Plate Preview...if it`s on!

Donald McCain has high hopes Ile De Re can follow up his Chester Cup victory in the John Smith's Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. The six-year-old led home a notable one-two for the Cheshire trainer when foiling Overturn's attempt to land back-to-back victories on the Roodee last month, and he will now bid to emulate his versatile stablemate, who won the two-mile 'Pitmen's Derby' in 2010. His run at Chester was his first since joining the McCain team from the Ian Williams stable.

The trainer told At The Races: "I hadn't had him long before Chester. It was about three weeks and he came in great nick from Ian Williams. Since Chester this has been the target and everything has gone smoothly. The ground is going to be in his favour, I don't see why the track shouldn't suit and we're hoping for a big run. "Overturn got the run of the race at Chester and everything went to plan apart from the ground and this horse still managed to beat him." Silvestre de Sousa is expecting a big run from the Mark Johnston-trained Gulf Of Naples, whom he steered into fourth place behind his former stablemate Colour Vision in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. The jockey said: "There's a bit more to come from him and he's going to win a big race, I hope, this year. He's a nice horse and has been improving all year. The Gold Cup was a big race, he ran a blinder, but he did not have a hard time out there. "They went a nice even gallop, then we quickened up and he finished the race nicely and quickened all the way to the line. I think he goes there with a good chance. He goes on any kind of ground. To me he'll win a Group race this year."

Richard Fahey runs three and is particularly keen on the chances of Lexington Bay in a race he has yet to win. He said: "I'm delighted he's got in. He'll love the ground, he'll love the trip. This has been his long-term plan, but we didn't think we'd done enough to get in it. He got struck into at Kempton and probably needed the run at York the other day. That will put him spot on and I'm looking forward to seeing him run."

FRANKIE DETTORI bagged a second winner at Royal Ascot this week as Tha'ir powered clear of his rivals in the final furlong of the Chesham Stakes to win by two and a quarter lengths. The recent Ripon winner was a third two-year-old winner of the week for first-season sire New Approach as he shot out of the pack up the far side to win at 9-2. Cruck Realta finished best of the four runners Mick Channon had in the race back in second with a further neck back to Godolphin's other runner, the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Lovely Pass. Cruck Realta and stablemate The Sixties had been contesting the lead since the off and it looked like Move To Strike would be the biggest danger to that pair as they raced towards the final furlong. However it was Saeed Bin Suroor's runner who came out on top to give the trainer a second win in the race and earn a quote of 25-1 from Paddy Power for next year's Qipco 2,000 Guineas. Dettori said: "The further he was going the better he was winning and he is a nice horse for the future." Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford added: "That was fantastic and what a week for New Approach. I am really excited. It has been a fantastic week for the team and I am really pleased."

Born To Sea Has Chance To Shine

Born To Sea has another chance to come out of the shadow of his illustrious half-brother Sea The Stars when he goes for glory in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. The three-year-old colt has just one success to his name but while he was well-beaten in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he finished as well as anything when fifth in the Irish equivalent, where he had the benefit of a hood to help him settle. Connections still regard him as a classy type and he will be sporting the hood again. His rider Johnny Murtagh, who rode a Classic winner in France on Sunday, told At The Races: "Born To Sea ran a bit keen at Newmarket but he settled better the last day and I think he can step up again."

Queen Anne Stakes Preview

Frankel goes for his 11th straight victory as he bids to get Royal Ascot off to the best possible start tomorrow. Sir Henry Cecil's superstar colt has carried all before him so far and heads into the first race of five glorious days as the long odds-on favourite, having made an impressive reappearance as a four-year-old in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month to register his sixth Group One success, despite suffering a setback that cost him 10 days' work. Cecil told At The Races: "He's in good order and there are no excuses. You always feel nerves with horses like that, he has a great following and you don't want to let anyone down. I'm very proud of what he's achieved, we're lucky to have him and I hope to continue where we left off." He added: "People love champions, whatever the sport, not just racing. I'm not a golf or tennis fan but I love watching the best. If people are not involved in racing they still latch on to them (champions), so let's hope he continues. "After Ascot, the idea would be to go to Goodwood (for the Sussex Stakes) then he'll go a bit further in distance at York (Juddmonte International)." Owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe felt it was a credit to the horse that he won so well at Newbury after his injury scare. "In every way we were (impressed) because after his little scare, we were a bit apprehensive going into a Group One having missed about 10 days, so to get him back on track and the way he did it, we were just delighted really," he told British Champions Series TV.

York Preview

Marco Botti sent out Acclamazing to dead-heat for second in last year's Bond Tyres Trophy and Bartolomeu will try to go one better for the trainer at York on Saturday. The Footstepsinthesand gelding had done most of his running on the all-weather before putting up a decent performance on turf to finish second to Mince in a competitive six-furlong handicap at Newmarket last time. Botti said: "He has come out of his race in good form and I was pleased with his performance at Newmarket. He would not want too much rain but I'm happy with him and I think six furlongs is his best trip." The handler added: "He probably goes into the race with a stronger chance than Acclamazing as that horse was one of the top-weights and he is off 92, a bit off the top. He is progressive and I hope he is a few pounds better than his rating." Trainer Denis Coakley is praying heavy rain stays away from the Knavesmire ahead of Gabriel's Lad's bid, saying: "He seems in good form. The only thing I would be worried about is if the ground came up soft. "He's a good-moving horse and I don't think that would suit him. The more rain they have, the worse chance he'll have. I'm sure being drawn 12 will be fine. He needs a bit of cover, so it should be OK. It's great to have Kieren (Fallon). He's as good as anyone. Roger Charlton reports Priceless Jewel to be in good form but is hoping her relative lack of experience and the ground will not go against her. She showed she could be a progressive filly when making a successful seasonal debut at Kempton, for which the handicapper raised her a total of 9lb. "She went up initially 6lb and then another 3lb more recently because the form had been franked by the second and the third. Compared to some she's a bit light on experience and I don't really know about the ground if it gets very soft as it is likely to be," he said. "It's an unknown dimension. She's a good-moving filly and it may not suit her, but in every other way she's in good form." Charlton believes his other runner, Tioman Legend, will probably handle the cut in the ground, adding: "He might like the ground better because he's by Kyllachy and they seem to like the ground. He ran very well last time behind Mince at Newmarket. It looks an open race as you'd expect."

Campaign To Get Britain Racing

To mark this year’s important summer of sport, a campaign has been launched to Get Britain Racing. The campaign will run across all 17 Northern Racing and Arena Leisure racecourses and invites people to come racing for just £10 between June and August. With more than 100,000 tickets available over 129 racedays and an exciting summer of racing ahead, Let’s Get Britain Racing is designed to encourage people who have never been racing to try it for the first time, as well as offering great value for money to existing racing fans. According to research from Racing For Change, more than 85 per cent of race-goers watch the sport on television on a weekly basis, with 41 per cent watching it daily. The same survey also found that 62 per cent of participants bet on racing at least weekly, suggesting that the sport has a niche audience. Tony Kelly, Managing Director of Northern Racing said: “The research indicates that the vast majority of people who visit racecourses are avid racing fans, with few being casual leisure visitors. "It also found that current race-goers don’t class entertainment or the experience for children as important factors, suggesting that racing is not generally seen as a family activity. "We want to change that and encourage more people to come racing. With horseracing being one of the Queen’s favourite pastimes, her Diamond Jubilee year is the perfect time to launch this campaign to Get Britain Racing.” Participating racecourses are Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Ffos Las, Folkestone, Fontwell Park, Hereford, Great Yarmouth, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter and Royal Windsor, Wolverhampton and Worcester. The offer is only available when booked online and in advance. For more information visit www.come-racing.co.uk or find Let’s Get Britain Racing on Facebook.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Leicester OFF, Hexham ON! "Webbed feet" horses required however! Don`t forget your brolly!