3:05 – Ascot – WINDSOR FOREST STAKES (GROUP 2) (FILLIES & MARES) (CLASS 1) (4yo+) Good 1m

Khalid Abdullah must be quietly confident about having another Group winner at Royal Ascot today in the shape of Emulous after the outstanding Frankel destroyed his field in the Queen Anne Stakes yesterday.  The 5 year old bay mare is trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld and will be running on the UK for the first time this afternoon.

Emulous made her seasonal reappearance at the Curragh during the Irish Guineas meeting, running in the Group 3 Tri Equestrian Stakes.  She was sent off as an odds on favourite and did not disappoint her backers as she tracked the leaders until a furlong out when she quickly asserted and kept on well to win by 1 ¾ lengths. 

She runs in a Group 2 race today and runs off joint top weight with Nahrain as she carries a penalty of 5lbs for winning the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on her final start of last season.  Conditions are perfect for her today as she has run in Good ground on four of her 11 starts and has won on each occasion.  The trip of 1 mile is also ideal for her as she has won over the distance 4 times from 5 runs including two wins at Group 3 and her Group 1 success.  Pat Smullen rides her again today having ridden her on all 11 of her racecourse starts. 

Today’s renewal of the Windsor Forest Stakes looks like being a very competitive event.  Emulous still looks highly progressive and is given the nod over the equally progressive Nahrain and Chachamaidee, as the first named is dropping down in trip as well as making her seasonal reappearance and the second named best form is arguably over 7 furlongs and she is also up in class today.  Emulous has a very good chance of gear which could settle things in her favour inside the final furlong as she is potentially the fastest horse in the field over 1 mile.