Palace Date For Belardo & Latharnach

Time/Date - 16.20hrs local time/Tuesday, June 16, 2015 Racecourse/Country - Royal Ascot/UK
Surface/Distance - Turf/1m rnd

Three-year-old colts Belardo and Latharnach go for the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, UK, on Tuesday, June 16.

The Godolphin runners meet four rivals in the mile contest on Ascot's round course including English and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gleneagles, Poule d'Essai des Poulains victor Make Believe and Consort, who is unbeaten in two starts.

Belardo (Roger Varian/James Doyle) was crowned Europe's champion juvenile last year following a superb campaign which culminated in an impressive victory in the Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October.

The son of Lope de Vega found the ground too fast when coming home eighth in the Group Three AON Greenham Stakes, also over seven furlongs, on his first start of the year at Newbury on April 18.

He bounced back to form with a fine fourth behind Gleneagles on good to yielding going in the mile Group One Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, Ireland, on May 23.

Latharnach (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) went down by half a length to Tupi, who broke the course record, in a seven-furlong Listed race at Newmarket on May 16.

The Iffraaj colt made three appearances as a juvenile, headed by two convincing wins over seven furlongs at Sandown Park.

Roger Varian commented: "Belardo is in very good order. He has trained nicely since his good run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and I feel he has come on for it.

"It is a small but elite field and, providing the ground is acceptable, he will take his chance. I am sure he will run a big race."

Charlie Appleby said: "We were very happy with Latharnach's reappearance and he has come on from that run.

"We hope that there will also be a bit of improvement with the step up to a mile. We have a lot to find with some of the other horses in the field but we felt that he deserved a crack at a race like this.

"We will be doing our best to make the frame."

Shamardal (2005) and Dawn Approach (2013) have been successful in the St James's Palace Stakes for Godolphin.