Custom supplemented for Queen Elizabeth II Custom Cut will bid to crown a stunning season with a first Group One victory after he was supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. Snapped up for 95,000 guineas last October after showing smart form here for George Kent, the five-year-old has enjoyed a superb campaign for David O'Meara, racking up a five-timer in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket last month. O'Meara admits his charge has exceeded all expectations this year and is keen to give him the chance to test his mettle at the highest level on Champions Day, with the likely testing conditions not expected to be a problem. "It cost a lot of money to supplement (£70,000), but he's won five Pattern races in a row, so he bought his own ticket for Saturday, really," said the North Yorkshire handler. "Gary Douglas and Pat Breslin (owners) came to me last year and said they wanted to buy a nice horse, they had the budget and this horse was the one we went for. "He'd run some good races in Ireland for George Kent. He won the Gladness Stakes last year, so he's always been a good horse. "If he'd just carried on doing the same for us we'd have been happy, but obviously he's had a fantastic year. "We know he handles heavy ground, so any rain that falls at Ascot this week won't be detrimental to his chances." Custom Cut is one of 13 horses in contention for the Qipco-sponsored prize, with Joel Stakes runner-up Captain Cat set to renew rivalry with O'Meara's ace after he, too, was added to the field. Despite last year's winner Olympic Glory now retired to stud, trainer Richard Hannon is still triple-handed at this stage with Toronado, Toormore and Night Of Thunder. Last season's runner-up Top Notch Tonto is likely to relish the expected testing conditions, while Sir Michael Stoute's Integral is set to take on the colts following her victory in the Sun Chariot Stakes. Stoute said: "At the moment it looks like she'll be going for the QEII. "The plan at the moment is that she will stay in training next year - her dam, Echelon, was better at five." Andrew Balding's Tullius and Graphic from William Haggas' stable complete the home challenge. There are three possible Irish raiders in Aidan O'Brien's Kingbarns, the Ger Lyons-trained Brendan Bracken and Dermot Weld's Mustajeeb. Freddy Head's Charm Spirit, who defeated Toronado and Night Of Thunder in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp last month, is the other hopeful. Head said: "Charm Spirit is very well. I think that he will like Ascot and think that the QEII will be a great race for him." One horse not among the confirmations was dual Group One winner Rizeena after Clive Brittain decided to draw stumps for the year. Brittain said: "It looks as though the ground is going to be heavy, so we've decided we'll finish for the year on a good note. "She'll have a nice break now and hopefully the QEII will be on her agenda this time next year. "Royal Ascot will be in her early-season plans and then hopefully she'll be there on Champions Day. "She's 500 kilos now and there's no belly - it's all solid muscle."
