Like everything else in the race, Pastoral Player is probably playing for second place behind Black Caviar in Saturday's Golden Jubilee Stakes. But there will be some happy faces among the staff and owners at Hughie Morrison's yard with a few canny bets having been placed on the in-form sprinter at 20-1 in the betting without the favourite.
Pastoral Player has proved a law unto himself in the past, and that's being as polite as possible. He has misbehaved at the stalls on several occasions and thrown in a couple of shockers when well fancied.
But this season Pastoral Player finally seems to have grown up and his latest Group Three victory at Haydock came as no surprise to connections. His work since has been as good as ever and Morrison and the owners hope that he is just the type of horse to stay on for a place if his rivals try to keep tabs with the Aussie wonder-mare.
Richard Hannon has endured a tough start to the meeting with a couple of near-misses, but Jalaa could help to bring him out of the doldrums in the Chesham Stakes, the opening event on Saturday.
The stable have a decent idea where they stand with him now after the near-misses of Olympic Glory and Sir Prancealot in Tuesday's Coventry Stakes and fancy his prospects as a result.
The fast-improving Aiken comes with a good word in the Hardwicke Stakes, especially as soft ground won't cause him any concerns, while Waffle is one to be with in the Wokingham with David Barron having managed to get his mark down to the same level from which he was second to Deacon Blues in the race last year.
Given that Deacon Blues hasn't lost another race in that time, his performance in the race looks strong and Waffle's latest gallop gave Barron every encouragement that all of the ability shown 12 months ago remains intact.
In a race where one bet will never be enough, a saver on Richard Fahey's Alben Star is also advised.
Midsummer Sun has been mentioned here before and might have got a shout in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap but for the poor performance of his work-companion Wrotham Heath on Thursday.
Instead those wanting to cheer home a winner for Sir Henry Cecil may be better served by looking at Goodwood's card on Friday with Aquilia running in the Rothschild's Maiden Fillies Stakes.
Still in the Irish Oaks (but clearly unlikely to take up that entry), she has worked nicely for the last few weeks and is ready to go well on her belated reappearance.
Samitar is rated ahead of Laugh Out Loud by most of the team at Mick Channon's and she is the preferred option of the pair in the Coronation Stakes.
If Homecoming Queen and Laugh Out Loud get tangled up in a battle for the lead, that should suit the selection who appreciated being ridden more conservatively when giving the trainer a first Classic success in the Irish 1000 Guineas.
William Haggas found the net with Fast Or Free on Thursday and has prospects of a handicap double with Haamaat in the Buckingham Palace Stakes.
She outperformed her rating in a Listed contest last time, but that performance came as no surprise to her trainer and she is capable of shaking up some more exposed types here.
