Seven days on from the cavalry-charge of today's Ladbroke Ayr Gold Cup, an altogether different type of animal will take centre stage when the winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is crowned at Ascot.

Contained within the roll of honour for the race are the name of many great equine athletes from generations past.

A decade ago it was Warning who stamped his name upon the race when coasting home five lengths clear of Salse at 9-4.

He could be represented this year by his son, Jersey Stakes winner Diktat, but trainer David Loder is more likely to saddle Desert Prince, the winner of the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp at the end of last month.

Soft ground would suit Desert Prince and a win here would see him lay a substantial claim to be the champion miler of Europe.

Sussex Stakes winner Among Men - himself a son of 1989 winner Zilzal - could prove to be his biggest danger.

The other feature races on the first day of Ascot's two-day Festival of Racing are the Racal Diadem Stakes and the Tote Festival Handicap, for which Tim Easterby's Jo Mell is sure to be fancied to repeat his course and distance victory in the International Handicap last month.

On the Sunday, it is the two-year-olds who take centre stage, with the results of the Gtech Royal Lodge Stakes and the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile sure to shake up the ante-post markets for next year's Classics.

In 1996, the races threw up Benny The Dip and Reams of Verse, the respective winner of last year's Derby and Oaks.

This year two-year-olds maestro David Loder should be the one to follow in these races. He can keep up his remarkable 44 per cent winning strike rate with juveniles courtesy of Sicnee and Calando, being aimed at the Royal Lodge and Fillies Mile respectively.

BBC cameras will be at Ascot for both days, as they were when Frankie Dettori so memorably completed his "magnificent seven" on the Saturday of the meeting two years ago.

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