Wesley Ward trainee Bacio (Maclean's Music) heads a strong overseas challenge and is one of 18 entries declared for Friday's £600,000 G1 Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes, which is a “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In” qualifier, at York.
Royal Ascot's Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap winner is joined by the G1 King Charles III Stakes first and second, Mission Central (No Nay Never) and Rayevka (Blue Point), while the lure of one more race on European soil was too tempting for connections of last year's heroine Asfoora (Flying Artie).
Other confirmations of note include Middleham Park Racing's two-year-old filly Pershaada (Persian Force), the Richard Hannon-trained G2 Molecomb Stakes victrix who will attempt to become just the second juvenile winner of the five-furlong dash since the Hannon stable annexed the 1992 renewal with Lyric Fantasy (Tate Gallery).
Ballydoyle's Brussels (Wootton Bassett) and Japan's Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) were the only overnight defections.
Elsewhere on Friday's card, undefeated Listed Rose Bowl Stakes winner Arapaho Gold (Bayside Boy) heads a field of one dozen for the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, while Victorious Forever's dual Group 1 winner Caballo De Mar (Phoenix Of Spain) is one of nine declared for the G2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
