O'Neill's nervous Royal Ascot wait

Charismatic owner John O'Neill has achieved more in racing than most fans could ever dream of.

O'Neill has been involved with some of the most talented thoroughbreds who have graced Australian racecourses this century and still has plenty more to look forward to.

But before we get to that, who would O'Neill name as the best galloper he's ever raced?

"Probably Verry Elleegant, I would have thought, she won 11 Group 1s … but the story's been unbelievable," he said.

"Mummify won five and Boban won five, so we've had a lot of luck and we just keep our fingers crossed that it keeps going the way it's going."

O'Neill revealed that it has been a combination of good luck and good personnel that have helped him enjoy the success that he's had as an owner in the rollercoaster world of racing.

"I think it's good luck to be honest and getting great people around you," he said.

"We've got some great trainers and great people selecting the horses. I think if you give them to the right trainers and you get with the right crew, luck plays a big part of it but just to have great people around you is the key."

Despite his years of experience in the sport, O'Neill will step into uncharted territory for himself later this month when he has his first runner at one of the world's great meetings; Royal Ascot.

His filly, Coolangatta, is set to line up in the King's Stand Stakes on June 20, a race that fellow Aussie sprinters like Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Nature Strip have all won over the past 20 years.

The dual G1 winner from Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's stable recently tuned up for her trip abroad with a jumpout at Flemington and O'Neill was on track.

"It's a nervous time for all of us but I think, more importantly, it's about getting her over there and making sure she travels well," he said of the upcoming expedition.

"There's a big crew of people going over, which will be really good.

"As always, Ciaron and the staff have organised a couple of functions and stuff prior, so it will be good to get over and spend a bit of time with everyone and hopefully, watch her perform at her best."

Sportsbet has Coolangatta on the third line of betting at $7 in its market for the 1000-metre dash on the first day of Royal Ascot.