Dylan Ready For Royal Test

Aidan O´Brien is expecting a better show from Dylan Thomas in the Prince Of Wales´s Stakes tomorrow after he was beaten by Notnowcato on his last start.

Last season´s Irish Derby hero looked like establishing himself as one of the leading older horses in training after a stylish victory in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp in April.

However, despite being sent off the 1-2 favourite in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last month, he could not shake off the persistent attention of Sir Michael Stoute´s charge.

It was the second time Notnowcato had got the better of him after the Juddmonte International at York last year, when O´Brien´s star struggled home in fourth on the soft ground.

Of Dylan Thomas, O´Brien said: 'He´s in good form. He had an early season run at the Curragh and then he went to France for the Prix Ganay and he won nicely.

'Obviously we were going to look at Ascot after that,' he told At The Races.

'He ran in the Tattersalls in between and he had a nice easy time after France after winning a Group One and he just might have got caught a bit after that.

'He´s been in very good form since and we´ve been very happy with him.'

(C) PA Sport