Wesley Ward is looking forward to seeing Royal Ascot hope Gentlemans Code make his British debut in the ladbrokes.com Maiden Stakes at Folkestone.
Ward is no stranger to next month's summer showpiece meeting, having struck gold with both Strike The Tiger and Jealous Again in 2009, and Gentlemans Code arrives in the UK on the back of a debut second on the dirt at Belmont Park.
"He's a very good horse - he certainly compares favourably with the horse that won the Windsor Castle Stakes a couple of years ago (Strike The Tiger). I'd say he's a notch better than him," said Ward.
"When I had him in Kentucky he was stretching magnificently on the Polytrack and I also breezed him on the grass and he was like a daisy clipper. When I had him at Keeneland he was out breezing with all my Keeneland horses that were winning.
"I'd enter him in races but I don't like to run my horses against each other and I'd scratch him and run the lesser quality one. Then all the lesser qualities would win. So I decided to run him in Belmont, thinking he was the best two-year-old, and he ran a very good race.
"He did everything professionally but he just got caught late as he didn't stretch out as well on the dirt as he had done on the Polytrack and on the turf. He is definitely better on the turf.
"That was why I decided he would be good to go to England and I've taken him over there early so his mind is right for Royal Ascot. I want him to know that there will be no turns and that it will be a straight race, as he has been used to going round turns."
Adding further spice to todays race is the fact that legendary American jockey Mike Smith, best known for his association with incredible mare Zenyatta, will be the man on board Gentlemans Code. It will be Smith's first ever ride in Britain and he is looking forward to the challenge.
He said: "I'm looking forward to it and I hope it leads us to Royal Ascot. I haven't ridden the horse before and but I have spoken to Wesley about him. Wesley really likes him a lot. He says he's pretty quick - really quick actually. It is only five furlongs, so there is not going to be a whole lot of strategy there.
"It is pretty much a case of letting him jump and we'll see what he is. Wesley obviously thinks he's good enough to go to Royal Ascot - that is what we're doing here. Hopefully I can get the job done and I'll see you all again in a few weeks!"
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