McCreery happy with ground for Devonshire Godolphin-owned duo Devonshire and Lucida renew rivalry in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday . Lucida, trained by Jim Bolger, finished second in the 1000 Guineas last season but must reverse form with her compatriot, to whom she finished fourth in a Group Two at the Curragh in May. Devonshire's trainer Willie McCreery said: "She loves that soft ground and she's used to running on it in Ireland. "It (the ground) will help her and hinder others, that's the way I see it. "It's a good race, but she's in great form and is ready to go." Godolphin are also represented by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Always Smile and Usherette. The latter is trained in France by Andre Fabre and the daughter of Shamardal was propelled to the head of the betting for the Group Two after she impressed in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket last month. That race was over nine furlongs, but Godolphin chief executive and racing manager John Ferguson is unfazed by the prospect of Usherette, who has won five of her six races, stepping back down in distance. He said: "The Duke of Cambridge is a nice race for her, even though she has won over nine furlongs, as you really need to stay at Ascot. "She has the quality for the Duke of Cambridge and it is the most appropriate race for her at Royal Ascot. "I just love talking to Andre Fabre about Usherette as he gets the biggest smile on his face and it makes the rest of the conversation very easy. "Andre is an extraordinary judge, which comes from years of experience and being a great talent. He does have a very high opinion of this filly." American-based trainer Graham Motion believes the appointment of Ryan Moore could have a galvanising effect upon Miss Temple City. The four-year-old filly was only beaten two lengths in the Coronation Stakes last season and warmed up for this assignment with a Grade One success in her homeland in April. Motion said: "We wanted to go to a European rider this time as we think the straight mile is very tricky. "I think having Ryan Moore on board is a huge asset. "Quite frankly, we want to run her in the race where she has the best chance. "I think she's a bigger, stronger individual this year and I've been impressed with her work this year." The Roger Charlton-trained Spangled is one of the more interesting outsiders in the field, having won with more than a hint of authority on her last start at Leicester. Chris Richardson, managing director for her owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: "The family are a good size and Roger has been very patient with her. "I think he was fairly confident she would run well at Leicester and hopefully she will come on for that."
