Trainer Kevin Ryan to send Emaraaty Ana straight to Royal Ascot after his late withdrawal at York

Haydock bound: Tim Easterby's start sprinter Winter Power is due to run in Saturday's Group Two Temple Stakes at Haydock. Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire.

Emaraaty Ana will head straight to Royal Ascot for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes following his late withdrawal from the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes at the Dante meeting last week.

The Group One-winning sprinter was looking to leave behind some disappointing efforts at Meydan in his Ascot tune-up on the Knavesmire, but unsuitable ground saw him pulled out of the six-furlong contest at the 11th hour by North Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan.

Ironically it was soft ground that ruled Emaraaty Ana out of an intended outing at the 2021 Royal meeting and his trainer is hoping the six-year-old gets optimum conditions at the Berkshire track.

Winner: Kevin Ryan's Fonteyn, ridden by Andrea Atzeni, won the Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' Stakes on the thrid day of the Dante Festival. Picture: Tim Goode/PA Wire.

“He’s fine, the ground was just not for him at York. It was soft ground, he was already weighed out, but when the lads came in from the race before they said it was riding on the soft side and he doesn’t go on soft ground.

“He goes straight to Ascot now,” explained Ryan.

The Hambleton-based handler was on the scoresheet during the three-day meeting with the talented filly Fonteyn, who took home the spoils in the Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes to shed her maiden tag.

The daughter of Farhh showed plenty of guts to hold off the highly-regarded Grande Dame at the finish and Ryan was pleased to see the three-year-old justify his decision to run in the Listed race having previously gone down by a neck at Newmarket during the Craven meeting.

He continued: “She’s a good filly and she almost won at Newmarket and there is no point going and winning a little maiden somewhere when this race was the natural step. This would have been the aim after Newmarket if she had won, so there was no point altering the plan.”

Ryan also suggested a step up in trip is in order for his Dante fourth Dark Moon Rising, who was not disgraced in the feature Group Two behind the Derby favourite Desert Crown, and the colt will also be in Hambleton Lodge’s Ascot squad.

“He ran a great race and it looks like a step up in trip will be on the cards for him. He’ll go to Ascot,” said Ryan.

Meanwhile, Tim Easterby’s star sprinter Winter Power is due to start her season in the Group Two Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

The King Power-owned filly was three times a winner at York last season, taking the Westow and City Walls Stakes, both Listed races, before landing the Group One Nunthorpe in August.

Beaten runs in the Curragh’s Flying Five and ParisLongchamp’s Prix de l’Abbaye followed, after which the daughter of Bungle Inthejungle embarked on a winter away from the track that is due to end when she lines up at Haydock.

“She is great form at home, she’s doing really well,” Easterby said. “She’s entered in the Temple and that’s where she’ll run, all being well.”

Winter Power was one of 14 horses left in the Temple Stakes at Monday’s confirmation stage.

Leyburn’s Karl Burke has given Last Crusader the option of turning out quickly after winning at York last week - part of a haul of four winners and four seconds for the in-form trainer.

Henry Candy looks set to saddle Twilight Calls, who impressed on his reappearance at Newmarket but could finish only fifth on his return to the Rowley Mile for the Palace House Stakes next time.

Other contenders include Palace House Stakes winner Khaadem, whose trainer Charlie Hills won back-to-back renewals with Battaash in 2018 and 2019, and the Queen’s King’s Lynn from Andrew Balding’s yard.