Officials at Ascot have said they will not be applying for a High Court injunction “at this time” against the possibility of disruption by animal rights protesters at the Royal meeting that starts later this month.

A delay of 14 minutes was caused to the start of the Grand National in April by activists from Animal Rising, although attempts to similarly disrupt the Derby at Epsom were not successful.

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.

One man did get on to the track as the race started and appeared in court on Monday charged with causing public nuisance. Ben Newman, 32, appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty.

Newman, from Homerton High Street, Hackney, east London, was one of 31 people arrested on Saturday, including 12 on the racecourse grounds. Newman was remanded into custody until July 6, when he is due to appear at Guildford Crown Court.

Outlining its plans in an update on Thursday, Ascot said in a statement: “Following legal advice and direct liaison with the Thames Valley Police (TVP), at this time we do not plan to apply for an injunction to cover the potential threat of disruption and trespass at Royal Ascot.

“TVP have powers in place within the existing legislation which are sufficient to be able to respond to any incidents of disorder or disruption. Peaceful protest is welcome as it always has been and will be accommodated outside the racecourse.

“As we do every year, we are working extremely closely with the TVP and our own security providers to be as prepared as possible for any planned disruption during Royal Ascot. We will have additional security around the site as well as enhanced CCTV provision and there will be increased police presence throughout the week.”

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “Thames Valley Police have once again been working closely with Ascot Racecourse Limited on the planning for Royal Ascot 2023.

“We have a legal obligation to facilitate peaceful protest and we will be balancing the rights of any protestors with the needs of the local community and spectators.

“With sufficient policing powers from existing legislation, we will be able to respond to incidents of disorder or disruption in a proportionate manner as they occur.”

Royal Ascot begins on June 20, running for five days.

Grade One-winning hurdlers Echoes In Rain and Vauban are part of a team of “four or five runners” Willie Mullins is preparing for Royal Ascot later this month.

The Closutton trainer was again a dominant force at the Cheltenham Festival in March – and is no stranger to success at the showpiece Flat meeting, with eight previous victories.

Two of those were provided by Stratum, who returns to bid for a Queen Alexandra Stakes hat-trick, having taken the 2021 and 2022 renewals.

Mullins, who has plundered the Ascot Stakes on four previous occasions, will try again, relying on Bring On The Night, who has not run since being beaten three-quarters of a length in the same race last year by Ascot Gold Cup favourite Coltrane.

But it is the high-class Echoes In Rain and Vauban who will provide the most intrigue from the Mullins raiding party.

Echoes in Rain, owned by Barnane Stud, has been well supported in the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Gold Cup, the feature on Ladies’ Day, and is as short as 9-1 with Coral for the Group One prize.

The seven-year-old mare was beaten narrowly in the Irish Cesarewitch in September, and having won a Grade Three hurdle at Naas in January, she was subsequently fourth to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Grade One honours fell her way in the Mares’ Champion Hurdle, over two miles and three furlongs at Punchestown on her last run in April.

Mullins, though, thinks it will be tough to win the Ascot Gold Cup.

He said: “She’s in good form, working well and we’re very happy to take our chance.

“We’re delighted to have one to run in it. She has run well on decent ground before and I hope it won’t be an issue.

“It will be hard to think she’d have a winning chance, but if she could finish in the first six, it would be a tremendous run.”

Vauban, whose three Grade One wins last year included the Triumph Hurdle and the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown, holds an entry in the Copper Horse Handicap on the opening day.

He was last seen chasing home stablemate State Man in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Meanwhile, the Tony Bloom-owned Stratum will doubtless have plenty of support to complete a momentous three-timer in the extended Queen Alexandra, the final race of the five-day meeting, which starts on June 20.

“Hopefully we will have a small team of four or five runners,” said Mullins.

“Stratum, who won there last year, will go for the same race again on the Saturday.

“Vauban will probably will go for the mile and six, while Bring On The Night, who was beaten in a four-way finish last year, will probably go back for the same race.

“We’ll have a small team, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Eve Johnson Houghton is weighing up Royal Ascot options for Woodcote winner Bobsleigh.

The Elzaam colt made a good start to his career when winning a Brighton maiden by two and three-quarter lengths in early May, after which he took on stiffer company in the Woodcote, a conditions race known for producing future Group winners.

Under Charlie Bishop the bay was a 5-1 chance at Epsom and was at one stage in the trailing group, but the rider had timed his run well and when pulled out wide Bobsleigh passed every horse in front of him to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Royal Ascot is the next step for the two-year-old, but as his debut was over five and a half furlongs and his Derby day win over six, both the Windsor Castle and the Coventry are under consideration.

“We were absolutely thrilled with him, really happy,” Johnson Houghton said of the Epsom success.

“Charlie gave him a good ride, he was very patient and he showed a lovely turn of foot so that was great.

“He’ll definitely go to Ascot but we just haven’t decided which race yet.

“I don’t know where we’re going to go, I honestly don’t as he’s won over five (furlongs) and six. We’ll have to look at both races and make a decision.”

Bobsleigh is owned by The Woodway 20, a syndicate assembled by Johnson Houghton who enjoyed Ascot glory in 2021 when Chipotle won the Listed five-furlong Windsor Castle in the same silks for the same trainer.

The partnership, for whom Johnson Houghton seeks to buy good value horses that will be sold at a profit at the end of the their juvenile campaign, will be relishing another day out at the Royal meeting with their latest prospect.

Johnson Houghton said: “Either way it will be a great day out for them.”

David Evans will send Rohaan to Royal Ascot for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes “with every chance – as long as the stalls open!”.

Evans is still smarting from Saturday’s Epsom Dash, where four stalls – 16, 18, 19 and 20 – opened marginally later than the others.

It seemingly affected the chances of a quartet of well-backed horses, including the trainer’s Lihou, drawn 18, who finished last in the five-furlong contest.

While the stewards admitted the four stalls had opened “fractionally slower” than the remainder, they decided the chances of the four runners in those stalls were not “materially impacted” by the start and therefore took no further action.

“It was a farce,” said Evans. “Something should be done.

“I’ve been through it and unless a third of the field were affected, you can’t void the race.”

Evans is hoping for better luck when crack sprinter Rohaan takes aim at the six-furlong Group One contest on June 24.

The five-year-old powered to success in the Wokingham at the Royal meeting for a second year in succession 12 months ago, and returned to the Berkshire track in October to take the Group Three Bengough Stakes.

Having only been beaten a length in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, Evans feels he has the capacity to continue to be competitive at the top level.

Rohaan has had one run this term, when finishing eighth of nine under Tom Marquand in a Listed race at Salisbury.

The Monmouthshire handler feels a line can be drawn under that display.

He said: “It was a bit of a non-event. I just wanted to get a run into him and see how he came back.

“He came back fine. He wouldn’t let himself down on the ground. Tom said he jumped the path and after that he was on the wrong leg all the way, but all being well he’ll definitely go to Ascot for the Jubilee.

“He’s had a long old break since his last run. I thought he was fit enough, but he had a good old blow afterwards. He just wouldn’t let himself down.

“The aim with him has been to target Ascot all year and I don’t think it will be as quick as it was at Salisbury. They put a lot of water on, but it was very warm that evening. I just wanted to get him a run and that was the only opportunity.

“He’s done his bit, but will definitely go there and he loves the track. What will be will be. He goes there with every chance, hopefully – as long as the stalls open!”

Jessica Harrington will turn to Colin Keane and Ronan Whelan to ride her strong team at Royal Ascot, but hopes Shane Foley will be back to partner Sprewell in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Foley suffered a broken collar bone when the Harrington-trained Snowhaven clipped heels on the home turn in the final race at Gowran Park on Monday evening.

He now faces a race against time to be fit to renew the partnership with the talented son of Churchill for the Curragh Classic on July 2.

Foley was aboard when Sprewell landed the Group Three Derby Trial at Leopardstown last month and again when coming with a withering run in Saturday’s Betfred Derby, only to find his path blocked on two occasions.

Sprewell, who was stabled with Harrington’s great friend Nicky Henderson before heading to Epsom, has taken his fourth-placed effort behind Auguste Rodin in his stride.

Harrington said: “He went to Nicky’s beforehand and he came out of the race grand.

“He just had a nice trot and little canter on Wednesday morning. He looks well and I’m happy enough with him. He’s eaten up well and put on weight.

“I’m not saying he would have won or been second, but I thought he would have been third, had he had a clear run. He was blocked twice.”

Though Harrington has yet to finalise her Royal Ascot team, which looks set to include Sounds Of Heaven, who will bid to land the Coronation Stakes, she is has her fingers crossed Foley makes a quick recovery for a rematch with Auguste Rodin.

She added: “Sprewell will go to the Irish Derby next. Hopefully Shane will be back to ride him by then.

“Ronan Whelan has won a couple of stakes race for me already this year, or there’s Colin Keane. They are the two most likely jockeys to use at Ascot. We will have a nice team of horses, hopefully.”

Islandsinthestream is set for an immediate step up to Pattern level after coming from last to first to make a winning start to his career at the Curragh.

Connections went to €135,000 to secure the Wootton Bassett colt as a yearling in October and he was a 9-1 shot on his competitive debut for Joseph O’Brien in the Holden Plant Rentals Irish EBF Maiden, a race won by subsequent Group-race winners Point Lonsdale and Crypto Force in the the last two seasons.

Ridden confidently by Declan McDonogh, Islandsinthestream swooped on the outside of the field to beat 5-2 joint-favourites School Of Law and Portland by a length and a half-length respectively.

The winner does not appear bound for Royal Ascot, but does have some high-profile options on home soil later in the summer.

O’Brien said: “Declan rode him in a few bits of work at home and he’s quite a laidback horse. We thought this would be a lovely starting point for him and didn’t expect him to go and win.

“Dec was very impressed with him. He really got the hang of things late and was green when he hit the front but is smart.

“We thought if he ran into a place that he would be hard to beat here in a month’s time.

“He’ll probably be making his way into a Tyros or a Futurity Stakes on his next start.”

O’Brien completed a double as Nusret (3-1 favourite) landed the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Handicap in the hands of Mikey Sheehy.

Hot favourite Alabama was upstaged by his stablemate The Liffey in the Oak Solutions Group Irish European Breeders Fund Race.

Alabama was all the race as an 8-15 shot, having finished third on his Cork debut in April, but weakened late on and passed the post in fourth place.

But The Liffey, a half-brother to last month’s Dee Stakes winner San Antonio, ensured victory went to Aidan O’Brien in any case on his introduction, repelling the late surge of My Mate Alfie by a neck in the hands of Seamie Heffernan.

“He was working nice, but first time we thought he’d be green,” said O’Brien.

“He jumped quick and travelled well. He got the trip well and Seamus said he felt like he had loads of speed.

“He’s a big horse so he will improve plenty. You could say he’s an Ascot horse but maybe we might take our time and come back here for the Railway Stakes.

“He’s a big, powerful horse, he’s growing and putting on plenty of weight, so it’s a balancing act between backing off him and keeping him going. If you back off him too muchm he’ll get too heavy and yet you don’t want to push him too much. Hopefully he’ll keep progressing.”

Run Ran Run (5-1) got the best of thrilling finish in the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day, holding Maria Branwell by a head, with a further head back to Cash Or Crypto in third and the fourth, Apache Outlaw, just a neck behind him.

Winning trainer Fozzy Stack said: “He could go for the three-year-old five-furlong handicap (Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes) at Royal Ascot on the Friday.

“It would suit him as needs to get there late and presumably there will be plenty of pace on.

“We won this with Son Of Rest (in 2017, who went on to win the Ayr Gold Cup the following year) and if he turns out winning what he did, we’ll be all right!”

Rosallion and Son may have both earned themselves a place in Richard Hannon’s squad for Royal Ascot after opening their respective accounts at Newbury on Tuesday.

Rosallion was unraced prior to the first division of the Get A Run For Your Money At BetVictor Maiden Stakes, but there was plenty of confidence behind him in the market as the 11-8 market leader.

The Blue Point colt needed a little persuasion from rider Sean Levey, but the further he went, the better he looked and he was ultimately well on top at the line.

A tilt at the Coventry Stakes – a race the trainer’s father Richard Hannon senior won with Rock City in 1989, Canford Cliffs in 2009 and Strong Suit in 2010 – would appear an obvious target and he is a 14-1 shot for the Group Two contest with Paddy Power.

“I was delighted. He’s got the job done and going past the line he’s quite impressive,” Hannon told Racing TV.

“He took a bit of time to get going, he’s never really been off the bridle at home and when you come to the races with those horses that do it very easily at home, they miss out on that side of the education.

“He knows what’s required now and he’ll improve massively for that. He could be a very good horse.”

When asked about future plans, the trainer added: “Yes he’s in the Railway Stakes, yes he could be a Coventry horse and yes I think he’s a horse for next year.

“They always say that today is the last day to make Royal Ascot horses and we’ll see how he comes out of the race. He’s a very good horse and that’s what we came here to see.”

The Herridge handler looked to have every chance of doubling up in the second division, with Son a 6-5 favourite to build on the promise of his debut third at Ascot last month and he did so with a clear-cut victory in the hands of Pat Dobbs.

Owner Julie Wood, whose colours were carried to Coventry Stakes success by Strong Suit 13 years ago, would be quite happy for Son to head for Berkshire in a fortnight’s time.

She said: “It’s always a standing joke that anything that wins leading up to Ascot you always consider it and of course we will. Whether he ends up there or beyond I don’t know, but today we came away with the result we wanted and we’ve got a nice horse.

“I thought he did it nicely. There was one point in the middle of the race when you didn’t know which way it was going, but Pat didn’t really have to get serious with him and he lengthened away well.”

The other two-year-old race on the card, the opening Make Your Best Bet At BetVictor Restricted Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, went the way of the Amo Racing-owned Mapmaker (9-4 favourite).

Amo already has a strong team of juveniles bound for the Royal meeting and Daryll Holland’s Mapmaker, who finished third on her introduction at Redcar just last week, threw her name into the hat into the ring with a two-length verdict under Kevin Stott.

“She ran a nice race at Redcar and was bound to come on from that,” said the jockey.

“Daryll said she’d come out of the race really well and her homework was good. We had a bit of experience and she put it to bed at the two-furlong pole, so I was pleased.

“We’ve got a good team going to Ascot and I’m not sure what Daryll and Kia (Joorabchian, owner) would like to do with this filly, I’ll leave it to them,

Stott went on to complete a double of his own aboard 11-4 favourite Champagne Sarah in the Tune In To Weekend Winners Handicap.

Neil Callan also booted home two winners, steering Ed Dunlop’s Seal Of Solomon (6-1) to victory in the Follow BetVictor On Twitter Handicap and the Michael Bell-trained Burdett Road (6-1) to a runaway success in the concluding Gamble Responsibly At BetVictor Handicap.

Karl Burke took the wraps off another exciting two-year-old at Nottingham when Beautiful Diamond scorched the turf in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

A £360,000 breeze-up purchase, the daughter of Twilight Son was easy to back all morning before late money saw her go off the 100-30 second favourite.

Having broke smartly from the stalls under Clifford Lee, she was travelling smoothly throughout behind Rainyniteingeorgia.

When Lee decided it was time to make a move, the response was immediate and she shot clear to win by three and a half lengths.

Burke is well stocked in the juvenile division this season and saddled the first two home in the Listed Marygate Stakes at York over five furlongs in Got To Love A Grey and Dorothy Lawrence, leaving some decisions to be made around his Queen Mary Stakes contenders.

“I was delighted with that, she’s obviously a very smart filly with a high cruising speed,” said Burke.

“Clifford gave her a good ride and she’s had a very easy introduction there, it couldn’t have gone much better.

“I didn’t feel any extra pressure because of the price tag because I didn’t actually buy her! Richard Brown, who buys a lot for Sheikh Rashid (owner) bought her, so I’d say he was feeling the pressure more than me but he was delighted, and relieved as well I think.

“Got To Love A Grey will definitely go to Ascot. I was pretty sure she was going Queen Mary, but I’ll have her chat with the Middleham Park guys (owners) as Beautiful Diamond looked a little bit special there and Got To Love A Grey would stay six furlongs.

“They are two very good fillies and I wouldn’t like to split them at this stage and Elite Status is in great form too since winning the National Stakes, he’ll be going to Ascot as well.”

Betfair and Paddy Power introduced the winner at 6-1 for the Queen Mary.