Boughey.
"It was a huge result in Dubai to get her group 1 win," he said. "Her general demeanor and her work had been top class; she's a filly who has always threatened to win a group 1. The flat six (furlongs) at Meydan suited her down to the ground and she got a brilliant ride from William (Buick). She couldn't be in better order. She's been a very different filly this year."
Meydan form is also represented by Frost At Dawn, winner of the 2024 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3), who runs in the silks of UAE owner Abdulla Al Mansoori. Ruling Court carries Meydan form into Tuesday's third group 1, the St James's Palace Stakes for 3-year-old colts. Winner of the Listed Jumeirah Two Thousand Guineas, Charlie Appleby's charge then won the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket and faces Field Of Gold, second that day, again here.
"We took Ruling Court out of the Derby due to the (soft) ground, and we can have no excuses with conditions at Ascot," said Appleby. "It's a very good renewal of the race and the track and trip will suit. We are looking at stepping up in trip at some point, but he has done very little wrong over a mile so far."
The highlight of June 18 action is the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes (G1) over 2000 meters, in which 2024 Dubai Turf (G1) winner Facteur Cheval lines up for Jerome Reynier. U.S.-based rider Flavien Prat will be onboard the 6-year-old for the first time.
Certain Lad, a winner at the Carnival back in 2020, is also in the field for trainer Jack Channon, while Aidan O'Brien saddles Continuous, who ran down the field in the Dubai Gold Cup (G2). Dual Meydan winner Cinderella's Dream returned to UK action with a win at Newmarket last time out and she lines up as favorite in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (G2), while Arabian Light, winner of the Lord Glitters Handicap at the Carnival, runs in the Royal Hunt Cup, also on Wednesday.
Trawlerman has run in three G2 Dubai Gold Cups, latterly finishing fifth in April's running, and takes his chance in Thursday's Gold Cup (G1), the official feature of the whole meeting. John and Thady Gosden's gelding aims to go one better than a year ago, when he was second to Kyprios.
Also on Thursday, The Fingal Raven, second in the Jumeirah Two Thousand Guineas to Ruling Court, goes for the Britannia Handicap for trainer Jamie Osborne. The final group 1 of the week is the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, which is run over the same 1200 meters as the Wokingham in which Symbol Of Honour takes his chance. Winner of the Al Wasl Stakes and Dubai Trophy at Meydan for Appleby, he has won two of his three starts since returning to the UK
and is a leading contender here.
The penultimate race of the meeting, the Golden Gates Stakes, sees Norway-based trainer Niels Petersen break new ground with his first runner at the meeting. War Socks was third to Ruling Court in the Listed Jumeirah Two Thousand Guineas and tackles 2000 meters for the first time here.
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