Everything Right For Alexander Last year's Queen Mary heroine Anthem Alexander bids for her second Royal Ascot victory in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday. The daughter of Starspangledbanner made a successful return to action at Naas at the start of the month and trainer Eddie Lynam is expecting her to improve significantly for the run. He said: "She came out of the race very good. I'm very happy with her. "The soft ground was not ideal at Naas and that was nothing like her best form, but my horses usually improve for a run. I definitely expect improvement from her and fast ground would be in her favour. "She's the guts of 500 kilos and a very big, strong filly. She's taken everything in her stride. "I was never tempted to try stepping her up to mile and, given that we preferred to stay at home in Ireland for her first start of the campaign, the Naas race was the first opportunity over six furlongs that was available to her. "She's a great mind, which is a big help to those sprinters, and we think an awful lot of her. She's already won both a Group Three and a Group Two and we are very hopeful that she will make up into a Group One sprinter. "I'm looking forward to running in her in what looks as though it's going to be a very competitive race." Anthem Alexander is a 7/1 chance behind the Wesley Ward trained American raider Hootenanny (4/1) which will be partnered by the in-form Ryan Moore.
