Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien is confident of adding to his impressive Group One haul when he saddles two of the forerunners in Saturday’s £300,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. O’Brien has 16 Group One wins to his name this season, and will be double-handed in both of the feature events, with Bach and Hawkeye, the choice of stable jockey Michael Kinane, in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, for which 11 horses stood their ground at today's declaration stage.
And the Ballydoyle maestro will field once-raced maiden Maryinsky, as well as Moon Safari, in the £200,000 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile on the same card at the Berkshire track. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 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.
O'Brien, speaking of the colt who finished a creditable third in the Prix du Moulin on his latest start, confirmed: "Hawkeye is very well and came out of his last run fine. He's been progressing all season and his run in France, his first in a Group One, showed he is still improving."
Bach (Jamie Spencer) has been an admirable performer all season with third-placed finishes in the Coral Eurobet Eclipse Stakes and Ireland The Food Island Irish Champion Stakes to his name. O’Brien added: "He's obviously a very consistent horse but he seems better for this run than he's ever been this season. Obviously he's gone forward too."
Filed by Shane Murray
