Mark Johnston Stable Tour

Form profile

Winner of five of his 15 starts and currently rated 100. Gained his last success when beating Stone of Destiny a head at Goodwood (5f) in May off a mark of 96.

Trainer says

He will run in the Wokingham and he won well his start before last at Goodwood. He got bogged down in bad ground at Epsom last Friday and it was just one of those you can put line through easily. He is a horse that has won two of his starts this year and is proven as a four-year-old. It's a very competitive race but he warrants his place in the lineup.

Form profile

Winner of six of his 41 starts and currently rated 99. One of his better efforts when finishing third, beaten two and a half lengths, Falcon Eight in the Chester Cup at Chester (2m 2 1/2f) in May off a mark of 98.

Trainer says

He will run in the Copper Horse Handicap and he has had a really good spring and ran a screamer in the Chester Cup. He was third having been short of room turning in and a mile six is his optimum trip.

Form profile

Winner of two of his 9 starts and currently rated 101. Finished runner-up, beaten two and a half lengths, to Bell Rock on his reappearance at Newmarket (1m 1f) in May off a mark of 100.

Trainer says

He will run in the Royal Hunt Cup and he ran a big race first time out at Newmarket in May over nine furlongs. He just ran a little fresh and free early on but the plan ever since has been to come straight to Ascot. He ran in the Silver Hunt Cup last year and won his race on his side of the track very easily but was just drawn on the wrong side. It is a hugely competitive handicap, but I think he goes there with a good chance.

Form profile

Winner of five of his 22 starts and currently rated 111. Best effort this term on his reappearance in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot (2m) in April when third, beaten a length and a half, to Stradivarius.

Trainer says

Nayef Road has gone off the boil a bit in his last two starts and been disappointing but he has a bit of a cough after Sandown and we will try and get that cleared up. His top form saw him finish second twice to Stradivarius last year and we know he is up to this level on his best form.

Form profile

Winner of five of his 27 starts and currently rated 93. Finished eighth, beaten six lengths, to Falcon Eight on his last outing in the Chester Cup at Chester (2m 2 1/2f) in May off a mark of 94. Finished fifth, beaten three and three quarter lengths, to Coeur De Lion in the Ascot Stakes Handicap at Royal Ascot (2m 4f) last year off a mark of 92.

Trainer says

Rochester House finished fifth in the Ascot Stakes Handicap last year and will head back there again. He ran well from a very unpromising position and was nearly last, but he managed to be beaten only three and three quarter lengths. He has a bad draw and a terrible trip round in the Chester Cup so you can put a lone through that and he has previous run well at Newbury the time before. These sort of distances are quite specialist and he ran well here and in the two mile five at Goodwood so he has shown a liking for these sorts of contests. He could run well.

Form profile

Winner of seven of his 12 starts and currently rated 116. Gained his most prestigious success when beating Pyledriver two and a quarter lengths in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket (1m 4f) in May. Finished third, beaten three and three quarter lengths, to Spanish Mission on his latest start in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at York (1m 6f) later that month.

Trainer says

He will run in the Hardwicke. He came back with a little niggle after York which was hopefully an explanation for that disappointing effort and he seems fine since. We came into this year thinking he was going to step up and become a Cup horse, but he showed speed to beat Pyledriver at Newmarket and that form has been well franked. If he runs up to the form of his Jockey Club Stakes, he must have a big chance.

Form profile

Winner of five of his 16 starts and currently rated 117. Scored by five and three quarter lengths from Walderbe on his reappearance in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan (2m) in March.

Trainer says

He was obviously very impressive in Dubai and it was a fantastic win out there. He did have a setback in the immediate 24 hours after Dubai and that made our minds up for us that we were coming straight to Royal Ascot. I was never concerned about that as he showed in Dubai that we can have him ready at home and in the form of his life. Joe has been in to sit on him the last two Saturdays and is very happy with him and he looks in great order. We are basically in the same position as we were a week out from Dubai. We are under no illusions that the standard that Stradivarius sets but we feel this is the best horse we have sent to tackle him, and he is going to have to be as everything we have thrown at him the past two years has come up a bit short.

Form profile

Winner of five of his 19 starts and currently rated 102. Made a winning reappearance in the valuable Queen's Cup at Musselburgh (1m 6f) in April when scoring by a neck from Cardano off a mark of 98

Trainer says

Themaxwecan will run in the Copper Horse Handicap and he finished fourth in the race last year. He won well at Musselburgh first time out before disappointing on his next start at Ripon but a strong pace over a mile and six on fast ground are his ideal conditions and that's what he should get. We would be hopeful of another good run from him.

Form profile

Winner of four of his 8 starts and currently rated 109. Finished runner-up, beaten four lengths, to Al Aasy in the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury (1m 4f) in May.

Trainer says

He finished second to Al Aasy at Newbury and he was just racing a bit lazily and it wasn't ideal for him to do all the donkey work as he wasn't taking Ryan along in front. I think he would be much better suited by a strong pace like when he won the Dante last year and you would be hopeful you would get that sort of scenario in a Hardwicke.

Form profile

Winner of three of his 15 starts and currently rated 97. Ran well off his current mark when finishing fifth, beaten three and a quarter lengths, to Falcon Eight in the Chester Cup at Chester (2m 2 1/2f) in May.

Trainer says

He ran well in the Chester Cup and didn't get the best of runs through and was caught on heels but finished strongly and wasn't beaten very far. It was a good trial for the Ascot Stakes Handicap, and we are certain he will stay. He is still only a four-year-old and has less miles on the clock than most of these.

Form profile

Winner of six of his 11 starts and currently rated 103. Completed a hat trick when beating Global Storm a nose in a handicap at Newmarket (1m 4f) in May off a mark of 101.

Trainer says

He will run in the Duke of Edinburgh. He has won his last three starts and completed a hat-trick at Newmarket in May which took him up to a rating of 103. We didn't want him to win again and go above 105 and make him ineligible for this race and he has been saved for the race. He is improving all the time and I think he must go there with a big chance.

Form profile

Winner of four of his 7 starts and currently rated 97. Completed a four-timer when beating stablemate Kondo Isami a neck at Doncaster (1m 6 1/2f) this month off a mark of 94.

Trainer says

He will be one of our three runners in the Queen's Vase and he has won his last four in a row. He gained his last success over an extended mile and six at Doncaster and is on a steep upward curve. He is going to have find more improvement again jumping from handicap company to Group company, but he has done nothing wrong all year and is an exciting horse.

Form profile

Winner of three of her 9 starts and currently rated 108. Made a winning reappearance in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester (1m 3 1/2f) in May when beating Zeyaadah a length before disappointing in the Oaks at Epsom (1m 4f) this month.

Trainer says

She has been confirmed for the Ribblesdale Stakes and we were obviously very disappointed with her run in the Oaks. Nothing physically has come to light and watching it as soon as they started coming down the hill I could see that Franny (Norton) was struggling to hold his pitch and looked in a bit of trouble. It is easy to say she didn't handle the track but maybe she wasn't on her A game for the day and put in a below par effort. She won the Cheshire Oaks very well the time before and the Ribblessdale looks like it will be a lot weaker than the Oaks. She is going to have a mile and a half on a galloping track on better ground and we will go again.

Form profile

Winner of three of his 6 starts and currently rated 111. Finished 10th of 11, beaten 21 lengths, to Adayar in the Group 1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom (1m 4f) this month.

Trainer says

He had a lovely pitch in the Derby and got into a lovely rhythm in front setting sensible fractions and everything had gone to plan until two and a half out. When Ben (Curtis) asked him for maximum effort there wasn't a huge amount there and the eventual winner went past us like we were standing still. It was a step back from the Dante and nothing has come to light. The King Edward VII Stakes will be a step down from the Derby and we will probably look to go there.

Form profile

WInner of two of his 8 starts and currently rated 91. Scored by four lengths from Pied Piper at Chelmsford (1m 6f) in April off a mark of 85.

Trainer says

He will be entered in the Queen's Vase and the King George V Handicap. He has won his last two starts and he is a horse we have always thought a lot of. He ran in the Chesham at the Royal meeting last year and won convincingly last time out when stepped up to a mile six and looks a confirmed stayer.

Form profile

Winner of one of his 7 starts and currently rated 91. Finished runner-up, beaten a nose, to Solent Gate at Epsom (1m 2f) on Derby Day.

Trainer says

He will run in the Golden Gates and ran a phenomenal race at Epsom last time. He had gone a yard turning into the straight and I had given up all hope. A furlong out he sprouted wings and was only just denied. I think that was just down to the track rather than the trip being a mile and a quarter but he will have entries over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half and we will compare the two races. He was second to Bay Bridge in a London Gold Cup and then second at Epsom and is a three-year-old handicapper who is going places and should have a good chance whichever race he runs in.

Form profile

Winner of two of his 5 starts and currently rated 90. Finished second, beaten a neck, to Dancing King at Doncaster (1m 6 1/2f) this month off a mark of 88.

Trainer says

He could also run in the Queen's Vase and was just touched off in that Doncaster race by Dancing King. He has only had five starts in his life and is a lightly raced colt with a big pedigree. I would expect him to continue improving and he will also have an entry in the King George V Handicap.

Form profile

Winner of three of his 5 starts and currently rated 110. Gained his last success in the Esher Cup at Sandown (1m) in April when scoring by six lengths from Buxted Too off a mark of 98.

Trainer says

He is two from two this year and won the Esher Cup well. It was well documented that he got struck into quite badly in the race and it was quite a concerning injury for him. Touch wood he has come out of the other side of that ok, but it prevented having another run in between and made things quite tight for his preparation for the St James's Palace Stakes. We have got there fine but Plan A would have been to go for the Heron Stakes as a steppingstone to Ascot. The way things have panned out we are going to have to put him in at the deep end. His rating of 110 justifies a go in this company but it is a big step up for him, but he is a horse we have always thought a lot of.

Form profile

Winner of two of his 8 starts and currently rated 99. Returned to winning form when beating Legal Attack a short head on his latest start at Goodwood (1m) in April.

Trainer says

We don't know what will get in these three-year-old handicaps, but Qaader will definitely run in the Britannia. This has been his long-term target and he has run two very good races this year. He was second first time out at Chelmsford then won at Goodwood. He was second in the Coventry last year, so we know he likes Ascot, and he is a lot more mature and settled this year than he was as a two-year-old. The Britannia will take a lot of winning and he is towards the head of the weights, but he is a Group horse really. We also have Forest Falcon, Headingly and State of Bliss in there, but they will all be borderline as to whether they get in.

Form profile

Winner of his three starts to date and currently rated 97. Scored by two and three quarter lengths from Royal Pleasure off a mark of 86 at Kempton (7f) this month.

Trainer says

We have entered Red Mirage in the Buckingham Palace and there are 68 entries, and I don't know if he will get in or not but I really hope he does. He has three starts in his life and won them all and he is a really nice horse. He won at Kempton a couple of weeks ago and he jumps and shows a lot of speed early then switches off and you can take down the gears nice and relaxed. He turned into the straight and picked up and went away well and the handicapper didn't miss him and put him up 11lb for that, but he is progressive and is a horse we have always thought a lot of.

Form profile

Winner of two of his 7 starts and currently rated 81. Scored by two and three quarter lengths from Oceanline in a handicap at Haydock (1m 6f) last Wednesday off his current mark.

Trainer says

There are a lot we would like to see get in the King George V Handicap but the obvious one would be Soapy Stevens who has won his last two. He won at Haydock last week which will give him a penalty and hopefully give him a squeak of getting in. He is a three-year-old on a steep upward curve and it looked to my eye at Haydock that he won with plenty more in the tank.

Form profile

Winner of one of her 2 starts. Made a winning debut at Beverley (5f) in April when beating Pure Charmer a length and three quarters and subsequently runner-up, beaten a length, to Silver Bullet Lady in a conditions event at Salisbury (5f) in May.

Trainer says

She will be entered in the Albany, and she will also get an entry in the Chesham. She won very well at Beverley first time out and posted a decent figure and then maybe it came a bit soon for her at Salisbury the following week when she showed a lot of speed again and then got worn down in the closing stages. She has had a little bit of a break and on pedigree she should be a lot better over further. She will step up in trip there.

Form profile

Winner of one of his 4 starts. Finished fourth, beaten four and a half lengths, to Tipperary Sunset in a conditions event at Beverley (5f) in May.

Trainer says

He is in the Coventry Stakes and was very promising in his first two starts but a little disappointing the last twice on softer ground. We are hoping the combination of fast ground and six furlongs and the return to Ascot where he ran well earlier in the year will see him put his best foot forward, but he does have a bit to find.