RACING: Brian O'Connor expects a Chesham Stakes win will see Aidan O'Brien draw level with Demot Weld's score of 11 Royal Ascot victories
Tomahamk will be an Irish banker in today's Chesham Stakes and in the process should achieve another Royal Ascot milestone for the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien.
The opening day double, that included Statue Of Liberty in the Coventry, took O'Brien's career total at the festival to 10.
That's a remarkable total, since the first was Harbour Master in 1997, and puts him just one short of Dermot Weld as Ireland's most successful current trainer at Royal Ascot.
Yesterday's Coventry indicated the strength of the Ballydoyle juveniles and Tomahawk is confidently expected to follow up a debut victory on the opening day of the Irish season.
"It was good that Statue Of Liberty won and we've always thought Tomahawk was a very nice colt too. The seven furlongs should be okay. He's got some stamina in his pedigree," O'Brien said yesterday evening.
That pedigree was enough for John Magnier to splash out $2.5 million for the Seattle Slew colt as a yearling.
The drying out ground at Ascot is provoking some encouragement for Bach's chances of winning that elusive first Group One in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
"He came on from his first race of the season to the second and we think he has done the same for the third. This good ground will suit him a lot better than what was at the Curragh," O'Brien said.
That Curragh run was a second to Rebelline in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, where Nayef was a disappointing third.
The Godolphin challenger Grandera, very close to Bach on Eclipse form last year, won a big pot in Singapore last time. He will have a big shout again but maybe not as much as the Breeders' Cup heroine, Banks Hill.
Bach will love the dry ground but so will Banks Hill who couldn't handle the soft surface in the Prix d'Ispahan.
Michael Kinane didn't give too much encouragement for Proud Beauty's chance yesterday when he said: "The filly for the Queen Mary is not quite as strong as we would like because the weather has been so bad in Ireland." However O'Brien said: "She made the running on very bad ground at Leopardstown and just got tired. She should do better now." Hidden Dragon has a first start of the season in the Jersey after recovering from some muscle problems.
One More Round has his work cut out off a 103 rating in the Hunt Cup and the Irish challenge in the marathon Ascot Stakes consists of Billy Bonnie and Clever Consul. The bottom-weight could suit some each-way speculators.
Only two overnight defections at the final 48-hour stage means a field of 17 is set to go to post for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot tomorrow.
Dermot Weld's Vinnie Roe looks set to go off a very warm order indeed to give Ireland its first win in the two and a half mile marathon since Enzeli beat the James Fanshawe-trained Invermark in 1999.
And Invermark will once again try and land the premier staying prize, as will last year's Johnston's Royal Rebel.
BRIAN O'CONNOR'S TIPS
2.30- Seihali
3.05- Katdogawn
3.45- Banks Hill
4.20- JR Stevenson
4.55- Riyadh
5.30- Tomahwak
