The mile event kicks off the four-day meeting in Berkshire and an open field of 16 is set to go to post headlined by last year's winner Accidental Agent trained by Eve Johnson Houghton who will be going up against old rival Mustashry in Lockinge Stakes in which he finished third.
“I was thrilled with him in the Lockinge and his preparations have gone fine,” said Mushtashyr's trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
Owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said in an interview with Sporting Life: “It surprised me how easily he won the Lockinge.
“He’s had so many niggling problems down the years. Some don’t come back from that mentally, but he’s got the right attitude. He’s a fine, big horse and some of those (problems) might have been down to immaturity.
Dermot Weld has been training Royal Ascot winners since 1973 and Hazapour is fancied to add to the master handler's current tally of 17 career successes at the meeting with victory in the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Le Brivido is a very smart lightly raced, performer. He was beaten quite comfortably in two starts this term since joining Aidan O’Brien from Andre Fabre.
Barney Roy won the St James’s Palace Stakes for Richard Hannon two years ago. Now gelded after a failed spell at stud, he is with Charlie Appleby, winning last time out.
“Barney Roy is a past winner at Royal Ascot and we were delighted with his latest performance in France,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.
Saeed Bin Suroor trained-Dream Castle improved during his Dubai season.
And the final contestant in this august field is Lord Glitter, who was third in Dubai Turf at Meydan (1¾ lengths behind Almond Eye) but well below form in Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last time.
Race Info:
Distance: 1 mile (1,609 metres), Surface: Turf, Track: Straight, Qualification Four-years-old and up, Weight: 9 st 0 lb,Allowances,3 lb for fillies and mares,1 lb for S. Hemisphere 4yo,Purse: £647,500 (2018),1st: £367,197