Slade ready for Diamond Jubilee test Slade Power is aiming to give trainer Eddie Lynam an incredible third winner from just four runners at this year's Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday. Lynam's Sole Power won his second King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday, while the two-year-old Anthem Alexander showed tremendous speed to claim the Queen Mary on Wednesday. Slade Power has a favourite's chance, too, having won on Champions Day over course and distance on soft ground. He looked an improved performer when beating Maarek by an easy two lengths on his seasonal reappearance, when there was also plenty of give in the ground, but Lynam does not see a quicker surface as a barrier. "Asking for three out of four winners this week might be asking a bit much, but thankfully Slade Power doesn't know that," said the County Meath handler. "He's in very good form at home and is a course-and-distance winner. I'm very happy with him and he's travelled over well and settled in. He's got no excuses. I'm not worried about the ground at all, we've always thought he's very versatile on the ground. It won't be any quicker than it was on July Cup day last year when he was third to Lethal Force. He showed then he could handle it. "After that he went to the Curragh and was just a smidgen outside the track record set by Invincible Spirit so I have no worries about quicker ground. "It looked like he'd improved the way he beat Maarek first time out and that would be in keeping with what he has done every season to date. Every year he gets a little better and I hope that continues. It would cap an unbelievable week if he wins." Richard Hannon is again trying Montiridge over six furlongs on the advice of jockey Richard Hughes, despite finishing only 10th of 14 in a Windsor Listed race last time out. "Hughesie was adamant that we should persevere with sprinting with Montiridge, so he goes for the Diamond Jubilee," the trainer told www.richardhannonracing.co.uk. "He reckons that the leaders went five-furlong pace at Windsor last time and that a mile has always looked to stretch him, so we are rolling the dice again at the top table."
