Take the progressive Muhtathir to land the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on a cracking card at Ascot today. A promising two-year-old last year, the John Gosden-trained colt has proved himself to be a very smart performer this season.
In the French 2,000 Guineas in May, Muhtathir justified his tall reputation when he finished a half-length second, collared close home by Victory Note, with Desert Prince four lengths back in third.
Given a break after that gallant effort, Muhtathir returned to score in a conditions event at Doncaster before decisively beating Danish Rhapsody in the Group Three Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
Muhtathir then put up a career best effort in winning the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, where the opposition, led home by Almushtarak, never looked likely to peg him back.
Although today's Group One event is his biggest task to date, Muhtathir has both the courage and class to win this prestigious prize.
The Willie Muir-trained Averti can gain compensation for his unlucky disqualification in Germany last time in the Racal Diadem Stakes.
The seven-year-old is very useful on his day, as he showed when winning the Group Three King George Stakes at Goodwood last year.
Count on the David Loder-trained Calando to score in tomorrow's Group One feature, the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile.
Calando showed herself to be the best of the English-trained fillies when emphatically winning the Group Three May Hill Stakes at Doncaster this month. Always travelling well in the mile contest, the Storm Cat filly was pushed out to account for subsequent scorer Kalidasa by two and half lengths.
Held in high regard by connections, Calando has a juvenile race at next month's Breeders Cup in America as her target.
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