Last year's Royal Ascot winner Venetian Sun will bid for back-to-back victories at the meeting when lining up as a red-hot favorite for the Commonwealth Cup Stakes (G1) June 19 at Ascot Racecourse.
Successful in the Albany Stakes (G3) 12 months ago, Venetian Sun was an impressive winner of last month's Sandy Lane Stakes (G2) at Haydock Park on her return to sprinting after failing to stay the trip in the One Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1).
The Karl Burke-trained filly, who is unbeaten in four starts at 6 furlongs, faces 21 rivals in the group 1 contest, with the mercurial Albert Einstein judged the main danger in the betting.
The subject of glowing reports from trainer Aidan O'Brien at the start of the season, Albert Einstein has suffered three defeats as a short-priced favorite this term, but shaped with much more promise over this trip at Newbury last time when beaten a neck by the reopposing Song of The Clyde.
The lone American entrant comes in the Wesley Ward trainee Outfielder. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown is looking to make it three wins in a row after taking the Animal Kingdom Stakes at Turfway Park and the William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs. The Commonwealth Cup, run at 6 furlongs on the turf, is the same distance as his Animal Kingdom victory. Owned by Amo Racing USA, Wesley Ward, and Jayson Werth, Outfielder had previously traveled overseas for the Prix Morny (G1) last August at Deauville, where he finished fourth to Venetian Sun. Outfielder is one of seven horses Ward has running across the Royal Ascot meeting.
BloodHorse editors added to this story.
