Talking Horses: Lady Aurelia back from Royal Ascot in good form

Lady Aurelia has returned from Royal Ascot with a clean bill of health after her bitterly disappointing performance in the King’s Stand Stakes last week but no discussion has been held about whether to retire the high-class filly.

The American-trained four-year-old has twice triumphed at the Royal meeting but was a well below-par seventh after going off the well-backed favourite to follow up her blistering display in the race 12 months ago.

Trainer Wesley Ward reported: “Lady Aurelia came out of it great. We got the Ascot veterinarian team to check her out after the race and a couple of days later and she scoped clear and trotted out perfect. It just wasn’t her day.”

Asked to comment on whether Lady Aurelia’s best days could be behind her, the trainer added: “It’s tough to say. She’s coming home and we’ll get the veterinarian team to check her out again and see if something pops up. I had lunch with the owners on Thursday and we didn’t really talk about it [the future]. That decision [on retirement] isn’t mine to make.”

Ward saddled nine runners at the five-day meeting and claimed his 10th Royal Ascot success with Norfolk Stakes heroine Shang Shang Shang.

“Shang Shang Shang is coming home and we’re kind of working back from the Breeders’ Cup with her. There’s a nice race at Saratoga over five and a half furlongs on the grass. We’ll see how she goes, but I think that could be within her range,” said Ward.

Tuesday’s best bets, by Chris Corrigan

It is impossible to oppose Victory Command (2.00) in the opening race at Beverley on Tuesday but Mark Johnston’s runner is set to go off at prohibitive odds and the horse from the Middleham yard running today who offers more value is racing at Brighton, with On A May Day (3.45) bidding for a second successive course-and-distance victory in the bet365.com Handicap.

After a couple of decent runs at Wolverhampton and Yarmouth, the selection was not winning out of turn when cruising to victory by seven lengths last week. The 6lb penalty On A May Day has to carry is unlikely to stop here given the ease of her vicory last time.

The nap bet is Detatchment (3.30), who runs in the ten-furlong handicap at Beverely. The Les Eyre-trained gelding was a course-and-distance winner in May and found the drop to seven furlongs against him at York before returning to Beverley and suffering trouble in running when fourth a fortnight ago. The booking of Silvestre de Sousa for his first ride on Detatchment is a bonus.

At Newbury’s evening meeting, the Mick Channon-trained Cottontail (7.10) should improve for his promising debut fifth at Lingfield.

Beverley

2.00 Victory Command 2.30 Mujassam 3.00 Fire Leopard 3.30 Detachment (nap) 4.00 Reveleon 4.30 White Turf 5.00 Oriental Splendour

Brighton

2.15 Strictly Carter 2.45 More Than Likely 3.15 Super Julius 3.45 On A May Day 4.15 Grasmere 4.45 Ravenhoe 5.15 Walter Sickert

Newbury

6.10 Fanfair 6.40 Pass The Gin 7.10 Cottontail (nb) 7.40 Tuff Rock 8.10 Diocles Of Rome 8.45 Haylah 9.15 Burford Brown

Newton Abbot

6.00 Silver Quay 6.30 Findusatgorcombe 7.00 Double Treasure 7.30 Not A Role Model 8.00 Saxo Jack 8.35 David John