ROYAL ASCOT:SOME OF the great names of Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle reign have won the St James's Palace Stakes and Mastercraftsman will be a hot favourite to add his name to that roll of honour on the opening day of Royal Ascot today.

A total of 10 Irish-trained horses line up this afternoon including the Windsor Castle Stakes contender Clashnacree which is owned by a syndicate that includes Westlife’s Nicky Byrne and Cecelia Ahern, daughter of former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

There is no doubting Mastercraftsman’s centre-stage position in Irish terms today, however, as the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner attempts to become a sixth winner of the Group One event for O’Brien.

Former winners include superstar names such as Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and Henrythenavigator last year who all added the St James’s Palace to Classic wins at the Curragh.

Mastercraftsman was a hugely impressive Guineas winner on heavy ground last month but very different ground conditions shouldn’t be a problem for a colt that dotted up on fast going in last year’s Phoenix Stakes.

As a triple Group One winner already, the grey brings better credentials to this race than even Giant’s Causeway nine years ago and his overall CV looks much too strong for his opposition today.

Delegator appears the main home hope and he did finish in front of Mastercraftsman in the Newmarket Guineas.

However, he was well out of the money at the Curragh and he is no cert to thrive on a fast surface.

Jim Bolger runs his Dewhurst Stakes winner Intense Focus today and along with Evasive could be one to take advantage of any chink in the favourite’s armour.

One slight worry for Mastercraftsman is that his five career victories so far have all come at the Curragh while two visits outside of Ireland have resulted in failure. That trend looks set to be broken today, however.

The O’Brien team have declined the opportunity to run their highly rated juvenile Steinbeck in the Coventry Stakes and instead rely on the wide-margin Gowran winner Air Chief Marshal.

However, he faces a tough task against a powerful home defence that chiefly looks to rely on Richard Hannon’s squad.

Richard Hughes has a high opinion of the seven-length Newbury winner Canford Cliffs who won on softer ground than he faces now but still looks a high-class juvenile.

The Hannon-Hughes combination can also combine successfully in the Windsor Castle with Angel’s Pursuit. Tommy Stack’s Clashnacree is still a maiden after two starts and being drawn 22 of 20 is hardly likely to help the Irish horse.

The draw may also be of vital importance in the Kings Stand Stakes which features horses from Australia (Scenic Blast), South Africa (Mythical Flight) and the US (Cannonball.) However, it could pay to stick with last year’s beaten favourite Fleeting Spirit who has been prepared specifically for this race and holds what could turn out to be an enviable draw in stall one.

“There has been a purposeful effort on our behalf for this race to be her first of the year,” her trainer Jeremy Noseda said yesterday. “As for the draw we won’t know if there is a bias until after the race.”

Fleeting Spirit wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders when third to Equiano in this race last year and the much-lauded non-European challenge in 2008 couldn’t strike in either Group One sprint at the meeting.

The day’s other Group One, the Queen Anne Stakes, looks a good opportunity for Aqlaam, who should be a different proposition now from the horse well beaten in the Lockinge.

2.30 Aqlaam

3.05 Fleeting Spirit

3.45 Mastercraftsman

4.20 Canford Cliffs

4.55 Kayf Aramis

5.30 Angel’s Pursuit

Irish runners this week

WEDNESDAY:

3.05 Windsor Castle Stakes (Group 2)

Lush Lashes (J Bolger)

She’s Our Mark (P Flynn)

Lush Lashes should improve for first start of season and on figures has 3lb in hand of Heaven Sent

4.20 Royal Hunt Cup: Quinmaster (M Halford)

Former Stakes performer who has been chasing and faces big task.

THURSDAY:

3.05 Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2):

Oh Goodness Me (J Bolger)

The Group Three winner ran too freely for her own good in the Epsom Oaks and faded to seventh. Tough opponent in Leocorno.

3.45 Gold Cup (Group 1)

Yeats (A O’Brien)

Chasing historic four-in-a-row but lack-lustre effort in only start this season.

4.20 Britannia Stakes Rockhampton (A O’Brien)

Signal Fire (D Weld)

Both have Dundalk all-weather form but look to have it to do.

4.55 Hampton Court Stakes Freemantle (A O’Brien) Changingoftheguard (A O’Brien) Dante runner-up Freemantle may not relish very fast ground but his stable companion is on the back of an easy maiden win at Navan.

5.30 King George V Stakes Johann Zoffany (A O’Brien) Zarinski (J Oxx)

The Ballydoyle hope is improving but will need to be.

FRIDAY:

2.30 Albany Stakes (Group 3) Lillie Langtry (A O’Brien)

Kitty Kiernan (J Bolger)

Intapeace (F Ennis)

Lillie reversed form with Kitty at Naas while Intapeace was a shock seven-length winner on soft ground.

3.05 King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)

Black Bear Island (A O’Brien)

High Chaparral’s brother beat just two home in the Derby but big chance on Dante form.

3.45 Coronation Stakes

(Group 1)

Again (D Wachman)

Heart Shaped (A O’Brien)

Baliyana ( J Oxx)

Ghanaati one to beat but on very fast ground Heart Shaped would be a player. Again would relish some cut.

4.20 Wolferton Handicap Salute

Him (A J Martin)

Won easily at Navan this month.

4.55 Queens Vase (Group 3) Stately Home (A O’Brien)

Yankee Doodle (A O’Brien)

Stately Home, runner-up at Hamilton, could have speed to be a player at two miles.

SATURDAY:

2.30 Chesham Stakes

Beethoven (A O’Brien)

Emperor Claudius (A O’Brien)

Beethoven’s form in Ireland is smart and he holds claims.

3.45 Golden Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)

Bushranger (D Wachman)

Duff (E Lynam)

Duff looks out of his depth against a strong international field but a three-year-old won last year and Bushranger will love better ground.

4.25 Wokingham Handicap

Rock Of Rochelle (A Kinsella)

Tough handicap and this horse has a big weight.

5.35 Queen Alexandera Stakes

Eagle’s Pass (T O’Mara)

Versatile sort who looks in good enough form to contend over this marathon trip.

Royal Ascot, Day one

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