Owner Bloom bidding to end Ascot in style

William Haggas and owner Tony Bloom will aim to finish Royal Ascot in style with Lake Forest and Santorini Star on Saturday week.

Lake Forest could be given the opportunity to make his mark on the sprinting scene in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes alongside Hardwicke Stakes-bound stablemate Santorini Star.

While Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun could prove the ace in the Brighton & Hove Albion and Hearts supremo’s pack in the preceding day’s Commonwealth Cup, his blue silks could be a frequent sight throughout the Royal meeting as he bids to add to his previous success there with the likes of High Standing, Stratum and Venetian Sun herself 12 months ago.

Lake Forest was not beaten far in fifth in the opening Queen Anne Stakes at the meeting 12 months ago but connections have decided to drop down in trip this year.

His team will head to Ascot full of confidence after his impressive seasonal reappearance over seven furlongs at Haydock and although swerving an appearance in the Tattenham Corner Stakes on Derby day, saw the form of his early-season win franked at Epsom.

“You half wish he had run at Epsom when you see two horses who were behind him at Haydock have gone to finish first and third, but the ground was testing and he definitely doesn’t like that and he could have left Royal Ascot behind if we had gone there,” said Sean Graham, racing manager for Bloom who owns the five-year-old alongside Ian McAleavy.

“I was delighted we didn’t run because he’s a hold-up horse and no hold-up horse got into anything all weekend, it was the front runners that always held the key so the race might not have been run to suit anyway.”

Lake Forest could be joined in final day action by Jockey Club Stakes winner Santorini Star who finished second in Group One company at ParisLongchamp for a second time when narrowly denied by George Scott’s Gold Cup hope Caballo De Mar in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier most recently.

The dual Group Two scorer will put her hat in the ring for what could prove a red-hot Hardwicke Stakes and a race that could see the daughter of Golden Horn square off against the likes of defending champion Rebel’s Romance.

“She’s a filly that we feel stays very well but she’s not slow,” continued Graham.

“A strongly-run mile and a half race could really play into her hands and we know she’s in good form.

“It’s a Group Two in name, but it’s normally won by a Group One horse and it’s sure to have plenty of depth.”

Haggas’ Crown Of Oaks won the Balmoral Stakes on British Champions Day and the dual course winner is another who could sport Bloom’s colours at the Royal meeting if moving up to Listed level in the opening day’s Wolferton Stakes.

Ralph Beckett’s Dash Of Azure is a possible to don the Bloom silks in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, while the Willie Mullins-trained Bunting could compete in both the Ascot Stakes and concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes.