Three Irish two-year-olds to watch at Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is on the horizon, and it's time for the stars to take their place on the biggest stage.

I take a look at three Irish juveniles who could be bringing trophies back home next week.

Albany Stakes

The first horse on my list is Sun Goddess who is entered in the Queen Mary and the Albany Stakes for Aidan O'Brien.

A daughter of Sioux Nation out of the dam Etoile Bleue, she was a huge runner in a Naas maiden where the penny dropped late as she flew home and was narrowly denied.

She then went on to the Curragh and put her experience to use, where she bolted up in a Curragh maiden on Guineas weekend by five lengths.

It was an extremely impressive performance and she looks like the type that can go on and improve in further company and, although it's very early in her career, she strikes me as the next Aidan O'Brien superstar.

She relaxed perfectly the last day and I feel she's the nap of the entire Ascot meeting. She has the experience to build on at the next level and I feel we will be talking about this filly for years to come.

Windsor Castle Stakes

The second two-year-old I will look at is Celeron in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

He is a big, striking son of Mohaather who made an extremely pleasing debut at the Curragh. Plenty of fancied horses took their chance in the race, including the likes of Sirocco Sands, who wanted to build on a strong debut in Cork, but he was no match for the Michael O'Callaghan-trained runner, given a confident ride by jockey Jamie Powell.

Speaking after the race, trainer Michael O'Callaghan said:

"Since we got him he's just improved and improved, we always thought he was a nice horse.

"Unfortunately he didn't get to start in Navan the last day, so we came here.

"He's a good horse and he's won like a good horse. Jamie said he was pricking his ears at the line.

"I'm one of the very few trainers that's delighted to see the new conditions of the Windsor Castle.

"Six furlongs for stallions that have won over seven-and-a-half furlongs or further, which Mohaather has done. That's the plan now, he'll probably go there.

"He's a big, raw, green baby and he's only going to get better."

Chesham Stakes

The third two-year-old to watch out for at the Ascot meeting is Aix La Chapelle in the Chesham Stakes. It's a race that's become notorious for Aidan O'Brien runners in the past, with the likes of Bedtime Story and Point Lonsdale, and in the same colours Aix La Chapelle looks set to take his chance in the contest.

A son of Justify and a full brother to Stattuete, who was a Group winner at two, and a half-brother to Henri Matisse, who won the French 2000 Guineas, Aix La Chapelle was a two-year-old winner on debut at the Curragh. Through the pace of Bull Shark the race was run like a Group 1 contest and this will have given the son of Justify massive experience going forward.

He looks to be the type that will appreciate the trip and the challenge that Ascot presents, and it will be interesting to see how he gets on.