‘It’s going to be a hell of a race - but we’ve trained our filly for it and I wouldn’t swap her’

This season has already been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Roger Varian, but Royal Ascot has proved a happy hunting ground for the Newmarket trainer over the past five years and he appears to be well armed to strike again next week. 

Having started the campaign with a bang courtesy of Elmalka's 28-1 success in the 1,000 Guineas, he then suffered the blow of seeing stable star King Of Steel have a training setback before owners Amo Racing removed the Group 1 winner from his yard. 

But while King Of Steel misses next Wednesday's Prince of Wales's Stakes, Elmalka is reported to be in great shape for the Coronation Stakes on Friday week, and Varian has a strong supporting cast headed by Charyn, who finished a creditable second in the Lockinge Stakes last month and will bid to get his trainer off to flyer in the Queen Anne Stakes, which opens the royal meeting.