Glen's my Ascot Diamond

Top trainer Richard Fahey goes through his team for Royal Ascot 2011 and he rates Glen's Diamond as his bet of the week.

Richard Fahey goes through his team for Royal Ascot 2011

It's the best team I've ever sent down to Royal Ascot with Wootton Bassett, Glen's Diamond and Barefoot Lady the pick of the older horses while we've got some decent juveniles too. However, this is Royal Ascot, so I don't want to be too bullish - I've had my backside kicked down there many, many times! I've taken many good horses down there that haven't won and they've ended up good horses. It's extremely hard to get a winner, but I've never sent a team like this down and we're very hopeful. Hand on heart if I said I was going to have one winner it would be a brave shout but I've lots of chances and I'll run you by them day by day...

Tuesday, June 14

Rose Blossom is our first runner of the meeting in the King's Stand Stakes. She has been running to her rating but I thought she would improve this year and that hasn't happened.

I've stuck blinkers on her and I'm hoping they will help her. Physically she's done better but she hasn't run better although she's been steady at running to about 106. It's Royal Ascot and she needs to be at her very best so we'll see.

I'm a little bit worried about the draw in five, I think you might need to be middle to stands side. She should be okay on the good to soft ground but she's got to step up on what she's produced this season.

Wootton Bassett's in great order ahead of the St James's Palace Stakes.

I'm just not convinced he's a genuine miler - he hasn't proved to me that he stays the trip yet. It'll be interesting to see how the race pans out tactically - we're drawn on the outside which might not be a bad thing.

It's all about what Frankel does - if he bowls and goes a million miles an hour we'll have to ride our own race but I'll leave it all to Paul. Hopefully he bounces back and shows us what he can do, hopefully he does stay the mile.

He ran a bit free in front in France when he was fresh and well so that freshness has been taken out of him. It's a wonderful race to be involved in and it's just great to have a runner.

If Frankel does what he did in the Guineas we're all playing for second but he's got to turn up as well. The rain won't have worked against us and there will be no excuses. It's a big day and we'll find out where we can play with him from now on.

Dr Marwan Koukash decided to run both of his speedy juveniles in the Coventry Stakes and one has been drawn well with the other not so well berthed.

Ours, Gabrial, is drawn well in 15 and he's an improving horse who's done nothing wrong. He's got to step up again - this is the Olympics now and it's a whole new challenge for him.

Six furlongs should suit this horse - he stayed well at Beverley and he's still learning and progressing. Our fellow is unbeaten but it's hard to gauge how good he is in comparison to the rest so if he's placed I'd be delighted.

There's not a lot between Lexington Spirit and Worthington in the Windsor Castle Stakes. They've both got to step up on what they've achieved too.

Worthington did well to win first time out and she's come on a tonne, I'm sure she'll run well.

Lexington Spirit won a bad race the other day making all but that's the last thing I'd want to do with her in this race. She's a very fast filly that needs cover so at least the race will be run to suit. I've been going through the race, though, and it's very tough.

If we can get placed with anything on Tuesday I'll be delighted.

Wednesday June 15

We're going to make a decision on Tuesday over whether Majestic Myles runs in the Jersey Stakes on Wednesday.

We think he'll stay, but he'll have a little canter in the morning and we'll see how he is and take it from there. He's only a young horse and we're been a little bit tough on him but we'll see.

The Royal Hunt Cup is a lottery and I go to war with four runners - Kay Gee Be and Kyllachy Star who are drawn high and Lord Aeryn and Brae Hill who are drawn low.

I think middle to high is where you want to be when Ascot has a bit of juice in the ground so the first two mentioned might have an advantage there. Paul goes with Kay Gee Be and we thought he should have won at York the other day, he was a little bit unlucky.

They are all in good order and will all be fine on the ground, but it's a very tough race and we'll see what happens. Has Paul chosen right? I don't know, I think they've all got a chance and I wouldn't like to pick between them.

Ebony Clarets goes in the Queen Mary Stakes and she's a filly we like a lot.

Bar Miss Work Of Art she's probably our best filly, certainly on homework, but she has to step up. The form of the race she won has mixed messages - the third won a listed race after but the second and the fourth just ran ordinary.

She's improved an awful lot and worked very well the other morning. I see she's a big price and I'd expect her to run very well at those odds, she could run into a place. She's very quick and gallops well. She's got some toe and she worked very well the other morning.

Thursday June 16

I've three in the Britannia Handicap although I'm not sure The Mellor Fella will get in.

I was a little bit disappointed with Polar Kite's run the other day but Paul will ride him.

I'll claim off Common Touch with Lee Topliss as he went up 9lbs for his last win. Both horses are in good order and I'd expect them to run well.

Common Touch is progressive and he knows how to win, a mile should suit too, he might just be a bit high in the weights.

Polar Kite is a decent horse and I think he's well handicapped - but he did everything wrong at Haydock the other day.

I don't think Lexington Bay will get in the King George V Stakes but I'd love Mica Mika to do so. He's run well all season and he's a tough, hardy racehorse. He knows how to race.

Friday June 17

Lily's Angel has been crying out for six furlongs all year and she steps up to that distance in the Albany Stakes.

She ran well at Beverley but she keeps getting left in the stalls. She doesn't need to do that at Ascot so we're going to put a rug on her and hopefully that will help her. She needs to settle down and jump out and race with them.

It won't be easy but I'm very hopeful that the extra furlong will be right in her favour here.

Glen's Diamond is a horse I really like and he goes in the King Edward VII Stakes.

He's been working very well, the trip will suit him and he's in great order. He's probably my best runner of the week. The extra two furlongs will really help him, we like him a lot and he'd be my best chance of a winner.

Barefoot Lady goes in the Coronation Stakes and the plan is to try and get her placed.

She's a very tough filly and this mile will suit her better than at Newmarket, she's in very good order. She drops back in trip following the Musidora but I think this test will suit. It's a tough race - but I think it could've been tougher.

There's no superstar in there and we were contemplating going to France but I think we made the right call by coming here. She's very genuine and a very tough filly.

Brae Hill and Kyllachy Star will both be declared for the Buckingham Palace Stakes but we'll have to see how they are following the Royal Hunt Cup.

Sir Reginald will run in the Wokingham if he gets in that but Castles In The Air definitely runs. He's been a little bit out of form but he likes Ascot and it seems to bring the best out of him. He's won some decent races there so I'd be hopeful he can put in a good run.

That's the lot - I'll cover Saturday's Royal Ascot runners in my Friday column. As for my best chance at the meeting I'd have to stick with Glen's Diamond in the King Edward VII Stakes.