James Fanshawe is refusing to pick between his star speedsters Deacon Blues and Society Rock as the pair clash for the first time in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.
After victory in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot, Deacon Blues has taken the step up to Pattern company in his stride, with a runaway Curragh victory sandwiched by two successes at Newbury.
Society Rock is a proven Group One performer, having landed the Golden Jubilee at this year's Royal meeting, and he has backed that up with fair efforts in defeat.
The trainer said: "It's good to be going there with the pair of them and for Deacon Blues, I hope the ground hasn't dried out too much. Both horses have had a nice preparation for the race and both look very well. One is drawn one side and one is drawn the other, I'm not sure who has got the best draw.
"It's just the way their races have played out that they've managed to keep apart until now. I had hoped to run them both in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, but that wasn't possible. I'm not picking between them."
Freddie Head's Moonlight Cloud was sent off favourite for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket at the start of the campaign, but now looks a sprinter of the highest calibre judged on her brilliant display in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Head said: "She has travelled over very well and I think she has a good chance. She is coming back to six furlongs for the first time but I don't think that will be a problem, especially at Ascot, as it is not a fast six furlongs. The ground will not be a problem either. I knew she was a filly who always had plenty of speed."
Joining Moonlight Cloud on the trip from France is Robert Collet's Wizz Kid, who was fifth in the Nunthorpe at York on her penultimate start and occupied the same position in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day.
Brendan Hayes, manager of owner Richard Strauss's Kilfrush Stud in Ireland, said: "She's a very good filly and she'll run a good race. I don't think it's a worry going back over six (furlongs), even though she's been running so well over five. I think six furlongs is well within her compass."
Trainer William Haggas said of outsider Dafeef: "He's a very useful horse but he's very temperamental as well. He's probably got more chance if it pours with rain, but he's very well and he's fresh and I'm hoping that will stand him in good stead. He hasn't run much this year, so who knows?"
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