Michelle Payne and Kaspersky out to stop Ribchester at Ascot

Yet the Yorkshire horse, the clear ante-post favourite, will have to beat an international field if he’s to win Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne Stakes next Tuesday.

Won last year by the USA raider Tepin, the United States will be represented by American Patriot, who is the mount of Frankie Dettori.

No trainer in the USA has accrued more prize money than his handler Todd Pletcher.

And now jockey Michelle Payne, who made history in 2015 when becoming the first female rider to win the Melbourne Cup when partnering Prince Of Penzance to victory, has been booked to ride Kaspersky for Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Payne’s first ride at Royal Ascot, she can’t wait for the chance to take on some of the world’s best jockeys in a contest won by the incomparable Frankel in 2012.

“As you can imagine, it has been fairly crazy since I won the Melbourne Cup,” said the 31-year-old from Ballarat. “We have a book coming out and, at the end of the year, filming on a movie about my life is due to start.

“The Melbourne Cup is our Holy Grail back home and what we all dream of. I could never have imagined the chance of having the chance to ride at Royal Ascot. I watch it at home and have been overwhelmed by it with the great horses and great jockeys. It is so prestigious and to have the opportunity to ride there is fantastic.

“Kaspersky is in fantastic order and Jane couldn’t have him in better shape for next Tuesday. He is not the worst horse and it will be very exciting to have a go.

“I’ve ridden Kaspersky for the last few days in track work. He won Group Two and Group Three races and has been placed at Group One level so has some quality about him.

“Hopefully, he can make his presence felt.

“I have been riding for 16 years now and have learnt to deal with nerves before a race. The main thing is to prepare as much as you can and do your best when the time comes.

“I am just trying to keep fit and in shape ahead of next week. My timeframe is still a bit out and I have been getting up at 4am to go for a run. I am going to watch replays of some of the horses I will be up against and also watch previous Queen Anne Stakes to get an idea of how the race is run. You need to do all your homework and be as prepared as you can be. I am looking forward to it.

“I can’t begin to imagine what it would feel like to win at Royal Ascot. You have to go out there and give it a go – that’s the beauty of racing.”

As for American Patriot, his preparations are being overseen by the aforementioned Pletcher’s assistant Ginny DePasquale, who said the horse is in fine form following a Group One success at Keeneland, Kentucky, in April.

“We did not think he was going to win until the last few strides when he made up a lot of ground,” he said.

“Todd and the owner came up with the Royal Ascot plan after American Patriot ran the way he did, coming from far off the pace, European-style.

“We have always thought a lot of this horse from the time he was a two-year-old.

“He has still got to prove himself a little bit and we are hoping for the best.

“We are hoping American Patriot runs the best he can. Winning at Royal Ascot is very prestigious – the ultimate racing in the world as far as we are concerned – so it would definitely be a feather in our cap.”

James Tate is looking forward to testing the ability of Hey Gaman in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The two-year-old was just denied a winning debut last month when going down by nose to the more experienced Westerland at Leicester.

With that experience under his belt, Yorkshire-born and Newmarket-based Tate is hopeful his charge will raise his game for the step up to Listed class he is set to face on Saturday week.

John Gosden’s Shutter Speed will face 15 rivals in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned filly has been seriously impressive so far this season, beating her Oaks-winning stablemate Enable at Newbury before landing the Musidora Stakes at York.

With Gosden having been keen to stick to a mile and a quarter with Shutter Speed, she bypassed Epsom to wait for the French equivalent.

York has been voted the best track in the country this year by the members of the Racegoers Club. In separate categories, Beverley was judged to offer the best value in the North, while Doncaster was No 1 when it came to viewing experience.

Top amateur jumps jockey Henry Morshead has turned professional and is joining the yard of ex-champion trainer Paul Nicholls.