Samui and Keane primed for Royal Ascot

Gordon Elliott has snapped up champion jockey Colin Keane for the ride on Samui in the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

This will be the first time Keane has ridden the six-year-old gelding who was last seen finishing fifth in His Majesty's Plate in Down Royal at the end of May.

Dual-purpose-horse Samui had a lucrative spell on his travels last year when runner-up in a valuable handicap at York before third places in Listed class at Chester and Newmarket.

Assistant trainer Lisa O'Neill said: "He's been a great servant and he has a nice rating on the Flat. A brilliant jockey on board and hopefully he can be lucky.

"It is a competitive handicap, but hopefully he goes there with his best chance. Fingers crossed he can run well.

"He's horse that seems to come home really well and he has proven himself in Listed company in the past, so hopefully he can run a decent race for us on Tuesday.

Keane has seven rides in Royal Ascot tomorrow including the plum mount on Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Field Of Gold for his Juddmonte retainer in the St James's Palace Stakes.