Royal Ascot fields taking shape

Aidan O'Brien has named his main Royal Ascot contenders, with Susan Magnier's

HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (Kingmambo) set to represent the operation in the opening

day's St James's Palace S. (Eng-G1). Having bypassed Saturday's Epsom Derby

(Eng-G1), the dual Guineas hero will stay at a mile.

"Henrythenavigator is well and the plan is to run him in the St James's

Palace S.," O'Brien told the Racing Post. "When running him in the Derby

was ruled out, the Ascot race looked the obvious next step for him. We will take

it one race at a time with Henry and we're not looking beyond Royal Ascot for

him at this stage. There is no point in looking too far ahead."

The Ballydoyle conditioner will send Magnier and Tabor's Prix Ganay (Fr-G1)

and Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) winner DUKE OF MARMALADE (Danehill) to

Wednesday's Prince of Wales's S. (Eng-G1), while Magnier and Diane Nagle's YEATS

(Ire) (Sadler's Wells) will bid to emulate Sagaro in winning a third renewal of

the Ascot Gold Cup (Eng-G1) on Thursday.

"Another Gold Cup bid with Yeats has always been the plan and that is what we

are looking at," O'Brien continued. "SEPTIMUS (Sadler's Wells) is also in the

race, but he hasn't had a run this year and, while he is in work, we are not

sure about plans for him just yet."

O'Brien also named a pair of four-year-old Danzig colts, the 2007 Poule

d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) hero ASTRONOMER ROYAL and US RANGER on course for

Saturday's Golden Jubilee S. (Eng-G1), while Coolmore and Frank Tagg's HARADASUN

(Fusaichi Pegasus) looks set to take in Tuesday's Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1).

His Highness the Aga Khan and his daughter Princess Zahra may go head-to-head

in the Queen Anne S. after trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre announced that he is

considering adding the Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-G1) winner SAGEBURG (Johannesburg) to

the one-mile contest, which is set to feature DARJINA (Zamindar). The stable

companions were first and second, respectively, in the May 18 Longchamp feature

and connections will have to pay a supplement for Sageburg Wednesday if they

decide to forego the following day's Prince of Wales's S.

"It is possible that I will saddle both Darjina and Sageburg in the Queen

Anne S., but nothing is finalized for the moment," de Royer-Dupre told the

Racing Post.

The conditioner added that Scuderia Zaro's recent Chartwell Fillies' S.

(Eng-G3) winner SABANA PERDIDA (Cape Cross [Ire]) would represent the stable in

Wednesday's Windsor Forest S. (Eng-G2).

Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar's TARIQ (Kyllachy) will return to the

scene of his Jersey S. (Eng-G3) success 12 months ago for the Queen Anne S.

Peter Chapple-Hyam sent the four-year-old to the Limekilns gallop in Newmarket

and he came through his seven-furlong spin with flying colors.

"It went very well and Tariq will certainly go for the Queen Anne as long as

everything goes okay up to next week," the owners' racing manager Tony Nerses

told PA Sport. "We were very happy and we feel he has improved a little bit

since his run at Newbury (when third in the Lockinge S. [Eng-G1])."

Trainer Mark Wallace is considering taking in both Tuesday's King's Stand S.

(Eng-G1) and Saturday's Golden Jubilee S. with Philip Ransley, Steve Birks and

Stephen Hillen's BENBAUN (Stravinsky). Hero of the 2007 Prix de l'Abbaye

(Fr-G1), the seven-year-old will tackle the "Choisir Double" if he bounces out

of the opening day's sprint.

"He goes for the King's Stand and, depending how he gets on there, we'll

think about the Jubilee," Wallace told PA Sport. "He could well run in both, but

it depends how he is."

Elie Lellouche has announced that Ecurie Wildenstein's Prix d'Harcourt

(Fr-G2) winner LOUP BRETON (Anabaa) will take his place in the line-up for the

Prince of Wales's S.

"Our intention is to run Loup Breton in the Prince of Wales's S. and he will

work on Thursday," his trainer told the Racing Post. "Christophe Lemaire

will ride the colt at Ascot."

Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten four-year-old COASTAL PATH (Halling) is set to

clash with Yeats in the Ascot Gold Cup. The homebred, trained by Andre Fabre,

has captured the Prix de Barbeville (Fr-G3) and Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Fr-G2)

this season.

"It is the intention to run him in the Ascot Gold Cup, with Stephane Pasquier

in the saddle," Fabre said.

Mountgrange Stud's Yorkshire Cup (Eng-G2) hero GEORDIELAND (Johann Quatz

[Fr]) will also be in opposition to Yeats as he bids to go one better than his

second to that rival 12 months ago. Trainer Jamie Osborne reported the

seven-year-old to have come through his work in pleasing fashion.

"He did his last bit of galloping this morning and I couldn't have been

happier," Osborne commented. "Everything's fine for him and we're looking

forward to a week on Thursday."

Cheveley Park Stud's One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) runner-up SPACIOUS (Nayef)

is set to tackle Friday's Coronation S. (Eng-G1), according to trainer James

Fanshawe. Not seen since finishing a half-length behind Natagora (Divine Light)

in the May 4 Newmarket classic, the homebred has been enjoying some tune-ups

with the stable's stalwart CESARE (Machiavellian), who is bound for the Queen

Anne S.

"She worked for the first time last Saturday and worked again yesterday with

Cesare and, touch wood, she seems in good form," her conditioner said. "(The

stud's owners) Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are keen to go for the Coronation, and

she's on schedule."

Bridget Swire's SAKHEE'S SECRET (Sakhee) delighted his connections in a

serious workout yesterday ahead of next Saturday's Golden Jubilee S. Last year's

July Cup (Eng-G1) winner will start the likely favorite for the six-furlong

sprint.

"It all went well and we were pleased with him -- it's all systems go for the

Golden Jubilee," trainer Hughie Morrison told PA Sport. "He'll have a little

spin next Tuesday, but he won't be asked to quicken up like he was today."

Morrison also reported Michael Kerr-Dineen's European Free H. scorer

StTIMULATION (Choisir) is on course for Wednesday's Jersey S.

"We are very happy with him. He appears to have taken his races extremely

well and he'll have a spin on Friday or Saturday."