Ascot Stakes plan for Olympiad

Olympiad could go on a retrieval mission in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting following his Chester Cup disappointment.

The Dermot Weld-trained five-year-old was drawn widest of all in stall 17 on the Roodee and failed to take any hand in the race from such an unfavourable berth.

Connections are consequently keen to put a line through that seasonal bow and while he is entered in the Gold Cup, the Ascot Stakes on June 18 looks a more likely target.

"With the draw, he never really got into the race at all. They started pretty quickly and it just didn't suit him at all," said Barry Simpson, racing manager for owner Sir Robert Ogden.

"If it had been his last run of the year, we might have bounced out and tried to get a position but it's a long season.

"He will probably go for the Ascot Stakes now. We entered him in the Gold Cup in case he won a good handicap under a big weight and then you might want to try a race like that.

"The Ascot Stakes looks a better option now and if he does have a run before, I'd imagine it would be somewhere in Ireland."

Thomas Chippendale has the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes on his agenda after finishing second on both his starts this term.

Beaten a length in the 10-furlong Gordon Richards Stakes on his return, the Sir Henry Cecil-trained four-year-old was then beaten six lengths at Ascot by Ektihaam, who had been behind him at Sandown.

"He will go for the Hardwicke Stakes now. He was a little bit disappointing (Ascot) but he's run into two good horses on his two runs so far this year," said Simpson.

"He ran in the Voltigeur and the Leger last year and we felt that (kind of trip) was perhaps stretching him a bit at that sort of level and you couldn't be 100% sure he stayed.

"I'd say we'd be looking at mile and a half and mile and five furlong races for him, perhaps the something like the Geoffrey Freer (at Newbury, August 17) could be an option later in the season."

Fort Bastion is another who could head to Ascot, although his entry in the Queen Anne Stakes is unlikely to be fulfilled.

He finished 10th under top weight in Listed company at York last week on what was his first start for Ed Dunlop having previously been trained by Richard Hannon.

That was his first start in a year and Simpson felt they learnt nothing new about the Lawman colt after a slow start.

"He missed the break and I don't think we really learnt anything as he was 15 or 20 lengths off the pace after a furlong," he said.

"He would probably go for one of the handicaps at Ascot now, we might possibly look at stepping up (to 10 furlongs) for the Wolferton.

"He might have a run before if we can find a conditions race between now and then."

One Ogden horse who will not be running at the Royal meeting is Amazonas, who is entered in the Coronation Stakes.

She was last seen finishing third behind Certify in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket last September.

"She just had a minor setback, she knocked a joint and she won't be going to Ascot," said Simpson. "We'll look to the summer and backend with her."