Frankel’s half-brother had his progress halted in France last month.
Kikkuli, Lake Forest, and Poet Master are among the thirteen confirmed entries for the BetVictor Hungerford Stakes scheduled to take place at Newbury on Saturday.
Kikkuli, a Kingman colt and half-brother to the exceptional Frankel, narrowly missed out on victory at Royal Ascot, finishing second to Haatem in the Jersey Stakes in June. Following this, he was heavily favored to secure a Group One victory in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville but could only manage a sixth-place finish.
This weekend, the three-year-old is set to face older competitors for the first time at the Group Two level in Berkshire. Trained by William Haggas, Lake Forest may step up to seven furlongs after securing second place in both the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in his last two outings.
Karl Burke's Elite Status triumphed over Lake Forest in their most recent encounter, and on Saturday, Burke is expected to present Poet Master, who delivered an impressive performance to win the Group Two Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh in his latest race.
Wathnan Racing has two potential contenders in Ed Walker's English Oak and Make Me King from Hamad Al Jehani's stable. English Oak showcased dominance in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot but finished fourth when highly regarded in the Group Two Lennox Stakes at Goodwood two weeks ago.
"We have not finalized our plans yet; both horses remain in contention, and we will assess later in the week," stated Richard Brown, Wathnan's European racing adviser.
"English Oak is likely to run, and we will discuss the situation regarding Make Me King. "I felt that English Oak was somewhat lackluster at Goodwood, and I anticipate a stronger performance on Saturday." Other potential participants include last year's champion Witch Hunter (Richard Hannon), Tiber Flow (Haggas), and Noble Dynasty (Charlie Appleby).
Additionally, several well-known names are in the running for the other Group race on Saturday's Newbury card—the BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
Al Aasy is a strong contender for Haggas following his comfortable victory in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood, while Arrest is poised to defend his title for John and Thady Gosden.
