Illinois leads eight chasing Gold Cup glory

Ante-post favourite Illinois headlines eight declarations for Thursday’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the two-and-a-half-mile highlight a record nine times, with four-time winner Yeats and dual hero Kyprios among those to fly the Ballydoyle flag.

Kyprios was expected to bid for a hat-trick this year before suffering a career-ending injury last month, leaving St Leger runner-up Illinois to step into the staying breach.

Godolphin will be double-handed with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Trawlerman, who is ridden by William Buick, and Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future who will be partnered by James McDonald.

The latter finished last behind Candelari in a ParisLongchamp Group One last time out and that Francis-Henri Graffard-trained rival is among the leading candidates here as he bids to become the first French-trained winner of the race since Westerner 20 years ago.

Sagaro Stakes first and second, Yashin and Coltrane renew rivalries, while Sweet William is a second Gosden-trained contender and completes the line up along with Wonder Legend.

Trueshan and Jan Brueghel were the only two horses not declared.

Musidora Stakes second Serenity Prayer heads 11 contenders for the Ribblesdale Stakes, having seen the York form boosted when winner Whirl ran a close second in the Oaks at Epsom.

Paddy Twomey fields Catalina Delcarpio, Garden Of Eden is one of three for O’Brien, with the Gosden team also triple-handed with Life Is Beautiful, Go Go Boots and Understudy.

O’Brien’s Charles Darwin leads 16 chasing Norfolk Stakes glory and French Derby third Detain drops down in class as one of 14 runners in the Hampton Court Stakes.

The King George V Stakes, the Britannia and the closing Buckingham Palace Stakes have all drawn full fields of 19, 30 and 29 respectively.