King's Stand stakes

Australian sprinter Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) is being predicted to make an explosive impact at Royal Ascot by majority owner James Harron who insists the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt will post "a very big performance" if the ground is good or better in the G1 King's Stand S. A general 10-1 chance to emulate last year's winner Nature Strip (Aus) and the brilliant Scenic Blast (Aus), Miss Andretti (Aus), Takeover Target (Aus) and Choisir (Aus) by winning the King's Stand for Australia, success for Cannonball would also reverberate as...

Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), a brilliant winner of Tuesday's King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, will not bid to double up in the Platinum Jubilee S. on Saturday. Trained by Chris Waller, Nature Strip slammed his King's Stand S. rivals by over four lengths and, despite pulling out of the race in rude health, will not bid to emulate the great Choisir (Aus), who was the last Australian-trained horse to complete the King's Stand and Platinum Jubilee double in 2003. Nature Strip's managing owner Rod Lyons told Racing.com, "No...

Heritage, as a substitute for internationally adequate prize money, is literally priceless to the nation that cradled the Thoroughbred. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Royal Ascot, where prestige and pageant will next week again draw not just global attention but also global participation. As a result, this most definitively English of occasions has in recent years become ever more cosmopolitan. It's a pretty precarious arrangement for British racing, in that the economic model harnessed to its cultural assets-namely, an export market for yearlings and horses-in-training-threatens ultimately to erode...

Chris Waller, trainer of Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), two of the fastest horses in the world, provided an upbeat bulletin on his Royal Ascot hopefuls after they had their first experience of the track on Friday morning. Home Affairs is on course to run in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. while Nature Strip is a leading fancy for the G1 King's Stand S. for Waller, who will forever be remembered for his handling of Australian legend Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire})...

Frankie Dettori has picked up the ride on emerging sprint sensation Sceptical (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 16. The 4-year-old gelding was partnered by apprentice Joey Sheridan when winning Monday's Listed Woodlands S. at Naas, but seven-pound claimers cannot resume riding in Britain until June 22. "He came out of the race well and he was entered this morning for Royal Ascot," said trainer Denis Hogan. "There are 14 entries in the King's Stand. Obviously Joey won't be able...