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Gleneagles stars in Palace six

3 minute read

Dual 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles heads a field of six for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Gleneagles winning the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Group 1) Picture: Pat Healy Photography

The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt has looked a cut above his fellow three-year-olds in picking up both Classics at Newmarket and the Curragh.

He appears to have frightened away plenty of opposition but has not scared off French 2000 Guineas hero Make Believe.

The Andre Fabre-trained colt, who was supplemented at a cost of £35,000, had his form boosted by the victory of his stablemate and Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up New Bay in the French Derby.

Make Believe's owner Prince Faisal also retains an interest in Belardo, with Godolphin buying into last season's champion two-year-old.

Trainer Roger Varian is praying there is still time for showers to hit the Berkshire course.

"Belardo is a big price, but we are hoping for thunderstorms to come. The horse is in super form and has come on for his run in the Irish Guineas," said Varian.

"He probably had the worst run of the race as he missed the break, then he had to loop around the field."

Sir Michael Stoute has an interesting contender in Consort, who is taking a big hike in class after winning his two starts, most recently in the Heron Stakes at Kempton.

Hugo Palmer's Solario Stakes scorer Aktabantay makes his belated seasonal debut, while Godolphin's Latharnach, trained by Charlie Appleby, completes the sextet.