'He's very classy on his day and could run twice that week' - Gordon Elliott reveals team for Royal Ascot

Top-class hurdler Pied Piper could run twice at Royal Ascot as Irish jumps giant Gordon Elliott makes plans for the biggest week of the British Flat season with some of his stars.

Pied Piper is rated 156 over hurdles and beat leading Gold Cup contender Vauban in his younger days. He was last seen finishing third to Absurde in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival under top weight and is set to appear on a couple of occasions at the royal meeting, with Elliott eyeing both the Ascot Stakes and the Queen Alexandra for the six-year-old.

Boodles Juvenile Hurdle third Ndaawi could either contest the Ascot Stakes or the Copper Horse Handicap, while Party Central has also been pencilled in for the final race on the opening day which was won by Vauban last year.

Another member of Elliott's team for Royal Ascot is Zaynab, who is on course for a crack at the Sandringham Stakes.

Party Central: pencilled in for the Copper Horse Handicap on the final day of royal meetingCredit: Patrick McCann

Elliott said: "We could have a strong enough team heading over to Ascot, maybe four or five will make the trip and hopefully we have some nice chances among them. Pied Piper will run in the Ascot Stakes and could show up again on the Saturday for the Queen Alexandra, if that goes well. He was a bit unlucky in the Ascot Stakes two years ago when he got no luck in running.

"I thought he ran a cracker in the County Hurdle and seems to be in great form. We've had Ascot in mind for quite a while and we're looking forward to it. He's very classy on his day."

Pied Piper's last appearance on the Flat was in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last October, when he surged home in the 31-runner marathon to beat all bar The Shunter.

Speaking about the rest of his team for the royal meeting, Elliott added: "Ndaawi has the option of the Ascot Stakes or the Copper Horse Handicap and I do think Party Central is absolutely made for the mile-and-six handicap [Copper Horse] if she can sneak into it. She has loads of pace and you'd have to be happy with her run at Down Royal last week. She's coming along nicely."

Party Central is owned by Noel and Valerie Moran of Bective Stud, as is Zaynab, who would be an intriguing contender in the Sandringham Stakes over a mile.

She is a half-sister to the classy Zanahiyr, who finished third to Constitution Hill in last year's Champion Hurdle, and has won two of her three starts including her handicap debut at the Irish Guineas festival at the Curragh.

Elliott said: "Zaynab is a smart filly who won twice at the Curragh already this season and the Sandringham would look a nice fit for her. She did well to win the other day and seems to be improving with every run. She's one to look forward to."

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