The Royal meeting is in full swing at Ascot. Photo: Reuters
There will be a Hong Kong flavour to Thursday’s Group One Ascot Gold Cup (3,991m) at Royal Ascot but local owner Boniface Ho Ka-kui will no doubt be realistic about the chances of Wonder Legend in a race packed with crack stayers.
Trained by James Ferguson with Daniel Muscutt to take the ride, Wonder Legend brings winning form into the race but finds himself on the fifth line of betting in overseas fixed-odds markets at around $34.
Leading the way is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Illinois at $2.75, while Godolphin’s Trawlerman, runner-up to the great Kyprios in this race a year ago, sits at $3.5.
Victorious in the Group Two Queen’s Vase (2,800m) at Royal Ascot a year ago, Illinois enters the race off a first-up triumph in the Group Three Ormonde Stakes (2,700m) at Chester last month.
