Wesley Ward eyes Royal Ascot prep for Lady Aurelia sister Lady Pauline

Lady Pauline, a half-sister to Royal Ascot speedball Lady Aurelia, booked her ticket to Berkshire this summer when bolting up at Keeneland on Friday – but she could make her British debut before then if trainer Wesley Ward's cunning plan comes off.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Lady Pauline impressed when strolling to a near-ten-length victory in a 4½f maiden on dirt, leaving Ward dreaming of another strike at his favourite fixture.

The daughter of Munnings will be aimed at the Queen Mary Stakes, a race her illustrious sibling landed in 2016 before following up in the King's Stand a year later.

However, Ward hopes he can convince connections to let him give the promising juvenile an early introduction to the Queen's racecourse in a conditions event on May 1, recently rebranded by Ascot as a trials day for the royal meeting.

The 51-year-old, who won that race with Create A Dream in 2016, reflected on Lady Pauline's success on Saturday, saying: "Her half-sister did it and this filly has shown an affinity for turf too. She did a beautiful breeze on turf in Florida and I think she'll take to it like her half-sister.

"I presented a plan to Barbara Banke, Ian Brennan, her pre-trainer who did a wonderful job before she came to me, John Moynihan and Lesley Howard – the whole team – that I'd love to come over to Britain for that five-furlong race we won a few years ago. It'd be a really good second race for her.

"That's what I'm thinking but I have to get it approved from the team. I'm sure we'll have a discussion to see if we can make the arrangements, but Ollie Sangster, who has been with this filly from the time she came in, would go over and be with her for the race.

"I'm not sure if Frankie Dettori is available yet, but he may want to work his way in there!"

The sprint specialist added: "Lady Pauline appears to be all speed right now and we wouldn't want to change anything. She was a little more forward when she came to me than Lady Aurelia, who was actually outworked on her first couple of works and then suddenly the light came on and she got it and we knew we had something really special.

"This filly, straight off the bat, went right into the bridle and the boys had to sit back on her. I'm really excited about her and she's the first two-year-old I've run this year; hopefully we've got a few more in the pipeline who can go to the top."

Ward, who has saddled ten Royal Ascot winners, adores Flat racing's most fashionable week so is once again preparing a formidable team of visitors.

Wesley Ward's Royal Ascot winners

Shang Shang Shang 2018 Norfolk
Lady Aurelia 2017 King's Stand
Con Te Partiro 2017 Sandringham
Lady Aurelia 2016 Queen Mary
Undrafted 2015 Diamond Jubilee
Acapulco 2015 Queen Mary
Hootenanny 2014 Windsor Castle
No Nay Never 2013 Norfolk
Jealous Again 2009 Queen Mary
Strike The Tiger 2009 Windsor Castle

"I've got the barn filled with lots of turf sprinters – youngsters – as the American owners are looking to get back over to Britain because the popularity of Ascot has really grown in the last few years, especially with the coverage from NBC," he continued.

"I'm fortunate to have a lot of very nice-two-year-olds whose owners have entrusted to me to get there, so hopefully we can do it and come over with some big chances, at least going into the meeting. There's no place like winning at Royal Ascot.

"To go all the way over just for a run isn't what we want to do; we want to come in with a big chance of winning, so the ones I do bring are going to be of extreme quality."

They could include Palace Duchess, who is owned by legendary US Triple Crown-winning jockey Steve Cauthen and finished third on her first start at Keeneland on Sunday.

Ward said: "I'm also really excited about her. She's a very nice filly and there's nobody I'd like to get back to Royal Ascot than Steve because he'll take all the press guys away from me and you'll all want him! I know he's quite excited to get back into the limelight himself."

Bound For Nowhere – beaten a neck in second at Keeneland in a Grade 2 on Saturday – is also set to make the trip in the hope he can improve on last year's third in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

"He's my big hope of the older horses and was narrowly beaten last year when he got a tough trip," Ward reflected.

"He was left on his own and five furlongs and six furlongs are two completely different races at Ascot, and Joel Rosario can't ride the six like he can the five.

"The home boys gave him a bit of a schooling last year. Had I had one of the boys who knows the territory there I'd have been in a little bit better shape, but take nothing away from Joel because he's won many big races; it's a hard course if you don't know it."

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