Golden Mind will be given the chance to replicate his half-brother Perfect Power and get on the Royal Ascot scoresheet when he lines up in the Chesham Stakes.

Richard Fahey trained Perfect Power to win the Norfolk Stakes in 2021 before returning to add the Commonwealth Cup 12 months ago, and it is the Musley Bank handler who is responsible for the talented Golden Mind, who opened his account at the second attempt at Leicester recently.

Third over five furlongs at Hamilton on debut, the son of Galileo Gold relished the move up to six furlongs at the east midlands track when running on strongly to down Richard Hannon’s Fusterlandia, and he is now poised for another rise in yardage to race over seven furlongs at the Royal meeting – something his handler believes will suit.

Fahey said: “He’s a good hardy horse and one who stays well – I do like him.

“We beat the second (Fusterlandia) the other day at Beverley (with Bombay Bazaar) funnily enough. I think he’ll improve again and the step up to seven will suit.

“He will definitely run in the Chesham, that has always been the plan. He’s a laid-back character and just needed a bit of racing and I think you will see a different horse down at Ascot.”

Fahey is busy finalising his running plans for the meeting with recent Beverley winners Midnight Affair and Bombay Bazaar possibles to make the trip south, while Carlisle scorer Emperor’s Son is another set to get the call up to the Malton-based handler’s squad and holds an entry for the Coventry Stakes.

He continued: “We’re pleased (with the horses) and we’ll have a sort out this week who will go. The ground will certainly play a part in our decision, but we look to have a good bunch. If you can get one winner down there it would be great, we were very lucky last year with two.

“We’ll see how they (Midnight Affair and Bombay Bazaar) are since Beverley and they are both entitled to be there. It’s quite a good bunch of two-year-olds so we’ll work a few this week and see which way we go.

“Emperor’s Son, he won up at Carlisle, he will go down and he’s a decent horse and there is a couple of fillies who we’ll sort out and see if they are good enough to go.”

My Prospero is set to spearhead William Haggas’ Royal Ascot team in a mouthwatering edition of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Despite the defection of Desert Crown, the likes of Luxembourg, Adayar and Bay Bridge still lie in wait for Haggas’ four-year-old.

Beaten just a neck in the St James’s Palace Stakes last year, he went on to win a Group Two in France over 10 furlongs before once again being narrowly denied in the Champion Stakes behind Bay Bridge.

He reappeared back over a mile in the Lockinge when running on into fourth, but Haggas expects the step back up to a mile and a quarter to be much more up his street.

“He’s very well and I think it will be a great race,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing.

“Newbury was a bit short for him and he was a bit fresh, but he stayed on nicely at the end and I’m sure he will enjoy the step up in trip.

“He ran very well in the St James’s Palace and ran very well in the Champion Stakes having been off for a bit, I think it was a couple of months after his previous run.

“At the moment I couldn’t have him better and we’re looking forward to it. I think there’s a lot of horses similar to him in that they might not have an electric turn of foot but they have good staying ability and I should think they’ll kick on from three out.

“I think he’s a lovely, big horse and it was probably an error running in the Lockinge, but it didn’t do much harm and he stayed on well having been outpaced. I think he’s come forward for that and I think this is going to be his year.”

Another returning to Ascot following a good run 12 months ago is the mare Sacred, beaten just a length into fifth in the six-furlong Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

This year Haggas has given her a run prior to Ascot, over her preferred distance of seven furlongs at Lingfield where she won with ease.

“She’s a very good filly. One day at Newbury she was excellent and she was pretty good at Lingfield the other day,” he said.

“She’s a very smart filly with a pretty good turn of foot but the problem is she’s a specialist over seven, so we either go over a mile or six. The only seven-furlong Group One is the Foret and that is invariably on soft ground, so there’s nothing for her.

“We’re plumping for six again, she’s had a run this year which she hadn’t last year when she ran well. It’s a competitive race but I’m not sure there’s a standout. The Australian horse (Artorius) might be, while the Hong Kong horse (Wellington) is a proven top sprinter but she should run a good race.”

Khanjar had been a leading fancy for the Wokingham but was surprisingly beaten at Hamilton recently leaving Haggas to reassess his claims.

“I was pretty disappointed (with his Hamilton run). In his first run at York he was too enthusiastic, so me and Jim were keen for him to have another, but we probably overdid it a bit and let the winner get away,” he said.

“I thought he’d win but he’s going to run in the Wokingham. I think he likes small fields and if they split up, that might suit him.”

Stable stalwart Hamish appears unlikely to get his favoured soft ground for he Hardwicke Stakes at this stage.

Haggas said: “He wants soft ground so we need to debate whether to leave him in. We’ll see what the forecast is but I think there’s every likelihood he won’t be running. There’s a Group Three at York he might go for, but it all depends on the ground. Chester last time was very good, arguably his best bar his Irish Leger second.”

One horse definitely not running is Maljoom, but Haggas did offer encouragement that he would be back in action soon after being forced to rule him out of the Queen Anne.

“It’s a shame, he’s a lovely horse but he has soundness issues. We were getting well down the road to run at Ascot then he met with a problem,” said Haggas.

“I’m so grateful he’s got a patient owner and he will be more frustrated than we are, but we’re getting there and there’s still a long season ahead. He’ll get entries in everything and with a straightforward run, hopefully he’ll get to the Summer Mile (Ascot, July 15).”

Truthful looks set to have her sights raised later this summer after maintaining her unbeaten record in the Jewson Wigan EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Haydock.

A field of five runners went to post for the £40,000 contest, with the William Haggas-trained Truthful opposed by another debut winner in William Muir and Chris Grassick’s Shagpyle.

Truthful, a 120,000 guineas purchase for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, was the 10-11 favourite to supplement a narrow introductory success at Salisbury, with Ascot scorer Shagpyle – a half-sister to her Coronation Cup and King George-winning stablemate Pyledriver – rated the biggest threat at 2-1.

Montevideo took the quartet along for much of the mile-and-a-half journey, but Sea The Stars filly Truthful picked up well for Tom Marquand once in the clear and had almost three lengths in hand over the staying-on Shagpyle at the line.

Highclere’s managing director, Harry Herbert, said: “She was quite impressive, wasn’t she?

“She’s a classic William Haggas, big filly who was too immature to run as a two-year-old – she was a bit of a goose who suddenly turned into a swan. The trainer got more and more positive about her and said ‘I think we might have one’!

“What was lovely today is that with one slap she quickened really well and put the race to bed. She’s extended, hit the line with her ears pricked and galloped out strong.

“We’ll take it one step at a time, but she’s in such good hands with William. She could be anything.”

The winner will not take up her entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot next week, but will be stepped up in class on her next start.

“She’s very much a work in progress still, so it was right not to go to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale – that was considered,” Herbert added.

“She’s a beautiful filly with a lovely pedigree as a full-sister to a filly of William’s (Sea On Time) who won three races and was about to step up into Listed and Group company and sadly went wrong.

“This filly is much bigger than her sister and still a work in progress, but a very exciting one.

“If she can stay in one piece, hopefully she’s going to take her owners to some wonderful places.”

Truthful’s win is a tasty appetiser for the Highclere team ahead of Royal Ascot next week, with leading Albany Stakes hope Soprano set to be part of a strong squad on the penultimate day of the meeting.

Herbert said: “It looks like we might have a big day on Friday. Obviously Soprano goes for the Albany, Believing will go for the Commonwealth Cup and in the Sandringham we have Pastiche and Eximious, who are both very nice fillies.

“Believing is a very fast filly who blew the start the other day in France, but she’s very useful and we’re going to give her a roll in Group One company.

“It’s always a very big time of year, we look forward to it every year and this year’s it’s just rather weird that all our runners could be on the same day.”

Steve Smith is happy to be kicking off another Ashes series at Edgbaston, four years on from a performance he ranks as the most enjoyable of his 97 Tests in a Baggy Green.

The notoriously raucous Birmingham crowd subjected Smith and team-mate David Warner to a volley of boos and jeers in 2019, as the pair made their return to Test cricket following year-long bans for their roles in the sandpaper scandal.

Some fans in the notoriously merciless Eric Hollies Stand even donned cardboard face masks of Smith crying at a press conference during the height of the ball-tampering drama, but the Australian was all smiles by the end of the match.

Not only did Australia win that first Test by 251 runs, Smith made centuries in both innings as he reeled off knocks of 144 and 142 to re-assert himself as a master of his craft after 12 months in exile.

“I think that Test match is probably my favourite out of my career so far, given the circumstances and the importance of a first Ashes Test, particularly away from home,” he said ahead of Friday’s series opener.

“I’ve had a couple of good ones. It would be nice to repeat it again but I’m just going to go out there and go through my routines and do what I need to do, and hopefully I can score some runs and help the team out.

“Coming back here I’ve got some wonderful memories and some things I can draw from.

“However I know it’s a new series, it’s a new year, a new Ashes, so I can draw on those experiences but not read too much into it.

“You go to different grounds around the world that you’ve done well at and you can take some positives out of those and sort of move forward with them, but ultimately it’s another game.”

Smith hit 774 runs in just seven innings in 2019, averaging a remarkable 110.57, and his ability to bat long and deep has the potential to cause England plenty of problems again.

He restated his fondness for the conditions with a 31st Test hundred against India during last week’s World Test Championship win over India at the Kia Oval, but while he will undoubtedly be a prize scalp he is not alone.

On Tuesday the latest set of ICC player rankings were published, giving Australia all three of the world’s top three batters. Smith settled in at two, behind Marnus Labuschagne and narrowly ahead of the in-form Travis Head.

“I think it’s cool to see us all at the top of the tree,” Smith said.

“I think those two in particular, the improvements they’ve made over the last four or five years have been exceptional. We all do it completely differently, obviously Trav comes out and plays very aggressively and takes the game on. It’s sort of a ‘see ball, hit ball’ mentality.

“Marnus and I probably think our way through situations a little bit differently, but it is cool to see the hard work of those guys pay off and for them to get themselves up there in the rankings.”

Michael van Gerwen has revealed his disappointment at missing the PDC World Cup of Darts after failing to recover from a dental problem.

The Dutchman has not recovered from an operation in time to feature in the second round of the competition on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany.

The three-time PDC World Darts Championship winner will be replaced by Dirk van Duijvenbode, who will join up with Danny Noppert to form the Netherlands team.

“It’s really disappointing for me that I won’t be able to play in the World Cup this year, especially as I was feeling good about my game after winning the Premier League & US Darts Masters,” Van Gerwen tweeted.

“I wish Danny & Dirk good luck and I hope they can win a fifth World Cup for the Netherlands.”

England have favoured Stuart Broad’s experience over Mark Wood’s raw pace for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, naming their playing XI two days early in a show of confidence.

With James Anderson and Ollie Robinson fit to return to the XI after resting injury niggles against Ireland at Lord’s, there was just one spot left in the seam attack for Friday’s series opener.

Stokes has previously spoken of his desire to have a 90mph option at his disposal and, with Jofra Archer and Olly Stone on the sidelines, the temptation to unleash the quickest bowler in the country must have been considerable.

But Wood was edged out by Broad, who led the attack impressively against the Irish at the start of the month and whose record of 162 caps and 582 wickets is bettered only by Anderson.

His selection guarantees another chapter in the 36-year-old’s storied rivalry with Australia opener David Warner, who floundered badly against Broad in 2019, when the Englishman dismissed him seven times in 10 innings.

With Moeen Ali slotting straight in at number eight after agreeing to rescind his Test retirement, the only question that lingers over the England side concerns the fitness of captain Ben Stokes.

His longstanding left knee problems have been a source of constant speculation, but he has ramped up his participation in training over the past 48 hours. He bowled 12 deliveries in a gentle centre practice on Monday, getting through his action but never threatening full pace, and raised that to around 18 in the nets on Tuesday.

Despite wearing heavy strapping he was quickly up to near full speed in what was his most thorough workout in months and also appeared to bat pain-free. Just how much he is able to contribute with the ball is an open question but had he been fully fit to play an enforcer role it may well have helped Wood’s case.

He is best used over short, sharp spells of three to four overs and a fully active seam-bowling all-rounder can help pick up the slack.

Opener Ben Duckett and number five Harry Brook are the only players in the side to be making their Ashes debuts in Birmingham, while Broad and Anderson have both taken the field 35 times against the old enemy.

The British Horseracing Authority refuses to be “coerced into any activity by threats of protests” ahead of Royal Ascot, which gets under way next week.

Activist group Animal Rising reportedly stated at a press conference on Wednesday that it would not disrupt the Royal meeting if leaders from racing took part in a televised debate.

Despite claiming they would not attempt to enter the racetrack at Epsom once the Derby was under way, one member did so and was remanded in custody until July 6 after pleading not guilty to a public nuisance charge.

This followed on from disruption to the Grand National and attempts to delay the Scottish National, with 19 protesters accused of trying to stop the Ayr race due to stand trial in September.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: “At a press conference today, Animal Rising said they will cease their protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to take part in a public debate about ‘the morals of horseracing’. We will never allow British horseracing to be coerced into any activity by threats of protests.

“Animal Rising have shown by their reckless actions at the Epsom Derby that their public promises cannot be trusted. They have demonstrated they are prepared to commit reckless and potentially unlawful acts and to directly threaten the safety of horses and people to generate publicity around their wider aims. These aims include the end of all use of animals by human beings.

“Spokespeople for the sport have already taken part in well over an hour of televised debate since April. Throughout those debates the message was clear – that British racing is a sport which is proud of its welfare record, which provides an unparalleled quality of life for the 20,000 horses that compete each year, and which constantly works to minimise the levels of avoidable risk.

“Once again I call on Animal Rising to end their reckless acts against a sport legally enjoyed by millions of people every year.”

Epsom had secured an injunction prior to the Derby Festival after it said protesters from the group had made it “explicitly clear” they intended to breach security, but last week officials at Ascot said they would not be following suit “at this time”.

Motherwell have confirmed the departure of full-back Jake Carroll after four years at Fir Park.

The 31-year-old joined the Steelmen from Cambridge in 2019 and went on to make 76 appearances for the club.

However, he leaves under freedom of contract at the end of a campaign in which he featured in only three matches before being sidelined by a serious knee injury sustained last August.

Carroll will be allowed use of Motherwell’s facilities until he returns to fitness.

Striker Jack Aitchison, 23, is also leaving after making 11 appearances – nine as a substitute – since arriving on deadline day in January.

Homegrown centre-back David Devine, who has struggled to make the breakthrough at Motherwell since his debut in 2019, has also been released.

The Lanarkshire club are still in talks with several other players regarding their futures.

“The club wants to thank all players who are leaving,” said a statement on the Motherwell website. “We remain in discussions with a number of players ahead of next season and will provide an accurate update when possible.”

Dutch striker Kevin Van Veen, who scored 29 goals in the season just finished, has been heavily linked with a move to Groningen in his homeland in recent days.

Leeds have been charged with misconduct over their fans’ behaviour during their Premier League home game against Brighton in March.

The Football Association has alleged home fans in the Elland Road crowd used words that were “improper, offensive, abusive, indecent or insulting with reference to sexual orientation” during the first half.

An FA spokesperson said: “Leeds have been charged with misconduct for a crowd-control incident that happened in their game with Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, March 11.

“It’s alleged that the club failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters – and anyone purporting to be their supporters or followers – conducted themselves in an orderly fashion in the 20th minute and not use words or behaviour that are improper, offensive, abusive, indecent or insulting with reference to sexual orientation.

“Leeds have until Wednesday, June 21 to provide a response.”

Leeds twice equalised in a 2-2 draw through Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison but slipped back into the bottom three before suffering relegation to the Sky Bet Championship at the end of the season.

Alexis Mac Allister is exactly the type of player Liverpool need if they are to return to the top, according to Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool wrapped up a £35 million deal to sign the Argentina midfielder from Brighton last week.

The Reds are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing Premier League season that saw them miss out on the top four as they finished fifth despite a strong finish to the campaign.

Van Dijk, speaking before the Netherlands play Croatia in the Nations League semi-final in Rotterdam on Wednesday, thinks the swoop for Mac Allister is an ideal start to the transfer window.

"He is a very good player," said Van Dijk.

"Obviously, we have played against him many times [with Liverpool] and also with Holland against Argentina. 

"He will definitely be a big addition and something we need in order to be back where we all want it to be. 

"So it's a good start to the transfer window. Hopefully, we get a couple more quality additions and he is definitely one of the players who can make hopefully a difference for us in the next couple of years."

Mac Allister played 35 Premier League matches for Brighton last season.

The 24-year-old scored 10 times as Brighton impressively finished sixth, just one place behind Liverpool, to qualify for the Europa League.

Ella Toone says she feels “ready and prepared” to launch into a World Cup summer with England on Monday, three weeks after the conclusion of the Women’s Super League season.

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman had long planned for a pre-tournament camp to start on June 19, but there was uncertainty when she named her World Cup squad on May 31 as talks continued over the timing of players being released for duty ahead of the showpiece in Australia and New Zealand, which gets under way on July 20.

The European Club Association had in April highlighted July 10 as the earliest date for player release under FIFA regulations, and in mid-May the two bodies proposed June 23-29 as a guideline timeframe that they said “(struck) the all-important balance between players having sufficient rest while allowing adequate time to prepare”, with exact dates to be agreed between clubs and national associations.

Last week the June 19 start for England’s camp was confirmed by the Football Association, which said it was “grateful for the mutual understanding of the clubs, as we have collectively worked towards a solution with the wellbeing of players at the heart.”

Regarding the recent uncertainty, Toone told the PA news agency: “It’s not been ideal, but for us it’s what we can control and that was making sure we had rest and recovery, making sure we were physically and mentally getting ourselves back to where we know we need to be.

“Now I’m back on it, working hard and can’t wait to go into camp.”

Toone, part of Great Britain’s Tokyo Olympics squad in the summer of 2021 before helping England win the Euros last year, has been a regular starter for her country across 2022-23 and featured in a Manchester United side that achieved WSL and FA Cup best efforts as runners-up in each competition.

The 23-year-old Wigan native – speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session in Manchester – says it has been a “long season, but one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed” and has declared herself “really happy” with the agreed camp start date, adding: “I’ve had time to switch off and now I feel ready and prepared.

“We have a lot of trust in our England staff and they thought the 19th was right for us and so did we as players.

“It’s a World Cup, my first World Cup, so I can’t wait to get going.”

Toone feels it is important player welfare and scheduling is something that continues to be looked at closely as the women’s game keeps developing, saying: “We’ve seen quite a few injuries in the WSL this season.

“We have to make sure we get that rest and recovery right, as teams and as players. The women’s game is growing massively, as a club we are in the Champions League now as well so that’s extra games. It’s definitely something we all need to focus on because injuries are a big part of the game right now.”

England captain Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 top-scorer Beth Mead will not be at the World Cup after sustaining ACL injuries, and Fran Kirby is also absent due to a knee problem from a 23-player group scheduled to face Portugal in a warm-up match at Milton Keynes on July 1 before flying to Australia four days later.

Toone said: “It is an amazing squad. We know how much talent we have in England now. We’re obviously missing a few big names and people who were massive in the Euros win, but we’ve got to look forward and be confident in the team that’s going.”

Fun Football is an initiative to give children aged five to 11 free access to the game, and Toone said: “It’s great for the next generation of young girls.

“It’s something we probably missed out on and wish we’d had when we were growing up. It’s an amazing thing that McDonald’s are doing for communities and for young girls and boys to start out on their journey.”

:: Ella Toone was speaking at a special McDonald’s Fun Football session to celebrate the opening of sessions in Lionesses’ hometowns during the Women’s World Cup. Toone hopes to encourage the next generation of young girls to get involved. Sign up to your nearest free session at mcdonalds.co.uk/football

Ciaran Clark is leaving Newcastle this month, the club have confirmed.

The 33-year-old defender, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, joined the Magpies from Aston Villa in August 2016 and was named player of the year as they won promotion back to the Premier League in his first season.

Clark went on to make 127 appearances during his time at St. James’ Park, which comes to end this month upon the expiration of his contract.

Also leaving is academy graduate Matty Longstaff, but he will remain at the club and continue to receive treatment on an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered towards the end of 2022.

The 23-year-old scored the winning goal on his Premier League debut against Manchester United in October 2019 and went on to play 20 times for the club, having also spent time on loan at Aberdeen, Mansfield and Colchester.

Matt Ritchie is staying for another season after the club triggered an option to retain the services of the 33-year-old, while contract offers have also been made to defender Paul Dummett and goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Newcastle have taken an option on goalkeeper Mark Gillespie’s deal to keep him for another 12 months and defender Dan Burn gets another year on his deal after activating an appearance clause.

Striker Chris Wood will make his move to Nottingham Forest permanent at the start of next month after he spent the second half of last season on loan with Steve Cooper’s side.

Brilliant miler Modern Games, popular sprinter Highfield Princess and 2000 Guineas heroes Chaldean and Paddington are just some of the stars set to be in action on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

As usual the five-day extravaganza starts with a bang, with the Queen Anne Stakes the traditional curtain-raiser.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Modern Games, a dual Breeders’ Cup winner and successful on his reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury last month, is the marginal favourite for the Queen Anne over John and Thady Gosden’s top-class filly Inspiral, who is set to make her belated reappearance.

Appleby has a second string to his bow in the form of Native Trail, while Richard Hannon’s Chindit will renew rivalry with Modern Games after finishing best of the rest at Newbury.

David Simcock’s pair of Cash and Light Infantry and Mutasaabeq from Charlie Hills’ yard also feature among 13 confirmations.

The second Group One on Tuesday afternoon is the King’s Stand Stakes, for which John Quinn’s mare Highfield Princess heads the market.

The six-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2023, completing a hat-trick of wins at the top level, and she can be expected to improve from her comeback second at York last month.

Karl Burke’s Dramatised and John Ryan’s Manaccan are other contenders for the home team, as is the Archie Watson-trained Bradsell who has been supplemented for the race.

A strong international challenge includes a pair of Australian runners in Coolangatta and Cannonball, both of whom were put through their paces at Ascot on Wednesday morning.

James McDonald was one of the leading riders at Royal Ascot last year with three winners, headlined by Nature Strip’s dominant display in the King’s Stand, and the New Zealand-born rider is confident Coolangatta has what it takes to get him back in the famous winner’s circle.

“Royal Ascot is one of the greatest weeks in racing. I definitely circle it every year and, if I am lucky enough to come here, then I am on the plane straight away,” said the jockey.

“With the racing and the whole atmosphere, it is one of the best carnivals in the world. It is hard to get rides at Royal Ascot but I should have maybe 11 or 12 rides over the week.”

Reflecting on Coolangatta’s workout, McDonald added: “She handled the track beautifully. She ticked a lot of boxes and I was delighted the way she stretched and extended.

“I let her breeze through the line and she pulled up extremely well. She is a strong five-furlong horse and an extremely talented filly.

“She is a dual Group One winner and the quality she beat that day in the Lightning was simply sensational – any of those sprinters could travel anywhere around the world and be competitive.

“Nature Strip was a champion racehorse but Coolangatta is getting there and I have no doubt she will run well on Tuesday. This morning has given me a lot of confidence.”

Wesley Ward’s American challenger Twilight Gleaming is also on the list of 20 still in contention.

Perhaps the most mouthwatering of the three Group One races up for grabs on day one is the St James’s Palace Stakes, which is set to stage a clash between Classic victors Chaldean and Paddington.

Andrew Balding’s Chaldean provided Frankie Dettori with victory in his final 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last month, while Paddington won the Irish equivalent for Aidan O’Brien.

French Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby (Brian Meehan) adds further intrigue, as does the presence of Al Riffa (Joseph O’Brien), not seen since winning last season’s National Stakes, as well as progressive colts Cicero’s Gift (Charlie Hills) and Mostabshir (John and Thady Gosden).

A total of 32 juveniles have been entered for the Group Two Coventry Stakes, with George Boughey’s Asadna, O’Brien’s River Tiber and Ward’s Fandom three of the leading contenders.

The 43 entries for the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes include last year’s runner-up Bring On The Night, whose trainer Willie Mullins also has top-class hurdler Vauban as one of 56 entered for the Copper Horse Handicap, with Ryan Moore booked to ride both.

Sandwiching those two races is the Listed Wolferton Stakes, which has attracted 23 possibles.