Royal Ascot preview: Hukum spearheads Shadwell team

The former returned from the sidelines to beat Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on his reappearance but isn’t set for a rematch with the runner-up in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes later this month.

Racing Manager Angus Gold told www.shadwellstud.com: “He took his Sandown race very well and at this stage the plan would be to run him in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, though he will certainly need some rain between now and then; if all went well there we would look to run him in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot at the end of July, though if for some reason it poured with rain towards the end of June we could also consider supplementing him for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown."

Mostabshir was an impressive winner of a valuable novice race at the York Dante Meeting and may now step up to Group One company.

“At the moment his options include the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot, which would obviously be a big jump up in class, or if John and Thady Gosden feel he is showing plenty of speed in his work we could consider an entry in the Jersey Stakes,” Gold added.

His stablemate Mostahdaf is also in the mix for the meeting, the racing manager adding: "We have given him a good break since is exertions in the Middle East earlier in the spring; we are hoping to get him back to Royal Ascot for the Prince Of Wales Stakes, or alternatively he has an engagement in the Eclipse as well."

Mujtaba in the Wolferton Stakes and Lockinge fifth Mutasaabeq the Queen Anne are other potential runners.

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