3 minute read
After an excellent runner-up effort in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp two weeks ago, Light Infantry looks set to make his next appearance in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race on day one of Royal Ascot.
Light Infantry was beaten a short neck in the Group 1 event at Longchamp at the end of May, only finding Anmaat too strong in the six-runner contest when stepping up in distance again as it was the four-year-old's first attempt over the extended nine furlongs.
The son of Fast Company was unbeaten during his two-year-old season with a debut success in September 2021 at Yarmouth preceding a victory in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury, proving he handled both quick and soft ground with official going descriptions good to firm and heavy respectively.
He finished ninth in the 2022 Group 1 2000 Guineas behind Coroebus but showed improvement when travelling to France for the first time later in the campaign with a second in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, a notable achievement alongside filling the same position in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois following Australian interests acquiring a stake in the horse.
He then travelled to Australia and finished sixth beaten two lengths in the valuable Golden Eagle at Rosehill in Sydney.
The David Simcock trained four-year-old has had three outings this year with a third at Newmarket in the re-arranged Group 2 bet365 Mile before a not disgraced seventh tackling the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes beaten three and three-quarter lengths at Newbury last month before his Longchamp.
Simcock said: "I'm delighted with him, especially backing up so quick after Newbury.
"Things really didn't pan out for him in the Lockinge, but it was a good run (in the d'Ispahan) and it was a very competitive field.
"I would imagine he will go to the Queen Anne – I'm pretty sure of that. He's very well and in good form."
Light Infantry holds two Royal Ascot entries, the Queen Anne Stakes and a day later in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. Light Infantry is around 40/1 for both events.
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