Lady Aurelia vs Battaash could be a Royal Ascot epic

Wesley Ward is in typically upbeat form ahead of Lady Aurelia’s attempt to win at a third consecutive Royal Ascot.

In what promises to be one of the races of the five-day meeting, which starts on Tuesday, the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes sees a scorching clash of speed, with 14 runners declared for the 5f dash.

Lady Aurelia, beat 16 rivals last year, following up her 2016 success in the Queen Mary Stakes – and her American handler says she is better than ever ahead of her clash with arguably Europe’s best sprinter Battaash.

READ MORE: Cox reveals Royal Ascot plan for top sprinter

READ MORE: Adam Kirby swaps life on the farm for Royal Ascot pizzazz

Ward describes Lady Aurelia’s recent pieces of work as “eye-opening” in giving a typically bullish report ahead of the King’s Stand, one of three Group 1 races on opening day.

Foreign visitors have won 10 of the last 15 renewals of King’s Stand, including Lady Aurelia, who powered home in a track-record time, beating two previous winners, Profitable and Goldream.

“She is a true champion,” said Ward. “She is a once-in-a-lifetime horse and she is ready to go again.”

He added: “Her last few works have been very, very good. She’s an older mare now and came in this year heavier.

“She was beaten in her prep – she was second – but she ran a really good race. She’s ready to run big. I’m very excited.”

Ward, who has notched nine Royal Ascot winners, is already an Ascot icon. He trains roughly 100 horses in Lexington, Kentucky, with around 80 of them precocious two-year-olds.

Yet his success in the UK is overlooked in the States.

He simply spotted a gap in the market and exploited it, saddling his first Royal Ascot winner when 33-1 shot Strike The Tiger scored in the Windsor Castle Stakes in 2009. Then a little-known trainer, the Washington State native immediately struck again on the second day of that meeting with Jealous Again taking the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.

Ward will send 10 horses to the Berkshire track this week, by far his biggest raiding party.

He said: “I’m bringing really, really quality horses that have big, big chances,” Ward said. “In my mind, anyway.”

Bound For Nowhere (Diamond Jubilee) and Undrafted (Wokingham) breezed at Newbury on Sunday morning and Ward said: “Bound For Nowhere ran an explosive race on his last start in the Shakertown at Keeneland. He’s lightly raced and bounded away from the best sprinters in the United States. I think he’s going to be tough (to beat).”

Undrafted, part-owned by former NFL wide receiver Wes Welker, was partnered by Raul da Silva on Sunday, and Ward said: “He is in good shape and I was pleased with that.”

Albany Stakes runner Stillwater Cove also stretched her legs and the trainer said: “Her breeze was very, very good. She worked with Moonlight Romance and I’m really excited.”

Charles Hills is hopeful that Battaash will not get too worked up on the big occasion, as he can get warm before his races.

READ MORE: Johnston eyes Royal Ascot after another four-timer

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE – What really happened in jockey fracas at Goodwood

Hills said: “You never quite know with Battaash. The stables are a little bit away from the racecourse so we’ll probably just try and get him up there while the race before is running, and then just put him in a quiet box – just down the end.”

He added: “Lady Aurelia’s a very good filly and she’s unbeaten at Ascot, so she’s going to be a hard nut to crack.

“But I’m pretty happy. Battaash is in good form and his work was very good (on Saturday). You just need things to go right in the sprints.”

Hydrangea, who has entries for the Duke of Cambridge and Prince of Wales’s Stakes, was the only absentee from tomorrow’s opening race, the Queen Anne, with 15 runners declared for the Group 1.

Meanwhile, the St James’s Palace Stakes has attracted a field of 10 as Without Parole attempts to extend his unbeaten record to four. John Gosden’s runner will face the 2,000 Guineas runner-up Tip Two Win, Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Romanised and a trio form Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard in Gustav Klimt, U S Navy Flag and Threeandfourpence.

Monday’s Selections:

AYR: 2.00 Light Heart, 2.30 Home Before Dusk, 3.05 Perfect Words, 3.35 Landing Night, 4.10 Saint Equiano, 4.45 Corton Lad, 5.15 Munthany

CARLISLE: 2.15 Simon’s Smile, 2.45 Tockholes (nb), 3.20 Biddy Brady, 3.50 Mischief Managed, 4.25 Queen Penn, 5.00 Firby, 5.30 Thorntoun Care

NOTTINGHAM: 5.50 Delft Dancer, 6.20 Bashiba, 6.50 Formidable Kitt, 7.20 Bakht A Rawan, 7.50 Pentland Hills, 8.20 Prosecute, 8.50 Big Sigh

WINDSOR: 6.00 Rivers Of Asia, 6.30 Implicit, 7.00 Knockabout Queen, 7.30 Titus Secret, 8.00 Sir Plato, 8.30 Seaborough, 9.00 Rock Eagle (NAP)

Follow @Genting­_Bet who offer Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK and Irish racing daily from 12.00pm