Houtzen ready for royal race

LONE Australian raider Houtzen will face only 11 rivals in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) but, in an ominous twist, three of them produced the trifecta in last year’s race.

Attempting to join an illustrious band of successful Australian sprinters at Royal Ascot, Houtzen will have to overcome last season’s placegetters — Blue Point, Battaash and Mabs Cross.

Given little hope by British bookmakers, Houtzen, who is owned by Geelong’s Peter Mullen, is available from $19$26 with local operators.

Drawn in barrier 11 alongside $3 favourite Battaash, Houtzen is one of several opening-day mounts for Kerrin McEvoy.

Trainer Toby Edmonds is upbeat about Houtzen’s chances after a smaller than expected field accepted.

“It’s going to be very competitive, but our filly is very, very sharp,” Edmonds said.

“It’s a testing track and that’s why we’re here so early, we don’t have that type of track back home, with the inclines and all the rest of it.

“She’s pretty quick so we’ll be happy to take a sit off them and then she’ll be strong late and she’s quite tough to get past.”

Six Australian-trained horses have scored in Ascot’s two premier sprints — the King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) and Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m).

Trail-blazing Choisir (2002) was followed to King’s Stand victory by Takeover Target (’06), Miss Andretti (’07) and Scenic Blaze (’09).

Choisir completed a famous double in the Diamond Jubilee 16 years ago — and was followed to victory a decade later by Black Caviar.

Starspangledbanner, who was trained in Melbourne by Leon Corstens before being transferred to Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien, underlined Australia’s standing as a sprinting powerhouse when he managed to win the Diamond Jubilee in 2010.