Wednesday 27 April 2016 12:13, UK
Graham Motion's Miss Temple City, who finished a close fourth in the 2015 Coronation Stakes, will be heading back to Royal Ascot this year with the £175,000 Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Wednesday, June 15) her target.
Beaten just two lengths behind Ervedya (Jean Claude Rouget FR) last year, the four-year-old Miss Temple City recorded the biggest victory of her career last time out when taking the Grade One Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland on April 15, when she saw off the colts to score comfortably by a length and a quarter.
Sean Feld, representing part-owners The Club, said: "It was an awesome performance from Miss Temple City at Keeneland last time out and she has come out of the race great.
"When she won at Keeneland, she was also cross-entered in the race that Tepin won (the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes) but the way that race shaped up on paper, we thought it would be better to take on the colts in Maker's 46 Mile. We were not expecting to win, and she ran much better than we all thought she would.
"She has grown and looks totally different to what she looked like last year. She is bigger and has much more weight on her. She has gone from being a nice big filly to basically looking like a colt.
"We are now pointing towards the Duke of Cambridge Stakes with her and she won't run in between. She is really doing well and it is all systems go for Royal Ascot. It was an unbelievable day for us when she finished fourth in the Coronation Stakes last year - I would say it was as much fun as we could have had without actually winning.
"The Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket (July 8) is also be on the radar for her. It is obviously difficult to say what race you will go to after her next race but Newmarket is definitely an option for her.
"We were on the same flight as all the Wesley Ward horses last year and I think that will probably be the plan once again. That is scheduled to arrive the Friday before Royal Ascot. She went to stay at David Lanigan's yard last year and that will be the same once again."
There are a total of 32 entries for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, staged over Ascot's straight mile, with last year's winner Amazing Maria (David O'Meara) plus Ervedya and three-time Group One winner Esoterique (Andre Fabre FR) the pick of those engaged.
The £225,000 Hardwicke Stakes is always one of the strongest Group Two contests of the season and the mile and a half contest has attracted 42 entries this time around.
Her Majesty The Queen, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, could be represented in the race on the final day (Saturday, June 18) by the exciting Dartmouth (Sir Michael Stoute), who showed he had progressed well from three to four with a smooth victory in the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Chelmsford City on April 16.
Having no penalties for Group One winners, the Hardwicke Stakes has also attracted high-class performers including last season's St Leger and QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Simple Verse (Ralph Beckett) as well as Highland Reel (Aidan O'Brien IRE) who enjoyed success at the top level in the USA and Hong Kong last season.
The Grey Gatsby (Kevin Ryan), a dual Group One winner over 10 furlongs, could step up in trip, while Eagle Top (John Gosden) filled the runner-up spot last season in both the Hardwicke Stakes and the Group One King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO).
Entries are also made public today for both mile and a half Group Two contests for three-year-olds - the £200,000 Ribblesdale Stakes (Thursday, June 16, 84 entries) and the £200,000 King Edward VII Stakes (Friday, June 17, 79 entries).
There is American interest in the Ribblesdale Stakes with Dothraki Queen (Ken McPeek USA), third in the Grade One Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' in 2015.
Last week the great Group One entries for Royal Ascot were announced. A record number of overseas entries from eight countries featured among a total of 394 entries for the eight Group One highlights at Royal Ascot in June this year. There were 164 overseas entries in all, as against a previous best of 156 in 2013, including a record 35 from outside Europe.
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Communications at Ascot, said: "The Duke of Cambridge Stakes and Hardwicke Stakes continue to attract fields of Group One quality.
"With the likes of Miss Temple City, Ervedya, Esoterique and Amazing Maria amongst the entries for the former and a St Leger winner in Simple Verse and Irish Champion Stakes winner in The Grey Gatsby possibles for the Hardwicke, things are very encouraging at this early stage."
