G1 King's Stand S.

DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid (Kiss the Kid), winner of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint  Mar. 27, turned in his third work at Keeneland Saturday since his Dubai performance, covering five furlongs in 1:02.20 in company with stakes-placed winner Lontano (Street Boss) over a fast dirt track. Keeneland clockers caught him in fractions of :11.80, :24, ;36, :49.60 and 1:02.20. "He worked great. He's doing good," said trainer Brendan Walsh. "Looks like he came out of the race in Dubai good and got back in good shape." The 8-year-old is being...

Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last November, will head straight to Royal Ascot for her 2021 debut, the G2 Temple S. at Haydock having been ruled out. Both the G1 King's Stand S. and the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. are options for the 2020 G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. heroine. "We're skipping the Temple S.," trainer Kevin Ryan said. "We'll go straight to Ascot, or at least that's the plan. She's in both races and we'll decide a...

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is aiming to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title at Royal Ascot and is training well trainer Charlie Hills reports. The 7-year-old gelding is thriving at Hills's yard in Lamborne after recovering from a small fracture sustained in the off season. The bay was undefeated in three starts last term, beginning in with the King's Stand in June, followed by the July 31 G2 King George Qatar S. and the Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. "Battaash has been back with us a...

Group 1 winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Breeders' Cup victor Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) are both targeting the 2021 Royal Ascot meeting trainer Wesley Ward has announced. The filly, a Stonestreet Stables colourbearer, will line up for the G1 Commonwealth Cup during the Royal Meeting. In 2020, Campanelle captured the G3 Queen Mary S. and then returned to Europe to add the G1 Prix Morny to her haul later in the summer. Although she has been entered in the G1 1000 Guineas and Irish equivalent, it is more likely...

Trainer Charlie Hills was very pleased with the recent performance of G1SP Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in the Listed Dubai Dash last Thursday, and the 6-year-old gelding will remain in Dubai for another tilt at the G2 Meydan Sprint on Feb. 18. In 2020, Equilateral ran second in the Sprint. "I was really delighted with him," said Hills. "Frankie [Dettori] gave him a great ride and it looked like he was always going to win the race. It's nice to have won the race twice now and he was 5lb...

Breeders' Cup hero Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) is targetting the G1 King's Stand S. as his long term goal. Second on debut, the Ranlo Investments colourbearer filled that position again in the G2 Norfolk S. at this year's Royal Meeting before returning Stateside to take the Skidmore S. at Saratoga in September. Brought back to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup, he turned in a solid effort to win the G2 BC Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 6. Another likely Royal Ascot contender is Stonestreet Stables' G1SW Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})....

It's Royal Ascot once again, but not as we know it. No crowds, no fashion, no Queen. It is a case of "Royal Ascot At Home" for virtually everybody this year, even for the main players whose money makes it all possible. That said, at least there is still Frankie, Aidan O'Brien, Wesley Ward, Sir Michael Stoute and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and all the other working equine and human cast and crew that make this week so special. One of Britain's most brilliant racehorses of recent years, Battaash...

Roger Teal is leaning towards making the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday week the next target for his progressive sprinter Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}). The Lambourn handler favours keeping his new stable star at six furlongs for his first venture into Group 1 company rather than dropping him back to the minimum trip for the G1 King's Stand S. earlier in the meeting. Having signed off last season with victory in the Portland H. at Doncaster, the 4-year-old made a winning return with an impressive victory...