2015 Royal Ascot news round-up: Intrinsic given Wokingham go-ahead

Intrinsic is set to make his seasonal reappearance in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot after delighting trainer Robert Cowell in a racecourse gallop at Kempton this morning, and Coral make the five-year-old a 14/1 chance for the 6f contest on Saturday, June 20th.

The son of Oasis Dream missed the cut for the ultra-competitive sprint handicap last year before going on to land the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, and has won four of his seven starts on turf.

He disappointed on his final two starts of 2014 and has not been seen so far this season after suffering a minor setback during the winter.

However, Cowell is looking forward to seeing Intrinsic make his comeback in the Wokingham and reports him to be in really good order.

The Newmarket handler said: “We were delighted with him this morning. He worked with another horse of owner Mr Al Basti’s called Stunned, who is rated in the mid-80s and is maybe a bit better than that, and he showed him a clean pair of heels.

“He had a good blow afterwards, but he’s in really good order and what the run at Ascot will do is leave him in tip-top shape for Goodwood, so we have to go.”

Dettori to partner Consort in St James’s Palace
Derby winning jockey Frankie Dettori has been booked to partner the Sir Michael Stoute trained consort in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dettori, who gave Golden Horn a peach of a ride at Epsom, takes over from regular jockey Ryan Moore who is committed to riding dual Guineas winner Gleneagles (4/5 fav with Coral) for his Coolmore Stud bosses.

Consort is unbeaten in two starts and looked a colt with enormous potential in the last of those when easily landing the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown.

The fact that connections are now pitching the three-year-old into Group 1 company shows how highly the son of Lope De Vega is regarded, and Consort is currently the 7/1 joint-third favourite with Coral for the 1m contest on Tuesday, June 16th.

Dettori, who needs needs one more winner to make it 50 successes at the royal meeting, will also be riding Richard Hannon’s runaway National Stakes winner King Of Rooks in the Norfolk Stakes after the colt was bought by his boss Sheik Joaan Al Thani and is expected to be aboard USA flying machine Hootenanny in the inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup.

Integral heads 12 left in Duke Of Cambridge Stakes
Last year’s winner Integral is one of 12 remaining possibles in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, June 17th, and looks sure to go off a warm favourite to land back-to-back successes.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained mare went on to land a brace of Group 1 contests after last year’s easy two length success in the 1m contest, and shaped really well on seasonal reappearance at Newbury when taking on the boys and finishing a close up fourth to Night Of Wonder in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes.

Stoute could also run Bragging, who was impressive in the Dahlia Stakes but a big disappointment next time out at York.

Rizeena, also a winner at the meeting next year when landing the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, is also on course for the race.

The sole overseas possible is Cladocera, who is trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre and has won four of her seven starts on the turf.

They include a couple of Group 2 contests at Meydan, and the filly was far from disgraced when last seen in action in the Dubai World Cup and finishing sixth to the brilliant Solow.