According to a report, the stars are aligned for a Royal presence at this year's Queen's Plate, set for July 4 at Woodbine Racetrack

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On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Her Majesty The Queen of Canada and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will visit five cities and three provinces during their tour of Canada from June 28 to July 6.

“Royal tours present a wonderful opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our constitutional monarchy, one of the pillars upon which our country is founded,” said Prime Minister Harper. “They are an important part of our history, traditions and institutions.”

This will be The Queen’s 22nd official tour of Canada as The Queen of Canada. During the Royal Tour, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will celebrate a number of Canadian milestones and participate in events and dedications highlighting Canadian service and commitment at the local, national and global levels.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will visit:

• Halifax from June 28 to June 30
• The National Capital Region from June 30 to July 3
• Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 3
• Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario from July 3 to July 6

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh’s last tour of Canada was in 2005, when Her Majesty and His Royal Highness visited Saskatchewan and Alberta, celebrating the centennial of the entry of those provinces into Confederation.

A full itinerary is being developed in collaboration with a number of municipalities, provinces, private organizations and federal departments. The complete itinerary will be announced at a later date.

There will be many opportunities for the public to see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The forthcoming 2010 Royal Tour website will also provide Canadians with information and details regarding the Royal Tour and the Monarchy in Canada.

The Globe and Mail has since obtained a tentative itinerary which confirms The Queen's attendance at the Queen's Plate.

According to the article: 'On July 4, the royal couple will be off to the races for the 151st running of the $1-million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack. The Queen has a particular love of thoroughbred racing and is an owner and breeder of racehorses in England. The Queen’s Plate is normally run on the final Sunday of June, but the track moved the date of the race a week later, partly to accommodate a visit from the Queen.

'She has already attended three runnings of the Queen’s Plate, named after her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Her Majesty has attended Queen’s Plates in 1959, 1973 and 1997. Thirteen years ago, Queen Elizabeth presented the winning trophy to Canadian industrialist Frank Stronach, after his Awesome Again won the race.

'After her day with the ponies, the Queen will fly by Porter Airlines to the technological heart of the country in Waterloo for a tour of a production line at Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry.'

(with files from the Prime Minister's Office and The Globe and Mail)