Sven Ready to Start With Rooney

Araafa is 7-4 favourite with Totesport to follow up his Irish 2,000 Guineas victory in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Jeremy Noseda's colt, who "delighted" his trainer in his work at Newmarket on Wednesday, heads a field of 15 after yesterday's declaration stage.

Final Verse, who was a length behind Araafa when they met in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, is 5-1 joint-second favourite with Stormy River, third behind Aussie Rules in the French Guineas.

The clash between Proclamation and Peeress in the Queen Anne Stakes promises to be one of the highlights on the opening day. Godolphin have declared Belenus as pacemaker for Proclamation, who is 7-4 favourite with the Tote despite returning from a lengthy absence. Peeress is put in at 11-4.

Another Bottle shortened again in betting on the Royal Hunt Cup - 11-2 from 13-2 with Totesport - following victory for his galloping companion, Blue Monday, at Longchamp yesterday. Roger Charlton's five-year-old won the Group 3 La Coupe.

Bryan Smart, the trainer, and jockey Paul Eddery, who were fined £2,300 and banned for 16 days, respectively, over the running and riding of Ben Casey at Southwell in November, were yesterday successful in their appeal heard by the disciplinary panel of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority.

The panel accepted that the instructions for the riding of Ben Casey, a fast- finishing second, that were given to Eddery by Smart were legitimate and involved adopting a new tactic for riding a very moderate, quirky horse. He was to be dropped in and held up as long as possible before being asked to win.

Analysis of the race suggested it might have been better if Eddery had made his effort sooner, but the panel found this to be a matter which was within the discretion of the jockey in the race on the day, and they therefore gave him the benefit of the doubt.important thing for me was that we used him tonight, because if we had waited until the Sweden game we would have lost five days. Training is one thing but a player needs to be involved in matches to get absolutely perfect. The rhythm is different, the tackles are harder and the tempo is higher. He can only get better and better."