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Illinois will take on seven rivals as he bids to follow in the illustrious footsteps of his recently retired stablemate and claim Ascot Gold Cup glory at the Royal meeting on Thursday.

A winner of the Group 2 Queen's Vase Stakes at this meeting twelve months ago, the Aidan O'Brien-trained four-year-old, who also chased home stablemate Jan Brueghel in last year's St Leger Stakes, will head to Ascot on the back of a snug success over recent York scorer Al Qareem in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester's May meeting.

The son of Galileo is a general 7/4 to go back-to-back at Royal Ascot, with John and Thady Gosden's Trawlerman, who chased home Kyprios in the same contest last season, next best at 3/1 for owners Godolphin.

Francis-Henri Graffard's unexposed stayer Candelari adds some international flavour to the staying feature as he bids to continue his upward trajectory following a smooth success in the recently upgraded Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp. The four-year-old Frankel gelding will sport the colours of his late Highness Aga Khan and be ridden by retained jockey Mickael Barzalona.

John and Thady Gosden's hopes don't just lie with Trawlerman as the quirky, yet talented Sweet William also takes his chance for the Clarehaven Stables team, while Michael Bell will be hoping that his recent recruit Yashin, who landed the Sagaro Stakes here on Ascot trials day earlier in the season, can replicate Big Orange's glory days in this event.

James Ferguson's Wonder Legend, Andrew Balding's Coltrane, and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Dubai Future complete the field of eight.

Also on the card, eleven horses have been declared for the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, with market leaders Catalina Delcarpio, Serenity Prayer and Life Is Beautiful all amongst the final field.

A field of sixteen will take to the stage in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, headed by Aidan O'Brien's promising son of No Nay Never Charles Darwin, who is a general 7/4 shot on the back of victories at Navan and Naas.