NEWS: THE BRILLIANT double classic winner Henrythenavigator will lead a dozen-strong Irish challenge into tomorrow's opening day of Royal Ascot and also carries the ringing endorsement of his trainer Aidan O'Brien into the St James's Palace Stakes.
A total of eight opponents have been declared to take on the latest Ballydoyle superstar who was yesterday described by O'Brien as the best miler he has ever trained.
Henrythenavigator is bidding to follow in the St James's Palace footsteps of ex-O'Brien-trained stars like Giants Causeway (2000) and Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) but the champion trainer believes the regally bred colt is already at another level.
"I don't think people realise how easy he won at the Curragh. Over a mile he's the best we've had," O'Brien was reported as saying yesterday.
"This fellow is quicker (compared to Giants Causeway and Rock Of Gibraltar.) He can go to sleep in his races, wake up when he needs to, and make that killer kick which makes it difficult for any other horse. If we keep doing a proper job with him he will show himself to be an exceptional horse."
The Newmarket and Curragh classic hero is already a general 1 to 2 shot in ante-post betting for tomorrow's day-one centrepiece where he will be joined by his stable companion Minneapolis.
He will also be a "banker" for jockey John Murtagh who is a general even money favourite to be leading jockey over the five days. Murtagh will be looking for a third jockeys title at Royal Ascot after wins in 2001 (five winners) and 2002 (four winners).
O'Brien is a heavy odds-on favourite to be leading trainer again after scoring with four winners last year and he will have five other runners tomorrow including the ex-Australian star Haradasun who is favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes.
Also in the opening Group One will be last year's double Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo who drops back to a mile after finishing runner-up to Duke Of Marmalade in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The Jim Bolger-Kevin Manning team will also be represented in the Coventry Stakes with Intense Focus. Henrythenavigator won the Group Two last year and his stable companion PeterTchaikovsky, a Naas winner on his sole start to date, is the Ballydoyle hope this time.
Michael Kinane, the most successful current Royal Ascot rider with 41 winners since his first 29 years ago, will be on Joanna Morgan's Jawad in the two and a half mile Ascot Stakes.
Bushranger (David Wachman) and Silver Shoon (Dermot Weld) will fly the Irish flag in the Windsor Castle Stakes over five furlongs.
There's more modest fare on offer at this evening's Ballinrobe fixture but that won't matter to Some Craic supporters if Michael Hourigan's eight-year-old continues his progress in the concluding handicap hurdle.
Some Craic has run in three chases since his last race over the smaller obstacles, winning them all and rising a couple of stone in the ratings into the bargain. In that light, racing off a 78 mark tonight makes him impossible to oppose.
The Co Mayo course is quite trappy for flat horses and a mixture of proven track form and a good draw makes Camolin interesting in the apprentice handicap.
Art Sleuth has an 82 rating in the auction maiden that makes Eddie Lynam's runner an obvious contender but the once-raced Our Express wasn't beaten too far behind Amaranda at Gowran and may be open to more improvement.
Declan McDonogh teams up with Strolling Home in the two mile handicap and the ex-champion jockey can help Pat Martin's runner translate some smart hurdling form to the level.
