Coolangatta will bid to enhance Australia’s fine record in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, with the opening day sprinting shootout possessing a truly international flavour in 2023.

Raiders from the southern hemisphere have won this on five occasions since Choisir showed what was possible in 2003 and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s filly will bid to follow in the footsteps of Nature Strip, who is the most recent Antipodean winner having romped to victory in the hands of James McDonald 12 months ago.

This time the New Zealander – who enjoyed three winners at the meeting in 2022 – will bid for back-to-back victories aboard Coolangatta as she carries Australian hopes following her success in the Black Caviar Lightning in February.

However, she did appear workmanlike as she finished third in a Flemington barrier trial at the end of May, a workout that initially left connections with more questions than answers.

Maher explained: “In the jump out at Flemington, she ran her second fastest half-mile that she has ever run. I still cannot get my head around it, but I guess that is why we have the trackers and stuff on them, because trials can be deceiving.

“The track was quite damp and, although she ran well as a two-year-old on a damp track, there were a lot of good horses in that trial – but James said it was the weirdest jump out that he has ever been in. Hopefully, it was just that, because she has thrived since then.

“I suppose winning the Lightning Stakes down the straight at Flemington gives you some confidence about handling the track here. Straight track racing can be quite different to some of the tighter tracks at home like Moonee Valley, where she has won before.

“We have come here thinking that the track would not be a problem.”

Peter and Paul Snowden’s Cannonball is another to make the journey from the other side of the world and his training team feel he possesses all the qualities to get in the mix.

“He is a fast horse, he is a tough horse, and he has handled this trip over here like it’s nothing, said Peter Snowden.

“This is his first time away from home and the longest he has been on a truck before is two hours. He had 24 hours on a plane and it did not faze him one bit. That attitude will carry him a long way.

“The five furlongs of the King’s Stand Stakes is all about speed and toughness, and he has both in abundance. I hope he is flying under the radar, because he should be on form, but I quite like the horse and think he is up to it.”

Adding further flavour is Twilight Gleaming, who will bid to give Wesley Ward his second King’s Stand following Lady Aurelia’s famous triumph in 2017.

The daughter of National Defense was a runner-up in the Queen Mary in 2021, but having got on the scoresheet in the hands of Irad Ortiz Jr in Keeneland’s Giant’s Causeway Stakes in April, Ward is optimistic of a bold bid.

“Twilight Gleaming has trained forward ever since (Keeneland). I’m excited about this filly,” said the American.

“We know that it is probably the toughest five-furlong sprint in the world. She is going to run a bang-up race.

“She is a five-furlong horse, she’s not a five-furlong and one-jump horse. Five furlongs is her game. She is extremely effective at this distance, so I look forward to this run.”

Australian raiders Coolangatta and Cannonball warmed up for Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes with separate workouts on Ascot’s straight track on Wednesday morning.

Coolangatta will be looking to enhance the formidable record of Lightning Stakes winners at Royal Ascot, with Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, Black Caviar and Nature Strip all winning the five-furlong highlight prior to the the summer showpiece meeting.

With co-trainer Ciaron Maher in attendance, Coolangatta and big-race jockey James McDonald worked over just shy of five furlongs and the duo were comfortably clear of lead horse So Chic at the finish.

Maher said: “The idea was to bring Coolangatta here and have a look at the whole surrounds. We did a bit of paddock schooling and then had a nice look at the track.

“She stretched nicely to the line and James said she took quite a while to pull up. He was beaming about the work and it was everything I wanted to see.

“She has really thrived since being here – she is in the very quiet surrounds of Lambourn – and she was in need of a nice hit out to keep a lid on her.”

Coolangatta’s compatriot Cannonball, who represents the training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden, was last seen finishing third in the Group One Galaxy Handicap at Rosehill in March.

The Capitalist colt also enjoyed an Ascot blowout over just short of five furlongs, after which Peter Snowden expressed his satisfaction.

“Cannonball did a routine piece of work. He is quite a gross colt and he needed that,” he said.

“He arrived here on Friday and had a few easy days, which he had taken the benefit of. The gallop today will bring him back up to the mark somewhat. He will do a bit more on Saturday morning and then he will be ready to go.

“My expectations are always exceeded. He is an inexperienced horse but, in his two starts for me, he has shown that he is well above average.

“He won the Maurice McCarten in a very fast time and backed up a week later in a Group One, when he probably could have won. He is climbing up the ladder pretty quickly.”