Top Australian sprinters Nature Strip and Home Affairs have worked at Ascot for the first time.
The pair, trained by Chris Waller, were put through their paces at the Berkshire venue on Friday. Nature Strip, the world’s top-rated sprinter, is on course for a mouth-watering clash with American raider Golden Pal in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday, while Home Affairs runs over a furlong further in Saturday’s Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
Galloping individually over four furlongs, they stretched out having been restricted to canters since their trip over.
Waller said: "The main purpose of the exercise was to stimulate them without doing too much, just to help switch them on.
“Everything has gone to plan thus far and they have not put a foot wrong, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. They are horses and we need to respect that. They have been staying with Charlie Hills and his facility is just amazing. They have vast open spaces [in Lambourn] and the horses come first. It has been a great insight for me into how the English trainers do things."
Compatriot Artorius, from Anthony and Sam Freedman’s operation, also worked ahead of his run in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
Waller's only previous runner at the royal meeting, Brazen Beau, took second place in the 2015 renewal.
After a trip totalling around 40 hours, with stopovers in Singapore and Dubai, connections are pleased with their condition in the build-up to next week.
Waller is not underestimating the opposition, which includes American 'banker' Golden Pal.
“Golden Pal is very good and very quick," he added.
"I am only really focusing on our horses while also respecting the fact that it is going to be a full field. I am sure the English, French and Irish will have a few hidden cards as well. Royal Ascot is something unique and it will all be about which horse copes with the occasion and the pressure of the race. I doubt Golden Pal will have been under the pressure he is about to be under, with the same applying to our horses as well. These races make champions and talking points – and let’s hope all three Aussie horses run well.
“What Nature Strip and Home Affairs have to their advantage is that they are both good straight track horses. They only need to replicate their Australian form to be capable of fighting out the finish with the best in the world."
