Aidan O'Brien has withdrawn Beckett from the £300,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot this weekend. Beckett is one of only two defections from the Group One event with Godolphin's China Visit also opting out with eleven runners declared.
Saturday's contest will see a rematch of the Sussex Stakes from Goodwood, as the first and second, Godolphin's Noverre and Sir Michael Stoute's No Excuse Needed, re-oppose. Noverre will bid to give Sheikh Mohammed's team a second victory in the one-mile race, following Mark Of Esteem (1996) and Dubai Millennium (1999). Summoner has also been left in by Godolphin and is likely to act as pacemaker for his stablemate.
O'Brien will, however, be double-handed with Coral Eurobet Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes third Bach, as well as Hawkeye, who occupied the same position in the Prix du Moulin on his last start, taking their chance. Extra spice is added to the event by the presence of Germany's Proudwings and France's Vahorimix.
Andre Fabre's Vahorimix was awarded the French 2000 Guineas following the disqualification of Noverre after a banned sustenance was found in a sample given by the winner. And, amazingly, Vahorimix picked up another Group One prize when the Ralf Suerland-trained Proudwings was disqualified from first place in the Prix Jacques le Marois after causing interference.
More foreign flavour is added by Singapore raider Bocelli, who finished a fair fourth in a Listed event at Newbury last week on his first start in Britain. The field is completed by John Gosden's Valentino, the John Dunlop-trained Olden Times, and Richard Hannon's Sagitta 2000 Guineas runner up Tamburlaine.
Filed by Shane Murray
