UK: Big Names Go Missing From Royal Ascot

Godolphin flagbearer Farhh and Ballydoyle star St Nicholas Abbey will be no shows at Royal Ascot next week.

Farhh
Photo by Racing and Sports

Farhh, a runaway winner of the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, will miss Royal Ascot after being found to be lame behind after routine work on Saturday.

Plans for him to start in either the Queen Anne Stakes or Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot have been scrapped with future plans on hold.

"Unfortunately, Farhh is lame and cannot run at Royal Ascot,” said Godolphin’s Simon Crisford.

"It is not possible to make plans for him at the moment but hopefully he will be back later this season."

Aidan O'Brien has also ruled out a trip to Royal Ascot for St Nicholas Abbey to focus on the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July.

He was originally pencilled in for the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting following his historic third consecutive win in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby but his trainer has now ruled out that race to wait for the King George at Ascot on July 27.

O’Brien’s Royal Ascot team will include the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Magician in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes. His other runners next week will include Battle Of Marengo, Mars, Camelot, Declaration Of War, Gale Force Ten and Leading Light.

Last year’s Derby winner Camelot will face a rematch with Al Kazeem in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes after Roger Charlton's charge proved too strong when they met in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

Battle Of Marengo, fourth to stablemate Ruler Of The World in this year's Epsom Derby, will go for the King Edward VII Stakes while Derby sixth Mars is on course for the Tercentenary Stakes.

Gale Force Ten heads for the Jersey Stakes, Leading Light for the Queen's Vase and Declaration Of War will take on Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom in the Queen Anne Stakes that kicks off the five-day carnival on Tuesday week.

Trainer Ed Dunlop’s grand mare Snow Fairy could make her return to racing at Royal Ascot.

The six-time Group 1 winner, off the track through injury since her success in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September, is working towards a start in the Prince of Wales's Stakes on June 19.

"I would like to go to Ascot but we want to be very happy with her and she will tell us whether she's ready,” Dunlop said.

“We want to wait another week and it will be a late call. She has the option the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, which is 11 days after the Ascot race, so that is in the back of our minds.”


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