Main Desire has Royal Ascot on her radar

By Timeform, Thursday 24 May 2018

Posted in: Royal Ascot News

Trainer Michael Bell is leaning towards running the unbeaten Main Desire in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

The speedy daughter of High Chaparral won both her first two starts as a juvenile, but was forced to miss the Queen Mary Stakes at last year's Royal meeting - for which she was the ante-post favourite - after a setback in training, and did not run run again in 2017.

Connections' patience was rewarded at last week's York's Dante Festival, however, with Main Desire making light of a 12-month absence to extend her winning sequence to three in a listed race over five furlongs, beating a useful field with a bit in hand.

Main Desire, off the track since the #DanteFestival a year ago, maintains her unbeaten record in a hot Listed race @yorkracecourse

Results ▶️ https://t.co/7iJOPsdIyZ pic.twitter.com/RCwWigBlFl

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) May 17, 2018

As a result, all roads now lead to Royal Ascot, with Michael Bell currently leaning towards the Commonwealth Cup, rather than taking on her elders in the the King's Stand Stakes.

"She came out of York very well, so well we toyed with the idea of entering her in the Sandy Lane this week, but thought better of it," Bell explained.

"She's on schedule for Royal Ascot and I think it will definitely be the Commonwealth.

"At this stage we are working towards the Commonwealth without it being set in stone. Danny Tudhope can ride her in the Commonwealth, but wouldn't be able to do the weight in the King's Stand, which is quite a factor.

"There's only one way of finding out if she stays six furlongs, so we may as well do that in a Group One and it is the only chance she'll get to do that against her own age group."

Main Desire is a general 16/1-shot for the Commonwealth Cup, but as big as 66/1 for the King's Stand.

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