Rogue Millennium on course to defend Duke of Cambridge crown

Big-money purchase Rogue Millennium is set to defend her Duke of Cambridge Stakes title when she forms part of Joseph O’Brien’s team for Royal Ascot.

A star performer when trained in the UK by Tom Clover, she edged out Random Harvest by a neck when successful in the one-mile Group Two event at the Royal meeting 12 months ago.

Sold for 1,650,000 guineas at Tattersalls in December, she transferred to Ireland to be trained at Owning Hill on behalf of her new owner Scott Heider.

The daughter of Dubawi was a beaten favourite when making her return in the Curragh’s Lanwades Stud Stakes, but her trainer was encouraged by the performance ahead of her quest for an Ascot repeat.

“I think she will head for the Duke of Cambridge,” said O’Brien.

“She made a lovely reappearance and we’re looking forward to getting her back on track.

“We’re looking forward to the week, it will be great racing and one of the best weeks of the year really.”

Another key member of O’Brien’s Royal Ascot plans is crack two-year-old Cowardofthecounty who made the perfect debut at the Curragh in the spring and could get his trainer’s week off to the perfect start in the opening day’s Coventry Stakes.

The son of Kodi Bear heads to Berkshire with just the one appearance to his name, but is as short as 9-2 favourite with both Paddy Power and Betfred having seen the form of his two-and-a-half-length victory over Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket franked in style by the runner-up in Listed company since.

O’Brien continued: “Cowardofthecounty has had a good preparation since his debut. The plan has always been to come here since then and everything since his debut has gone smoothly.

“He made a really good debut, the form of the race has worked out well and he’s been training really well since then.”

One horse who will not be at the Royal meeting but is on course to still run at Ascot in his next start is international traveller Al Riffa.

A Group One winning two-year-old, the son of Wootton Bassett has always been a consistent performer and will be pointed towards the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the end of July following his run at Saratoga last weekend, where he was sixth in the Manhattan Stakes over an extended nine furlongs.

“He didn’t get the rub of the green, but he didn’t lose anything in defeat,” said O’Brien of his US performance.

“The track was a bit sharp for him, but he has pulled out of the race well and we look at something like the King George for him now.”