O'Brien upbeat about Star Witness

LONDON, June 10 AAP - Trainer Danny O'Brien is talking up the chances of top colt Star Witness who will fly the flag for Australia in Tuesday's Group One King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

O'Brien said Star Witness had handled the 38-hour trip to England well and would have just one more gallop on Friday to top him off for next week's feature sprint.

It is O'Brien's second trip to Royal Ascot - he took Glamour Puss there in 2006 - and he believes Star Witness will be perfectly suited to the English conditions.

"I've been over here before and got beaten but didn't want to come back again unless I had one with a good chance and I think I've got one now," O'Brien said.

"If Star Witness turns up in the form he was in for Melbourne Cup week, which I hope he is, then he is going to be hard to beat.

"He is also six months older and stronger from then. He was super impressive in a barrier trial before getting on the plane out here."

O'Brien also revealed he had earmarked Star Witness as a candidate to travel to Royal Ascot after he won the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) down the straight at Flemington as a two-year-old.

"Coming to Ascot has been at the back of my mind ever since he won his second start and we've been pretty conservative with him this season because of that," O'Brien said.

"He's only raced twice since Melbourne Cup week in November and that has been by design because I was thinking that the races that would really suit him were up here."

Star Witness is a chance to join fellow Australian sprinter Hinchinbrook in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot on June 18 if he performs up to expectations in the King's Stand.

The Royal Ascot carnival will be his racing swansong as the colt is due to stand at Widden Stud this breeding season.

Steven Arnold, who won the 2009 King's Stand Stakes on Scenic Blast, will partner Star Witness in Tuesday's race and O'Brien is confident his charge can continue the strong record of Australian sprinters.

"It's great that the Australian horses keep travelling to England and we hope to keep up the good record at Royal Ascot," O'Brien said.

"The race is no afterthought and I certainly think he's capable of winning."