TROUBLED East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison is double-handed in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot tomorrow with Sweet Selection and Nearly Caught.

The master of Summerdown Stables, who is battling to clear his name after one of his horses, Our Little Sister, tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone, saddled Sweet Selection to land the Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket last October.

The five-year-old mare handled a step up to Group 3 company to take the Longines Sagaro Stakes in good style on her reappearance at Ascot last month, with Nearly Caught back in third.

Sweet Selection is a best-priced 14-1 shot for the premier stayers’ prize, while her stablemate is a 40-1 chance.

Since his Ascot outing, the seven-year-old gelding has finished second to Red Cardinal in the Group 2 Comer Group International Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten in Germany.

Morrison enjoyed a timely winner ahead of the Royal meeting when Excellent Sounds sprang a 16-1 surprise in a seven-furlong fillies’ handicap at Salisbury under Charlie Bennett.

Wantage trainer Henry Candy is set to unleash stable star Limato in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.

The Kingston Warren handler ended a 37-year wait for a third winner at the prestigious fixture when Twilight Son captured the Group 1 six-furlong contest 12 months ago.

And now he’s bidding for a second consecutive success with Limato, who will be running for the first time since his disappointing trip to Dubai in March when he trailed in down the field in the Al Quoz Sprint after a deluge turned the ground soft.

There shouldn’t be any concerns on that score for the five-year-old this week with a forecast of dry weather meaning the 5-1 favourite is set to encounter his favoured fast ground.

Candy warmed up for the fixture with a 17-1 across-the-card double courtesy of Greenside (13-8 favourite) at Sandown and Beck And Call (6-1) at Lingfield.

Ryan Moore was on board as Greenside landed a mile handicap in good style, while Georgia Cox took the reins for Beck And Call’s first success in a six-furlong fillies’ handicap.

Meanwhile, Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton kept her winning run going when Fantasy Queen was driven out by Charlie Bishop to take a mile fillies’ handicap at Chepstow by a length and a quarter.