Map Of Stars

The horse is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, a French yard that has sent out six winners already this season and clearly knows how to place a horse. The single race on record here doesn't tell the full story, because Map Of Stars has been building a reputation in France that suggests he operates at a considerably higher level than a fourth place might imply. After a Listed win — one step below the very top tier — Graffard was already talking about him in glowing terms, noting how he ranged up to the leader with ease and only did just enough to win, which is actually the sign of a horse that was well within himself. Trainers tend to get excited when a horse makes things look effortless.

That excitement has only grown. After a run at Longchamp, Graffard called him "a real good one," pointing to the way Map Of Stars quickened and chased down the horse ahead of him as the mark of a top-level performer. Crucially, the horse that beat him in the Group 1 Prix Ganay — one of the most prestigious spring races in France — has since gone on to win another Group 1. That matters. Finishing behind a horse who then goes on to win the best races in Europe is not a defeat to be embarrassed about; it's a performance that suddenly looks a lot better in hindsight.

Now, nine months on, Graffard says the preparation has gone well and he expects Map Of Stars to arrive at Ascot at his very best. He acknowledges it is a tough race —