Devonshire & Toscanini For Jersey Stakes

Time/Date - 14.30hrs local time/Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Racecourse/Country - Royal Ascot/UK
Surface/Distance - Turf/7f

Devonshire and Toscanini bid for glory in the Group Three Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot, UK, on Wednesday, June 17.

Both three-year-olds have raced in Ireland so far this year, with Devonshire (Willie McCreery IRE/William Buick) running a superb race on her latest start to finish third in the mile Classic, the Group One Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas, at the Curragh on May 24.

The Fast Company filly was runner-up in two Group Three races at Leopardstown - the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial over a mile on May 10 and the seven-furlong Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial on April 12.

Shamardal colt Toscanini (Michael Halford IRE/James Doyle) stayed on to take third in the Group Three Racing Post Lacken Stakes over six furlongs at Naas on June 1 and made a winning seasonal return with a head success in a Navan conditions race over the same trip on May 17.

He was runner-up in the seven-furlong Group One Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh in September and also came second in the Listed Chesham Stakes, run over the same course and distance as the Jersey Stakes, at Royal Ascot last year.

Willie McCreery said: "Devonshire is in great form and we are looking forward to running her at Royal Ascot, although she faces a tough task racing against the colts.

"Her performance in the Irish 1,000 was a career-best and she enjoyed the better ground at the Curragh."

Michael Halford commented: "Toscanini had the option of the Commonwealth Cup but the Jersey Stakes looks to be the right race.

"He wasn't suited by the good to yielding conditions on his latest run at Naas but won well at Navan.

"Toscanini loves fast ground and we think he will run a nice race. He has some top-notch form as a two-year-old and was placed at the Royal Meeting last year when only finding one too good in the Chesham."

Devonshire and Toscanini oppose 14 other three-year-olds headed by Ivawood and Bossy Guest, who were third and fourth in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, plus QIPCO 1000 Guineas fifth Fadhayyil.

Kheleyf won the 2004 renewal of the Jersey Stakes for Godolphin.