Cloth Of Stars won the Group 1 Prix Ganay last year but was no match for the brilliant Enable when runner-up in the Arc subsequently. Collateral form has him closely matched with Hawkbill and the latter won a Group 2 prep here three weeks ago. Poet's Word has a creditable second in last year’s Irish Champion Stakes to recommend him while Idaho won last summer’s Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot but finished behind REY DE ORO when the latter was second in the Japan Cup in Tokyo in November. The Japanese raider also beat a below-par Satono Crown on that occasion and finished just in front of Mozu Katchan at Kyoto last month. Kazuo Fujisawa’s colt gets the nod on that form with the remainder looking to have a bit to find in this company.
Mozu Katchan (JPN) (8-7) 4th of 10, 1l behind Clincher (8-9) at Kyoto 1m 3f in Feb.
Idaho (IRE) (9-0) 5th of 17, 5 3/4l behind Cheval Grand (9-0) at Tokyo 1m 4f (1) fm in Nov.
Rey de Oro (JPN) (0-0) 3rd of 10, 1l behind Clincher (8-9) at Kyoto 1m 3f in Feb.
Khalidi 5-1 (9-0) Tracked leaders on inside, reminders over 2f out, ridden and unable to quicken over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 7th of 10, at Lingfield 1m 2f Grp 3 stks (1) pol in Feb.
Poet's Word (IRE) (9-0) 6th of 12, 5l behind Time Warp (9-0) at Sha Tin 1m 2f Grp 1 gd in Dec.
Cloth Of Stars (IRE) (9-6) 2nd of 6, 1 3/4l behind Talismanic (9-6) at Chantilly 1m 1f stks pol in Mar.
Hawkbill (USA) 2-1fav (9-0) won at Meydan 1m 4f Grp 2 stks gd in Mar beating Frontiersman (9-0) by hd, 13 ran.
Satono Crown (JPN) (9-0) 13th of 16, shd behind at Nakayama 1m 4f in Dec.
Desert Encounter (IRE) 33-1 (9-5) Switched right start, held up last, headway and plugged on 2f out, hung right and weakened final furlong, 5th of 10, 9 3/4l behind Cracksman (9-1) at Ascot 1m 2f Grp 1 stks (1) sft in Oct.
Best Solution (IRE) 3-1 (8-11) 9th of 13, 20 1/4l behind Hawkbill (9-0) at Meydan 1m 4f Grp 2 stks gd in Mar.
