Osborne relishing Ascot opportunity for Stoute

Saffie Osborne has described riding the fancied Never So Brave in the Jersey Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute as a “massive privilege”.

Osborne’s career has been one of steep progression in recent seasons and while her father Jamie provided her with a large proportion of her winners in her early days, her biggest victories have come for Ed Walker, Harry Fry and Clive Cox.

However, a Group Three winner for Stoute on the biggest stage of all would be another level entirely and in Never So Brave, a horse who won easily at Chester’s May meeting, she has a live chance.

“He’s obviously put two wins to his name and is a very nice horse,” said Osborne.

“It’s an honour to be riding for Sir Michael at the Royal meeting. It’s a pretty deep race with lots of horses with good form, but hopefully he can run well.

“It’s a massive privilege to ride for Sir Michael. He is someone I have grown up watching train so many big winners all around the world and to be consistently riding for him now is really special.”

With his form boosted by stablemate Rosallion earlier in the week, Haatem is out to bag his own big race sporting his new colours of Wathnan Racing.

Third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and only just reeled in by Rosallion in the Irish equivalent, Haatem is dropping down in trip and class for the seven-furlong Group Three.

He was bought by Wathnan following the Irish Guineas but with a 3lb penalty for his Craven Stakes win, he may not have things all his own way.

“He’s going to have to carry a penalty, which is never easy to do, but he’s a big, strong horse. Physically it looks like the penalty shouldn’t hinder him too much,” said Wathnan’s Richard Brown.

“He’s a top-class horse and has proven it this year. He was a very impressive winner of the Craven and has gone on to prove it in two Classics.

“He’s not short of speed, but we know he’s going to stay. In the Jersey you have to be a strong stayer and you don’t win the Jersey if you don’t stay.

“I think he will be a good candidate in what is shaping up to be a very hot race and we’re looking forward to seeing him in the Wathnan colours for the first time.”

Ralph Beckett’s Task Force was a top-class juvenile, finishing second in the Middle Park. He has only run once this season when seventh in the 2000 Guineas.

“We haven’t seen him since the 2000 Guineas but he came out of it in good shape,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We just felt he was maybe a little bit weak at that stage and with him being a May foal, he had only just turned three when he ran in the Guineas and he was probably just going through a bit of a growth spurt and looked a little on the weak side in the parade ring.

“Ralph has been happy with him since and the drop back to seven furlongs I don’t think will be an inconvenience.

“He was a staying on second in the Middle Park over six, so I think seven will be a nice trip for him and we’re looking forward to seeing him back in action.”

Also in the famous Juddmonte silks is Harry Charlton’s Kikkuli, a half-brother to the brilliant Frankel. He was second in Listed company last time out on just his third run.

“He was still learning his trade at Sandown and the ground had probably just got a little soft,” Mahon said.

“We were happy he handled ease in the ground and we had no great worries about ease in the ground to be honest, but I just felt that day it blunted his speed a little bit.

“The winner got away from him and Ryan (Moore) didn’t give him a hard time. I think he will have learned plenty from that and he will come on again.”

Aidan O’Brien runs River Tiber, last year’s Coventry Stakes winner and third in the Irish Guineas on his only outing this season, plus Mountain Bear and Pearls And Rubies.

O’Brien’s Bedtime Story is bred to be very good indeed, being by Frankel out of the top-class sprinter Mecca’s Angel.

She won on her debut and is likely to go off favourite in the Chesham Stakes, a race the trainer has won four times since 2016.

Charlie Appleby’s Age Of Gold, another Frankel colt, looked a runner of huge potential winning on his debut at Yarmouth.

Appleby told Godolphin: “He’s a once-run colt who won very well at Yarmouth over six furlongs and I feel the step up to seven is going to suit him. Hopefully he’s a live player.”

Amo Racing run the €260,000 newcomer Duke Of Monroth, from the family of Roaring Lion, with Paul and Oliver Cole’s Seaplane related to some strong stayers.

Elsewhere, Clive Cox has secured the services of Moore for Harry Three in the Wokingham.

A Group One contender two years ago, he returned from a long layoff to finish fourth in a Listed race on his comeback.