It's a very exciting renewal of the 5f Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday with Wesley Ward's American Rascal travelling over from the US.
The Curlin colt has a truly Royal Ascot pedigree, as the first foal out of super-star sprinter Lady Aurelia. She was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes as a juvenile and returned twelve months later to claim the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes for the same trainer. Emulating his famous dam, American Rascal was an impressive winner of a Keeneland special weight maiden on debut, scoring by ten-and-a-half-lengths. He looks to have inherited the speed from Lady Aurelia and his participation makes this race a mouth-watering prospect.
The US challenger may have found unstoppable opposition in the shape of Karl Burke's Elite Status, who has looked a speed machine in his two career starts. He won by three lengths on soft ground at Doncaster on his debut and looked an even better horse when scoring by five-lengths on good going at Sandown Park in the Listed National Stakes. Karl Burke has an excellent record in juvenile events at the Royal meeting.
George Weaver recorded his first Royal Ascot winner with Crimson Advocate in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes on Tuesday and will be looking to replicate the same feat in the colts' equivalent with No Nay Mets. He made all on debut at Gulfstream Park and accelerated in the closing stages to secure victory by three-and-a-half lengths. The No Nay Never colt was sold to new connections for £800,000 at the London Sale on Monday.
Paddy Twomey's Noche Magica was a striking debut winner at Cork, making smooth headway in the closing stages to go clear by three-and-three-quarter lengths at the line. He stepped up to 6f in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes on his next run and perhaps didn't fully stay, finishing a head behind Givemethebeatboys, who has given the form a boost by finishing fourth in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday.
With the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes form appearing to be a good pointer for the Royal meeting, it would be foolish to dismiss the third-placed His Majesty. Representing Aidan O'Brien, the colt was a Listed winner on debut in the First Flier Stakes at the Curragh and returns to five furlongs again. Breeding would suggest a longer trip would suit, but he was very eye-catching over the minimum trip.
French representative The Fixer is possibly over-priced at 50/1 as a last-start winner of the Listed Prix de Fleche on Prix du Jockey Club day at Chantilly. He seemed to improve for the sounder surface (good) and finished two-and-a-half lengths ahead of Dorothy Lawrence (third), who has form with other Royal Ascot runners.
Of the less experienced runners, Kevin Ryan's Mon Na Slieve may be worth consideration. He made all when winning by one-and-three-quarter lengths at York in a novice stakes on debut in mid-May and is expected to improve for the run. The yard has already had a surprise winner at the Royal meeting this week (Triple Time in the Queen Anne Stakes) and this colt could put in a big performance.
WIN: NOCHE MAGICA
PLACE: THE FIXER
