Royal Ascot Day 1 Preview

Godolphin jockey James Doyle is hoping that Night Of Thunder's brilliant gallop last Friday will translate into triumph in Tuesday's Queen Anne Stakes, the first race of the week at Royal Ascot, and arguably the most fascinating of the five days.

Whatever opinions were formed of Night Of Thunder in his fighting victory in Newbury's G1 Lockinge Stakes last month, Doyle predicts much better to come from the likeable 2000 Guineas winner, who is now established as a valuable stallion prospect.

"On Friday at Richard Hannon's, Night Of Thunder galloped with Ivawood, who is probably a bit quicker. But it was a very impressive piece of work from our horse. He has improved massively from the Lockinge," the jockey reported.

Doyle admitted that he probably committed Night Of Thunder much earlier than ideal in the closing stages of the Lockinge. "But the field merged with me on the far side, and I just had to go when I did. He has come on from that run," he pointed out.

Night Of Thunder faces two 'giants' in Solow, the Freddy Head-trained grey who won so impressively in Dubai, and the John Moore-trained Able Friend, officially rated joint-top of the World Rankings and arguably the best horse ever trained in Hong Kong.

Doyle is under no illusions of the task Night Of Thunder is facing, but he believes the four-year-old is well equipped. "The two foreign raiders are high class, but our horse will be much closer to them than many think. He was definitely not 100% when he won at Newbury, but he is in great form now," he said.

Two important changes in Godolphin plans are the decision to by-pass the Coventry Stakes with Log Out Island, who will now target Thursday's Norfolk Stakes, and the inclusion of the Roger Varian-trained Belardo in the St James's Palace Stakes field.

Godolphin are still strongly represented in the Coventry, by the promising Teofilo colt Round Two, trained by Jim Bolger, and the recent Epsom winner Buratino, trained by Mark Johnston. Both should ensure the royal blue colours are prominent throughout the week's top two-year-old feature.

Belardo is a colt whose participation in the early-season Classics was always ground-dependent, so it is significant that Varian has advised to declare the colt this week, as there are always fears of fast going.

John Ferguson, Bloodstock Adviser to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, explained: "Roger walked Ascot at the weekend, and if the ground on Tuesday is as it was then, he is happy to run Belardo. He says Belardo is in great form, and based on his run in the 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, he can run a big race."

The St James's Palace is billed as the great clash between dual-Guineas winner Gleneagles and French Guineas hero Make Believe, though the encouraging reports from the Sir Michael Stoute yard regarding Consort are undermining the bold prediction that only the two headline colts will be involved.

This race is an absolute cracker, typical of what the Royal meeting can produce. Godolphin are also represented by Latharnach, a relatively unexposed colt who may get into the frame.

One other Godolphin runner on the first day worth noting is Steady Pace in the finale, the five-furlong Windsor Castle Stakes. Saeed bin Suroor, the colt's trainer, said: "He loves Ascot, he won his first race there. He then finished third in the National Stakes at Sandown but he was not himself and it is best to forget the run. He has worked well since."

Saeed also saddles Statutory, who will be having his first run for 253 days when lining up under James Doyle in the Ascot Stakes, over two and a half miles.

The King's Stand Stakes features a typically open renewal, with the Eddie Lynam-trained Sole Power, the hold-up specialist, trying to win the race for the third successive year. Even with Oakleigh Plate winner Shamal Wind, from Australia, in opposition, the Irish-trained sprinter is again the one to beat.