Royal Ascot 2018: Aljazzi looking to go one better in this year’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes for Marco Botti
Aljazzi was second in the race behind Qemah last year and this summer leads the home team's chances as Tribute Act is supplemented for James Fanshawe
MARCO Botti will be hoping Aljazzi can go one better in this years Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
She finished second in the Group 2 last summer and is likely to be the market leader with Hydrangea leaning towards the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday.
She has been kept fresh for the race with a single run behind Addeybb in preparation for Royal Ascot.
Roger Varian's Tomyris, winner of the Group Three Chartwell Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield, is another of the 12 potential runners.
Tribute Act has been supplemented by trainer James Fanshawe and owners the Elite Racing Club.
The four-year-old already held an entry in the Royal Hunt Cup the same day, but it is doubtful she will make the cut in the maximum 30-runner field for the big mile handicap.
The Royal Hunt Cup
David Marnane will be relieved Settle For Bay is guaranteed a place in the valuable Royal Hunt Cup run over a mile following the confirmation stage.
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The four-year-old will be the County Tipperary handler's only intended runner at the Royal meeting.
Marnane said: "He's a nice horse and we're quite excited. He's short enough in the betting."
Marnane has had the Hunt Cup as a long-term target after Settle For Bay returned from a pelvic injury to notch a four-timer during the winter.
The trainer said: "He hit a mark of 99 there so we thought the Hunt Cup might suit him over a strongly-run mile, so we put him away.
"He had a comeback run last month at Leopardstown. We couldn't have been any happier with the run. He was fourth carrying top weight and didn't get the clearest of runs and came home very strong."
Major ante-post fancies Afaak and Lord Glitters remain on course but of those prominent in the market, Keyser Soze still needs a number of horses to come out at the final declaration stage to take his chance.