Crystal Music to thwart Irish fillies

With one full day to go the Irish are already enjoying their most successful Royal Ascot in nearly a quarter of a century.

Aidan O'Brien's quartet of Black Minnaloushe, Landseer, Mozart and Johannesburg, plus the John Oxx-trained Sahara Slew, have combined to record five victories this week.

That total is the best at the meeting since Jaazeiro, Sutton Place, Relfo, Sweet Mint and Solinus all scored for Ireland in 1978.

And it is only two short of the modern-day record of seven set in 1975, when Vincent O'Brien (no relation to Aidan) saddled six winners himself.

Their best hopes of adding to the tally today look to lie with Aidan O'Brien's Milan in the King Edward VII Stakes, the same trainer's trio Rose Gypsy, Sequoyah and Toroca in the Coronation Stakes, and Mouse Morris' Rostropovich in the Queen Alexandra Stakes which closes the meeting.

However, Crystal Music can thwart the Irish fillies after her fine second in the Irish equivalent behind Imagine last time.

And the daughter of Nureyev, winner of the Fillies' Mile over course and distance on her final start last season, did well to finish fourth in the English 1,000 Guineas behind Ameerat as she had an interrupted preparation for the race and confidence was not high in the stable beforehand.