Dawn Approach looks to rebound in St James's Palace

"Magician travels very strongly and keeps on going," O'Brien said of

Magician. "He has a lot of speed and everybody saw at the Curragh how strong he

traveled. We think Mars could be in the mold of Rip Van Winkle -- in his work,

his cruising speed was up around 40 miles per hour, which is very fast, so

there's a chance he might be better coming back to a mile. His first run on

grass was in the Guineas and it was a very respectable run, so it was probably a

big task that we set him. We learnt a lot about him at Epsom and he'll be ridden

handier over a mile. Racing will help him relax and mature."

Toronado was rerouted to this event after he his disappointment in the

Newmarket classic led connections to skip a tilt at the Derby. The way he

disposed of the proven pattern-race performer Dundonnell in the Craven Stakes at

Newmarket April 18 sticks in the memory and trainer Richard Hannon is hoping for

a revival of fortunes fitted with a spoon bit.

"We know we did not see the real Toronado in the Guineas, but everything he

has done at home since he resumed exercise has convinced us that we still have

the real deal," Hannon commented. "We believe that he suffered a displaced

palate as soon as he left the stalls at Newmarket, so he did remarkably well to

finish fourth. He was legless at the end and in another 100 yards would have

trailed in last. However, we have switched him from Everleigh to Herridge and

also changed his tack, and both seem to have had a positive effect. He is much

more relaxed and is breathing properly again, and, whereas we could have gone

for the tongue-tie, a lot of horses do not find that comfortable, so we went for

the spoon-bit, which we have used on several of our horses in the past and he

seems very happy in it.

"He worked super in his final gallop, and, while we don't underestimate

either Dawn Approach or Magician, we are just focusing on ensuring that our

horse is back to his best and able to run to his full potential."

Jockey Richard Hughes added, "I haven't lost faith in him. We know he wasn't

at his best in the Guineas, yet he was still there at the two-pole on the bit

and not many horses would have done that with the fractions they were doing.

Something went amiss and he wasn't getting much air. He's very talented, but he

has to prove himself now. I know what he is, but we have to get everyone else to

see how good he is."

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