Pale Mimosa is likely to head straight to the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot next month as she attempts to emulate 2010 winner Rite Of Passage.

The five-year-old mare is trained by Dermot Weld, who saddled Rite Of Passage to win the Gold Cup for owner Ronan Lambe. Success for Pale Mimosa would also cap a notable year for Lambe after Lord Windermere landed the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the owner in March.

Pale Mimosa finished third behind Gold Cup favourite Leading Light on her comeback run at Navan earlier this month having been weak in the market but Weld does not feel forced to run her again for the royal meeting.

"I'm very happy with her," Weld said on Wednesday. "She came out of her Navan race very well and Ascot is the plan. I haven't decided whether she will take in the Saval Beg Stakes en route, but it does come a bit close to Ascot."

Should Pale Mimosa triumph in the Gold Cup, she would be only the second female - after Estimate last year - to win the race since Indian Queen in 1991.

Estimate, owned by The Queen, has been off the track since running in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on British Champions Day.

John Warren, bloodstock adviser to the Queen, said: "The Gold Cup has always been the target and Sir Michael Stoute reports that all is well and she is on target for the race."