Michael Halford hopes to break Royal Ascot duck

Michael Halford

will hope to break his Royal Ascot duck this week but before that the

trainer can secure a double at Sligo this evening.

Toscanini, runner-up in last year’s Chesham, could take his chance in Friday’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and is set to head a small but select Halford team this week which includes Asbury Boss in tomorrow’s Ascot Stakes.

Hasanour is likely to take his chance in Wednesday’s Royal Hunt Cup while another handicap option is Portage in the Britannia. This evening’s €15,000 juvenile maiden is comparative small fry but given an adequate start Halford’s Miss Phillyjinks should be tough to beat.

Conor Hoban’s mount has been slow away in both starts to date, including at Fairyhouse behind Miss Elizabeth when she also didn’t get a clear run. If that starting kink has been ironed out, the step up to seven furlongs should suit.

Smart sprinter

Belezza Oscura has a first handicap start here and ran into a potentially smart sprinter in Ardhoomey at Navan last time. Rock Critic, once rated as high as 106, returns to action tonight off a mark of 86 but the veteran may have to give best in the conditions event to I’ll Be Your Clown. Meanwhile, Frankie Dettori continued his classic hot streak with an inspired ride on John Gosden’s Star Of Seville to win the €1 million French Oaks at Chantilly.

Just nine days after finishing out of the money in the Epsom Oaks, Star Of Seville overcame a high draw to become the first overseas trained Prix de Diane winner since Confidential Lady in 2006.

It was only eight days since Dettori partnered Gosden’s Golden Horn to victory in the Epsom Derby and the Italian jockey said: “I’m still riding the wave of the Derby. Everything went absolutely to plan. To back her up after a week, it’s all down to John Gosden. . .”

Star Of Seville could appear next in Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes and Gosden declared: “Frankie and I walked the track this morning and came up with a plan. I said to him, ‘If this works you are a genius’.”