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Wesley Ward puts Royal Ascot raiders through paces at Keeneland

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Wesley Ward worked Lady Aurelia with his five other intended Royal Ascot runners on Tuesday and described her spin as “fantastic”.

Ward gave his six raiders half-mile gallops over the firm turf course at his base in Keeneland in preparation for their respective races at the royal meeting next month.

Lady Aurelia opened her 2017 campaign with a victory against older rivals in the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland last month and is scheduled to take on older rivals again in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20.

Last year’s runaway Queen Mary winner, who followed up in the Prix Morny, covered a half-mile in 49.40 sec with Julio Garcia aboard.

“Lady Aurelia worked fantastic,” Ward said about the daughter of Scat Daddy. “I warned Julio with his life that I did not want to go fast. He did a great job today.

“We broke her off 15 lengths or so behind the two-year-olds (Fairyland and Happy Like a Fool, who worked together). For her first work back I wanted her to go as slow as she could possibly go.”

Lady Aurelia is a general 9-2 for the King’s Stand with Coral and Ladbrokes.

Happy Like A Fool, who is heading for the Queen Mary Stakes, and Fairyland, being aimed at the Albany, were timed in 48.40sec.

Undrafted, winner of Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2015, worked on his own and clocked 47.20sec. He was sixth in last year’s Diamond Jubilee when the ground was against him.

The seven-year-old, who is being aimed at the Wokingham Stakes, was several lengths behind Bound For Nowhere, who has the Commonwealth Cup on his agenda, and Windsor Castle hope Nootka Sound. That pair were both timed in 48sec.

Fairyland, a filly by Scat Daddy owned by Coolmore, began her career with a 3¼-length win on dirt at Keeneland on April 7.

Ward bred and owns Happy Like a Fool, a colt by Distorted Humor who secured a four-length win on dirt on at Keeneland a couple of days later.

Ward said the six horses would turn in their next workouts next week.