Scene set for a memorable Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot 2023 promises to be a memorable week for everyone involved with Avenue Bloodstock.

We head there with several live chances, particularly for owner Bon Ho whose colours are likely to be carried by Canberra Legend, Deauville Legend, Land Legend, Novel Legend and Wonder Legend.

Yearling purchase Canberra Legend looked an exciting prospect earlier in the season when winning the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket. Although things didn’t fall his way next time out in the Gr.2 Dante Stakes, he is in good form at home for James Ferguson and we are looking forward to seeing him take his chance in the Gr.2 King Edward VII Stakes on Friday.

Stablemate Deauville Legend (pictured above), last year’s Gr.2 Great Voltigeur Stakes winner, is set to make his seasonal reappearance in Saturday’s Gr.2 Hardwicke Stakes. The Sea The Stars gelding was a top-class and hardy performer last season, when his performances also included a win in the Gr.3 Bahrain Trophy and an excellent fourth against older horses in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup.

We are also looking forward to seeing a trio of progressive three-year-olds in action. Land Legend, a wide-margin winner at Newcastle prior to running second in a competitive handicap at York’s Dante meeting, could line up in either the Gr.3 Queen’s Vase or King George V Handicap for James Ferguson. Stablemate Wonder Legend also has the King George V Handicap in his sights following an impressive five-length win in good company at Doncaster.

There is also Novel Legend to look forward to in the Ascot Stakes. The Nathaniel gelding has improved again for the step up to two miles, as he showed when running away with a class 2 handicap at Newbury’s Greenham meeting in April. He has since run a fine second off a higher mark at Chester.

Among the two-year-olds, Avenue Bloodstock is associated with two particularly exciting youngsters in Noche Magica and Porta Fortuna.

Noche Magica, purchased out of last year’s Goffs UK Premier Sale on behalf of Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi, went into many notebooks when the smooth winner of his debut for Paddy Twomey at Cork in April. The Night Of Thunder colt was subsequently only a head short of victory in the Gr.3 GAIN Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh and should have a good chance in the Gr.2 Norfolk Stakes on Thursday.

Meanwhile, private purchase Porta Fortuna heads to the Gr.3 Albany Stakes on Friday following her win in the Gr.3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas last month. Unbeaten in two starts for Donnacha O’Brien, the Caravaggio filly was purchased privately by Avenue Bloodstock in conjunction with Philip Shelton of Medallion Racing following her debut success at the Curragh. She now races for Barry Fowler/Medallion Racing ’20/Steve Weston/Dean Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.