Dubai: Saturday’s Group 1 £525,000 (Dh3 million) Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot could well be the equine equivalent of a star-studded Diamond League sprint featuring the likes of Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.

 

The 1,200 metre dash, which brings the curtain down on a bumper week’s racing at the historic Berkshire track, has attracted some of the fastest thoroughbreds in the world, with the challengers coming from as far as Sydney in Australia and California in the USA.

Brazen Beau is currently the best sprinter in his native Australia, with five wins from 10 starts, while Undrafted represents American handler Wesley Ward, who has struck five times at the Royal meeting, including with Acapulco in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) on Wednesday.

The pair head a field of 15 runners, which includes last year’s runner-up Due Diligence, Mustabjeeb, winner of the Jersey Stakes at this event 12 months ago and Britain’s principal hope Tropics, who was ninth on that occasion.

Australia, who are also represented by the Gai Waterhouse-trained Wandjina, have won this race twice in the past — with Choisir in 2003 and Black Caviar three years ago.

Waterhouse has achieved near legendary status in her native Australia, but has never sampled success at Royal Ascot — something she hopes Wandjina can change.

“He’s very relaxed and enjoying himself enormously. I thought his work has been exceptionally bright, he’s got a terrific attitude and he’s extremely well, which is what you want to see going into a big race like this,” she said,

“I think he’s got an outstanding chance and his form coming into this race is tip-top. He’s is a very honest horse, he is athletic and masculine. He carries himself well and is already a Group One winner.

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could be competitive. We have been here before and didn’t succeed, so we are coming back to try to succeed.”

Mustaajeeb represents Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and brings some strong sprinting form into the race.

“I couldn’t have been more impressed with him [at the Curragh]. He looked big in the ring, you’d like to think he’ll improve from that and if he does, it leaves him there among the best sprinters around,” his jockey Pat Smullen said.

“Let’s hope he goes and takes a step forward and I think he’s got a big chance.”

Saturday’s card also features the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, a quasi Group 1 contest as it is run with no Group 1 penalties.

Telescope, who is one of three runners for Sir Michael Stoute, attempts to defend his Hardwicke Stakes crown.

Another interesting race is the Wokingham Stakes, the oldest handicap at Royal Ascot. The annual ‘cavalry charge’ is run over 1200m.