Joliestar part of international contingent at Ascot on Saturday

Australian speedball Joliestar is one of 23 sprinters still in contention for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes following the confirmation stage.

The five-year-old is a hot favourite to become the latest antipodean challenger to claim Royal Ascot glory, having won each of her three starts in her homeland so far this year.

Joliestar’s trainer Chris Waller is bidding for a second victory on the Royal meeting, having saddled Nature Strip to win the King Charles III Stakes in 2022.

Overpass is a second potential Australian representative in the final day feature, but he must first come through the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday, while there are two Japanese contenders in the shape of last year’s runner-up Satono Reve and Lugal.

Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave is the sole Irish-trained runner, Andre Fabre’s Sajir and Patrice Cottier’s Stolen Kiss are set to travel from France and the Bent Olsen-trained Great Wish from Denmark completes the international party.

The home team includes Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue and Karl Burke’s Night Raider, who like Overpass has the option of turning out again after Tuesday’s Group One sprint.

There are plenty of familiar names among the 16 entries for the Hardwicke Stakes, including Marco Botti’s stable star Giavellotto, Francis-Henri Graffard’s French ace Goliath, Balding’s dual Champions Day heroine Kalpana and Aidan O’Brien’s dual Derby winner Lambourn.

O’Brien’s Carry The Flag is among the leading hopes for the Norfolk Stakes and is one of 28 juveniles in the mix for that Group Two contest, with Orthodox from Clive Cox’s yard perhaps the pick of the British contingent.

The 28 entries for the Jersey Stakes include the unbeaten Saber Strike (Haggas) and Ed Walker’s 1000 Guineas fourth The Prettiest Star, while big fields are guaranteed for the three races which conclude the meeting, with 73 sprinters standing their ground for the Wokingham Stakes, 45 entered for the Golden Gates Handicap and 26 in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes.