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Candy Needs Firm Ground for Jubilee

3 minute read

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the G1 feature on last day of the Royal Meeting, the race renamed in 2012 as part of The Queen's jubilee celebrations.

There are 19 runners due to face the starter at 4.20pm on June 24.

The six-furlong race was won last year by trainer Henry Candy with Twilight Son, and he fields the likely favourite in Limato. The five-year-old colt disappointed last time out in Dubai in the G1 six-furlong Al Quoz Sprint, but that was run on unsuitable yielding ground. The performance resulted in last year's regular rider Harry Bentley losing the mount, replaced by leading global rider Ryan Moore. He has ridden the Tagula colt once before when second in the G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in 2015.

Limato went one place better in the Foret last year with Bentley on board, winning the 2016 running of the G1 July Cup before finishing second in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes. Limato's last run at Ascot came back in 2015 when runner-up to Muhaarar in the course and distance G1 Commonwealth Cup.

The Tin Man finished eighth of nine in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes last year, but bounced back to form to take July's G3 six-furlong Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, finish second in the six-furlong G1 Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock behind Quiet Reflection before winning October's Qipco Champion Stakes run over the Diamond Jubilee course and distance.

From one start this year The Tin Man, a son of the dual King's Stand Stakes winner Equiano, finished fifth in May's six-furlong G2 Duke Of York Stakes, the soft ground not suitable for James Fanshawe's runner.

The winner at York was the William Haggas-trained Tasleet with the Charlie Hills-trained Magical Memory two and a half lengths behindin second.

A run in Saturday's Diamond Jubilee Stakes, part of the Qipco British Champions Series and the Global Sprint Challenge, represents the biggest test yet for Tasleet, a lightly raced four-year-old son of Showcasing stepping up to G1 class for the first time.

After the York win, Haggas said: "I was worried about the ground (soft), but have always wanted to drop Tasleet back to 6f. It will be Group Ones for him all the way now and we'll try to make a stallion of him."

If the horse is successful in the Diamond Jubilee on Saturday, the trainer will get his wish.

Magical Memory finished a close fourth in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes last year, beaten just a neck, a short-head and a head. With usual rider Frankie Dettori signed off injured, James Doyle takes the ride for the first time.

Magical Memory might be one to prefer more give in the ground than is likely after the sweltering conditions that have been experienced at this year's Royal Meeting, and connections will be hoping that thunder storms head Ascot's way.

Librisa Breeze is something of an Ascot specialist - he finished second in last year's mile Royal Hunt Cup, won the seven-furlong International Stakes at the July meeting before winning the seven-furlong Challenge Cup (a Heritage Handicap) at the course in October.

A first step up into stakes company and down in trip to six furlongs in October's G1 Champion Sprint Stakes saw him acquit himself well in sixth behind The Tin Man.

The Dean Ivory-trained son of Mount Nelson is an improving sort, but he has not run yet in 2017 and this is a big ask on a seasonal debut.

The Right Man picked up the G1 Al Quoz Sprint last time out, form which showed a vast improvement on anything the Lope De Vega gelding had done to that point. Trained in France by Didier Guillemin, he looks as though the softer surface in Meydan played its part in that success. American raider Long On Value, trained by Bill Mott, was beaten a nose and bids to gain his revenge.

Growl has not found the form he showed when second here to The Tin Man last October, while Suedois, who boasts of twice placed G1 form behind Limato at Newmarket and Chantilly, has not won a race since 2015.