James Owen is delighted to be able to call upon the services of leading rider Ryan Moore ahead of Radiant Beauty’s bid to claim Kensington Palace Stakes (1600m) success.

The daughter of Churchill has done well since switching from the Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole team, scoring on her first two outings for James Owen before rounding out her three-year-old season with a close-up third at Newmarket.

Sixth on her reappearance in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes (1600m) at Kempton in March, she readily returned to winning ways with a comfortable all-the-way victory at Ascot last month, a performance which saw her jump towards the fore of the market for the Royal handicap over the same course and distance.

“She’s going to run in the Kensington and Ryan Moore is kindly going to ride,” said Owen. “It’s his first ever ride for us and we’re looking forward to it.”

It could be a big week for owners Wathnan Racing, and they again look like holding a key hand, with the Andrew Balding-trained new recruit Stateira expected to return to handicap company having finished an excellent third in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes (1600m) at the Curragh last time.

"We've got a mark of 105 so we're going to run in the Kensington Palace,” said Richard Brown of Wathnan Racing.

"I thought she was very unlucky in the Group 2 at the Curragh, and I think the winner could be a Group 1 filly.

"One Look of ours was behind her that day and I'm really hoping she's a Group horse in a handicap - if she had got 106, she would be in the Group 2 on Wednesday.

"She's going to have plenty of weight to carry but I loved her when I saw her at Andrew’s (Balding). She's a big, strong filly who will carry weights and hopefully she will be the best filly in the race and hopefully the weight won't stop her."

William Haggas’ Alobayyah will be popular having caught the eye when staying on strongly into third behind Radiant Beauty last time, while the progressive All Moonshine adds another string to Andrew Balding’s bow and Oolong Poobong, fourth in the Sandringham Stakes last season, should strip fitter for her reappearance at Thirsk.

Photo: Focus On Racing