Water To Wine and Benvenuto Cellini could belatedly clash at Royal Ascot next week after both featured among the entries for the King Edward VII Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden’s Water To Wine was due to lock horns with Aidan O’Brien’s Benvenuto Cellini in the Chester Vase before a setback scuppered both an outing on the Roodee and subsequently any hope of making the Derby.
With sights kept low for Water To Wine’s second outing late last month, he again looked a high-class prospect in registering an 11-length win at Kempton and now heads into deeper waters for the first time for what is commonly known as the ‘Ascot Derby’
The Group Two has attracted 16 entries and joining Benvenuto Cellini on the list from Ballydoyle are Causeway, Endorsement and Port Of Spain.
Benvenuto Cellini would be making a quick return after he was controversially declared a non-runner after the conclusion of the Derby at Epsom. The ante-post favourite finished down the field after briefly getting his leg caught in the starting stalls.
Charlie Johnston’s Derby eighth Ancient Egypt is another who could seek Epsom redemption having shown up well for a long way in the Premier Classic, although he also holds an entry for the previous day’s Hampton Court Stakes.
Andrew Balding’s Italian Derby winner Venetian Prince, Karl Burke’s Cocked Hat Stakes hero Golden Story and Joseph O’Brien’s pair of Limestone and Nil Bua Gan Dua are other eye-catching names.
The penultimate day of the Royal meeting kicks off with the Albany Stakes, a race in which Burke will be seeking back-to-back victories with recent Carlisle scorer Light Of Dawn after Venetian Sun’s triumph 12 months ago.
The Group Three event has attracted 37 entries, with Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Victorious and Sun Goddess, Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Silent Beauty, Robson De Aguiar’s Controlla and Andrew Baling’s Jolivette – a half-sister to the stable’s high-class performer Jonquil – also in the mix.
There is sure to be a touch of quality lurking amongst the 44 fillies in contention for the Sandringham Stakes, while there is 54 in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes over a mile and a half and 51 in the concluding Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes over five furlongs.
