THE stage is set for a mouthwatering week at Royal Ascot and the entries for day one have only added to the excitement.
The schedule has been tinkered with this year, with the coronavirus shutdown prompting racing chiefs to overhaul the regular pattern.
But the traditional curtain raiser, the Group 1 Queen Anne, will be run on Tuesday as usual, with 20 top-class entries at the six-day stage.
They are headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Circus Maximus, who won the St James’s Palace Stakes at the meeting 12 months ago.
Accidental Agent caused a 33-1 shock in the race two years ago, and he is back to regain his crown for Eve Johnson Houghton.
Duke Of Hazzard ended last season in flying form and could represent Paul Cole, while Marcus Tregoning has entered the promising Mohaather.
Other entries to note are Headman for Roger Charlton, Sir Michael Stoute’s classy miler Mustashry, the lightly-raced Roseman, Classic winner Billesdon Brook and Sunday’s impressive Brigadier Gerard winner Lord North.
Battaash has finished second in the last two runnings of the King’s Stand at the Royal meeting and he will likely attempt to go one better this year.
There are 14 entries in total; Kevin Ryan has entered Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Glass Slippers, Roger Teal could be represented by the progressive Oxted in the 5f dash and Sceptical looks set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori.
In the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes there are 15 fillies, including Jubiloso and recent Dahlia Stakes winner Terebellum.
Queen Anne
Accidental Agent
Billesdon Brook
Bless Him
Circus Maximus
Duke Of Hazard
Escobar
Fox Chairman
Headman
Lancaster House
Lord North
Marie’s Diamond
Mohaather
Mustashry
One Master
Plumatic
Roseman
Skardu
Space Traveller
Terebellum
Turjomaan
King’s Stand
Battaash
Equilateral
Glass Slippers
Hit The Bid
Kurious
Liberty Beach
Oxted
Rocket Action
Sceptical
Sergei Prokofiev
Shades Of Blue
Southern Hills
Tis Marvellous
Well Done Fox
Duke Of Cambridge
Agincourt
Audarya
Iconic Choice
Invitational
Jubiloso
Lavender’s Blue
Magic Lily
Magic Wand
Miss O Connor
Nazeef
Posted
Preening
Queen Power
Terebellum
Wasmya
King Edward VII
Al Dabaran
Arthur’s Kingdom
Cormorant
Kenzai Warrior
Mogul
Mohican Heights
Nobel Prize
Papa Power
Pyledriver
Santiago
Serpentine
Sound of Cannons
Valyrian Steel
Wyclif
Ribblesdale
Anastarsia
Bharani Star
Born With Pride
Elfin Queen
Ennistymon
Frankly Darling
Golden Lips
Hold Fast
Miss Yoda
Oriental Mystique
Passion
So I Told You
Trefoil
West End Girl
The King Edward VII Stakes and Ribblesdale Stakes are consolation races for the Derby and Oaks in a normal year.
This time around they will become key Classic trials, with each race attracting 14 entries apiece.
Aidan O’Brien has entered six in the King Edward, including the high-class Mogul, while the unbeaten Listed winner Mohican Heights could represent David Simcock.
In the Ribblesdale, John Gosden could run Frankly Darling, an impressive winner at Newcastle last week, while he has also entered Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Miss Yoda.
