Lake Forest is Royal Ascot-bound after pleasing weekend return

Lake has the Queen Anne in his sights after limbering up for the season with a fourth-placed run at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old won the Gimcrack as a juvenile and was second in both the Commonwealth Cup and the Hackwood Stakes last term.

He ended the year with a trip to Rosehill for the Golden Eagle, where he enjoyed a huge payday when prevailing by half a length to take home the £2.8million prize.

It had been the intention he would start his year in Hong Kong for the Champions Mile at Sha Tin, but a minor setback put paid to that plan and instead his first run of the year was the Prix du Palais-Royal in France at the weekend.

Ridden by Cieren Fallon in the seven-furlong Group Three affair, the son of No Nay Never made eyecatching late progress from the rear on what was his first start for 204 days.

Royal Ascot now beckons, where the one-mile Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the meeting awaits him.

“It was a very good race and I think the winner (Topgear) goes for the (Queen Elizabeth II) Jubilee at Royal Ascot,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to Tony Bloom, who owns the colt together with Ian McAleavy.

“We were always worried going out there that there wouldn’t be a strong pace in the race and that proved to be the case.

“It was also his first run back after having a slight setback before he was due to run in Hong Kong.

“He was a bit rusty and he will definitely improve for the run, the plan is to go to the Queen Anne now.”