Wednesday 21 June 2017 14:10, UK
The view from connections ahead of Thursday's action at Royal Ascot - find out what the trainers are saying.
Sir Michael Stoute's Mori gets the chance to live up to her breeding in Thursday's Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
By Frankel and out of the brilliant mare Midday, who won six Group Ones, including three Nassau Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, connections will be hoping this is the stepping stone to a career at the highest level for Mori.
The Irish Oaks entry was unraced at two and only fifth on her debut at Newbury, but she opened her account at Ascot in May and won a Listed race over 10 furlongs at Goodwood last time out.
Mori was bred by owner Khalid Abdullah, whose racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: "She would certainly be pretty high on our priorities for the week.
"She's progressed very well and she's a stakes winner already, so we have to be pretty pleased about that.
"Everyone has been very happy with her since Goodwood and we're looking forward to running her."
Pat Smullen was booked to ride some time ago and is understandably pleased to be on board.
"She's a lovely filly with a great profile," he told At The Races.
"She's progressing along nicely and I think she's there with a live chance. I'm really looking forward to riding her."
John Gosden poses the biggest threat to Mori, numerically at least, with four runners.
Coronet finished fifth in the Oaks while Gracious Diana and Astronomy's Choice ran respectably in Oaks trials, but Hertford Dancer performed way above expectations when winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
She is owned by a syndicate, 5 Hertford Street Racing Club, which is managed by Harry Herbert, who said: "Hertford Dancer is a remarkable filly.
"John Gosden, John and Jake Warren and myself had thought about running her in an Oaks Trial and the Lingfield race seemed to break up a bit. We hoped we could get some black type and give everyone a fun day out as lots of the people involved in the syndicate are new to racing.
"It was absolutely astonishing that she won so well. She won well and won on merit. She improved her rating by 23lb. If she can improve by just half as much again, everyone is going to have a lot of fun."
Aidan O'Brien runs Alluringly, arguably the form pick given she was second to Enable at Chester and third, albeit beaten over 11 lengths, in the Oaks.
John Oxx's Naughty Or Nice is the only unbeaten filly in the field and wears blinkers for the first time while Roger Varian runs Serenada, third to Shutter Speed in the Musidora.
Hugo Palmer's Apphia finished second behind Serenda in a Sandown maiden in April and has since struck gold at Goodwood.
"She's a very good looking and beautifully bred daughter of High Chaparral," Palmer told Betfair.
"She's run twice, she was beaten a nose by a filly who went on to be third in the Musidora at York and then she dead-heated to win a good maiden at Goodwood last time.
"We expect her to improve a lot for stepping up in trip."
Trainer Karl Burke will try to fend off the might of Wesley Ward when Havana Grey runs in the Norfolk Stakes.
A Listed winner at Sandown on his third start, he has already shown he possesses plenty of speed - and also has experience in the bag.
However, Havana Grey could be expected to be a much shorter price were in not for the presence of the Ward-trained McErin.
"I think a lot of him. I was impressed by his last gallop and he must have a chance in what looks a very interesting race," said Burke.
"You have to respect whatever Wesley Ward runs but his horse has a dirt pedigree so we'll have to see how he goes.
"We bring just about the best British form from his Sandown race but I've got a healthy respect for Richard Fahey's (It Dont Come Easy).
"Tom Dascombe is convinced Frozen Angel will turn the form around with us but we'll see about that!"
McErin was surprisingly beaten on his second outing, but the vibes have been strong since his arrival in Newmarket.
"He's a beautiful colt. When you look at him you'd say he's just the perfect type for a sprinter," said the American trainer.
"He's well and while he can be a bit buzzy on the gallops, when he gets to the racetrack he's the perfect gentleman.
"We've brought his handlers over from the States to get the saddle on to make sure he doesn't run his race in the paddock."
Declan Carroll's Santry won a division of the Brocklesby on the first day of the season and then defied a penalty at York when beating Consequences, who has since won and renews rivalry for the David O'Meara team.
The big betting race of the day is the Britannia Stakes, over the straight mile for three-year-olds, with the market headed by Richard Hannon's Son Of The Stars, who will be ridden by Oisin Murphy.
Murphy told his British Champions Series blog: "Son Of The Stars ran a super race at Newmarket.
"He was perhaps a little short of experience that day - he should've learnt plenty from that. He's worked to a high level at home and has an outstanding chance.
"He's straightforward like most of Richard Hannon's so I'm exciting about getting aboard,"
Hugo Palmer runs Via Serendipity and Colibri.
Palmer said: "Via Serendipity ran well for a long way when he finished fifth in the Greenham and at the time he was still in the Guineas.
"He's been gelded since then and this is his first race since. I think the stiff mile at Ascot should suit him and off 90 he should have every chance.
"We've also got Colibri. He's just run once this year when very unlucky in the Esher Cup at Sandown, he got knocked out of the way when it looked like he was coming to win.
"He was a wide-margin maiden winner last year and I think he's still relatively unexposed."
Palmer also has a runner in the King George V Stakes in Majoris.
"Majoris had the ignominy of being the first of Frankel's first crop to be beaten but he's a winner of two and we're trying something a bit new stepping him up in trip," the Newmarket handler told Betfair.
"We think there's a chance on pedigree that he'll stay. He certainly works like he will, and he'll also wear blinkers for the first time."
Mirage Dancer is likely to be a warm order for the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes over a mile and a quarter.
The son of Frankel, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, won on his debut at Doncaster last autumn and made some eyecatching late headway to take fourth place in the Dee Stakes at Chester in May.
Charlie Appleby won the race last year with Hawkbill and saddles Bay Of Poets, with fellow Godolphin trainer responsible for Benbatl and Tamleek.
