News, report and previews: Aidan O'Brien is hoping a plan first hatched on a mundane Friday evening industry meeting at Navan in June comes off in Group One style at Ascot today as Ace takes on the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Ace is unbeaten in his three starts to date and includes in his c.v. the Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown last month but it will be a very different ball game today.
Proven Group One performers like Soviet Song and Refuse To Bend are contenders for horse-of-the-year laurels but O'Brien, who also runs Antonius Pius, is not without hope.
"He had a few little problems at two. We always planned to give him three races on the run-up to this and he has done it well up to now," said the Ballydoyle trainer yesterday. "He's done everything we've asked of him and is in good form."
Jamie Spencer has chosen to stay on Ace rather than Antonius Pius, whose erratic tendencies have put the stable jockey through the emotional wringer this year. Kieren Fallon takes over today.
"Jamie has never been beaten on the other horse so it would have been difficult to get off him but Antonius Pius is in good shape," O'Brien added.
The O'Brien-Spencer team are also involved with Mona Lisa in the Group One Fillies Mile and Scandinavia, who lines up in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes.
"Scandinavia is a nice horse that we've always liked. He won well at Galway and it's nice that the runner-up that day won at Listowel on Thursday," O'Brien said. "Mona Lisa has been a bit green but she is improving all the time."
Other Irish interest at Ascot will include the John Oxx-trained Treasure The Lady (Michael Kinane), who goes in the Listed Rosemary Fillies Handicap.
The forecast "good" ground at Punchestown tomorrow made quite a difference to racing at Listowel during the past week and Dermot Weld's Lowlander looks like one that will appreciate the good surface in the handicap chase.
Lowlander made more than one mistake when beaten at the Galway festival but did better last time out at Kilbeggan when beating Trotsky by a couple of lengths.
Ruby Walsh and Michael O'Brien teamed up to win the Kerry National with Banasan on Wednesday and the duo can keep the run going with Newlands North, who looks to be the best option in the three-year-old hurdle.
