Indian Lodge to take giant step

Indian Lodge can block Giant's Causeway's path to glory by landing the £320,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot today.

Indian Lodge can block Giant's Causeway's path to glory by landing the £320,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot today.

The "Iron Horse" is chasing his sixth successive Group One victory while the year older Indian Lodge is a relative novice at the highest level having just one to his credit.

But that came on his latest start three weeks ago when he took the Emirates Prix du Moulin at Longchamp by two lengths from Kingsalsa.

Always travelling well under Cash Asmussen, Amanda Perrett's four-year-old led a furlong out and ran on strongly to score comfortably.

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That was his first race for 10 weeks as he was given a midsummer break following a disappointing effort on fast ground at Royal Ascot.

His form early in the season was top-notch and he also came good last autumn once the going eased.

Giant's Causeway is obviously the horse to beat but he has been on the go all season and it was only an afterthought to run him in the Irish Champion Stakes.

That race was only two weeks ago and over 10 furlongs. It is possible that another tough race back at a mile so soon may prove his undoing.

Summer Symphony can bounce back from a narrow Goodwood defeat to give trainer Luca Cumani his third victory in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile The grey daughter of Caerleon led on the bit two furlongs out but was worried out of it close home by Freefourracing.

She had opened her account on her debut at Newmarket in July when she held on by a head from subsequent smooth Salisbury scorer Flight Of Fancy.

Summer Symphony has loads of scope and can come into her own now she is stepped up to a mile from seven furlongs.

The day's big handicap is the Tote Trifecta Stakes which can fall to Duke Of Modena. Toby Balding's charge has been in fine form this season, winning at Kempton, Salisbury and Newbury.

However, his best performance probably came over this course and distance in July when he finished fourth behind Tillerman in the Tote International Handicap from a poor draw.

El Gran Papa and Tayseer filled second and third that day and have won at the St Leger meeting and the Stewards' Cup respectively since, while fifth-placed Persiano went on to win the William Hill Mile.

The three-year-old disappointed at Newbury last time but can be forgiven that effort.

He has every chance today, being drawn right against the stands' rail in stall one and with apprentice Stephen Carson taking off a valuable 3lb.

At Haydock, the versatile Foundry Lane can take the Akzo Nobel Premier Handicap to add to his course and distance victory in the summer and a fairly recent win over fences at Market Rasen.