UK: Smullen sweet on Emulous

Wednesday, 13 June 2012: Pat Smullen is excited at the prospect of Emulous going for the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The jockey was delighted with her victory in the Group Three Equestrian Stakes at the Curragh on her seasonal reappearance last month, when she had to give weight to all her eight rivals and comfortably beat One Spirit by a length and three-quarters.

The Dermot Weld-trained filly, owned by Khalid Abdullah, is now likely to go for the Group Two contest over the straight mile at the Royal meeting on Wednesday.

"She had a Group One penalty and won very easily, hopefully that will leave her right for a crack at Royal Ascot," Smullen told At The Races.

"I couldn't be more pleased with her. Her comeback run was very encouraging and she's always been a filly we've thought a lot of.

"She seems to be getting better as she gets older. Right now you'd have to be pleased with the way she is.

"I'd say the Windsor Forest is where she'll go. That was the thought after she won at the Curragh."

Smullen feels Rock Critic, also trained by Weld, has a big chance in the Hunt Cup.

"The Hunt Cup is the plan with him. He's a good old horse and comes good this time of year," he said.

"He loves good ground and it's a race he can be very competitive in. He's a big horse and well able to take all the knocking around in a race like that. He travels very well in his races and that helps in those big, competitive handicaps."