American Runners At Royal Ascot 2023: Wesley Ward set to unleash classy sprinters

One of the fascinations of Royal Ascot is that it attracts some of the best horses from across the globe and in particular the American contingent love their annual pilgrimage to Berkshire to try and take home the silverware. Well, the 2023 meeting looks no different with some exciting American-trained runners coming to England and we pick out some of those that are set to feature throughout the week...

Wesley Ward has become a regular visitor to Royal Ascot with some of his sprinters and he has notched up a number of victories at the meeting in recent times and he's set to unleash Twilight Gleaming in the King's Stand Stakes on day one of the meeting. The likeable American claimed King's Stand glory back in 2017 when Lady Aurelia scorched the turf to claim the Group 1 prize and Twilight Gleaming is now looking to emulate her on June 20.

Currently a 20/1 shot with the bookmakers in the latest King's Stand Stakes, Twilight Gleaming appears to have it all to do, but the speedball could be a lively each-way play for punters and is sure to be prominent from the moment the stalls open. Ward's charge adds huge intrigue to a race that looks extremely wide open. It will be her second visit to Royal Ascot after she lined up in the 2021 Queen Mary Stakes, where she was sent off the 9/4 favourite, but had to settle for second place, so will be hoping to go one better here.

With a stunning four wins in the Queen Mary Stakes, Wesley Ward has become a marked man in the two-year-old fillies sprint, but it's Tom Morley's Cynane that could fly the American flag this time around and the juvenile is around a 10/1 shot to claim the Group 2 crown on day two of Royal Ascot.

A fine winner at Belmont Park last month, Cynane is destined for a trip to England and handed the task of trying to sparkle in the Queen Mary, which looks another devilishly difficult punting assignment for what is a race awash with potential improvers.

No Nay Never and Shang Shang Shang were two Wesley Ward-trained winners of the Norfolk Stakes and the star handler is set to unleash American Rascal in this year's race, as he goes in search of a hat-trick. A 3/1 second favourite behind the hugely exciting Elite Status, American Rascal is the son of the aforementioned Lady Aurelia, so he's bred for the job and is arguably the most fascinating American-trained runner heading to Royal Ascot this year.

The Americans could be doubly represented in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, which takes place on June 22 as George Weaver's No Nay Mets could also take his chance and he's a 10/1 shot, at the time of writing. A speedy son of the abovementioned No Nay Never, No Nay Mets was a winner impressively earlier in the season and will be looking to follow in his father's footsteps by claiming this crown.

While the Coventry Stakes has been mooted for Fandom, Wesley Ward is set to lower his sights a little with this exciting two-year-old son of Showcasing and aim for the Windsor Castle Stakes - a race Ward won back in 2009 with Strike The Tiger and Hootenanny in 2014. With Asadna and River Tiber set to a strong standard for the Coventry Stakes, the Windsor Castle over five furlongs could be the chosen easier option.

A fine winner at Keeneland last time out, he showed terrific pace from the gates and won eased down to throw his name into the Royal Ascot mix and has to be another leading name for what is yet again a strong-looking Ward team.