Royal Ascot will have its first-ever American-trained horses next week. A four-strong team headed by Morluc will run at the five-day meeting which begins next Tuesday.

Morluc, the Randy-Morse-trained sprinter will be ridden by Gary Stevens in next Saturday's closing day feature, the 6-furlong Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes. Morluc departed Churchill Downs on Wednesday for Toronto, from where he will fly to England, arriving at Geoff Wragg's Newmarket yard on Saturday morning. Morse is scheduled to arrive at Newmarket on Monday.

Florida-based Frenchman Franck Mourier plans to run three at Royal Ascot. At an Ascot press conference on Wednesday, Mourier said that he will run America America, Parisienne and Kate Winslet in three different juvenile stakes. Stevens is expected to take the rides aboard all three fillies.

The first of the four American-trained horses to line up will be the first such to compete at Royal Ascot. America's 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha finished a short head second to Quashed in the 1936 Ascot Gold Cup, but he had already been turned over to Newmarket trainer Cecil Boyd-Rochfort. Godolphin has announced that their Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad will make his much anticipated return at Royal Ascot in Wednesday's 1 1/4-mile Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. He will square off against stablemate and World Cup fourth Grandera.

Adding to Royal Ascot's international flavor will be Victory Moon. South African Mike de Kock, the former trainer of Ipi Tombe, will saddle his UAE Derby winner in the one-mile Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday as a prep for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on July 26.

Meanwhile, the Aga Khan has decided to prepare both Dalakhani and Alamshar for the Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 29. It had been thought that one or the other would run in the 1 1/2-mile classic, but both will be trained up to the race, although the ground could see one of them withdrawn.

Dalakhani, the impressive winner of the French Derby on June 1, remains undefeated after six starts. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre in Chantilly, he prefers good to firm ground. Alamshar, trained at the Curragh by John Oxx, was a length third to Kris Kin in the Epsom Derby on Saturday. He likes it good to yielding.