Action Heats Up At Ascot

It may not feel like the first day of May, but despite the gloom and the cold Royal Ascot Trials Day is upon us on Wednesday with the G3 Longines Sagaro S. the feature. Most of the big Gold Cup hopefuls are back in play, with the popular veterans Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) set to renew rivalry once again on the Berkshire terrain.

In the G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial S. which is registered as the Pavilion S., the list of budding sprinting stars is headed by Opulence Thoroughbreds and Teme Valley's TDN Rising Star Purosangue (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) who beat the subsequent G3 Greenham S. winner Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) when last seen in York's Listed Rockingham S. in October. Second in the Greenham, Peter Harris's El Bodon (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) reverts to six furlongs in a quick turnaround from that Newbury Guineas prep.

Also on the card is the Listed Paradise S., a trial for the G1 Queen Anne S., where Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 2022 G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner and desperately unlucky G1 St James's Palace S. fourth Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) bids to get back on track for William Haggas joined by the same owner's unbeaten dual novice scorer Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}) from the Simon and Ed Crisford stable.

Intrigue At Munich And Saint-Cloud

At Munich, the G3 WETTSTAR.de Bavarian Classic is an early G1 Deutsches Derby trial in which Stall Lucky Owner's impressive G2 Gran Criterium winner Wintertraum (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}) meets Gestut Ittlingen's authoritative Hoppegarten maiden winner Alleno (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in one of the initial domestic tussles among the chief 3-year-old prospects. At Saint-Cloud, the bank holiday fayre sees the G2 Prix du Muguet where Godolphin's Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}) bid to repeat his dominant display in the course-and-distance G3 Prix Edmond Blanc re-opposed by last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) who was well adrift in second there. The Aga Khan's gelded Dolayli (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a dark horse to continue the stable's fine form stepping up from an impressive win in Chantilly's Prix Darshaan conditions event in March.