THERE is an open look to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the last day of Royal Ascot this afternoon, and Shartash goes there with a real chance, dropping back down to six furlongs for the first time this season.

Trained by Johnny Murtagh to win the Railway Stakes on Irish Derby weekend as a juvenile, Shartash has won his first two races for Archie Watson this season, since being gelded, both over seven furlongs.

Winner of a strong conditions race at Thirsk in April, in which he had a Victoria Cup winner, a Chesham Stakes winner and an International Handicap winner behind him in second, third and fourth, he stepped forward from that last time when he went to Haydock and won a listed race over seven furlongs.

The Invincible Spirit gelding showed a lot of pace that day to set up a race-winning advantage, and he just held on from the fast-finishing Pogo, who enhanced the form when he finished third in the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes back at Haydock next time.

Also, the third horse, Witch Hunter, ran a big race to finish fourth at a big price in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot on Tuesday.

Both Shartash’s runs in Britain have been over seven furlongs, but, while there is plenty of stamina in his Aga Khan pedigree, he is a Railway Stakes winner, and he shows plenty of pace over seven furlongs. A stiff six furlongs could be ideal.

Kinross is a player in today’s race, he is a course and distance winner, but that win was in the Champion Sprint Stakes, on easy ground in October, and he would surely prefer softer ground over six furlongs.

Believing, fourth in the King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday, may be better over five furlongs than over six now, and Mitbaahy was the beneficiary of a Jamie Spencer special when he got up late on to land the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend.

He may benefit from a similar ride today, and Ascot is obviously conducive to those tactics, but he is short enough.

Khaadem was a big price when he won the race last year. He will be a big enough price again today, perhaps not quite as big, but he hasn’t won since this day last year, and Shartash could represent the value in the race.

Wokingham Handicap

Unequal Love could be the value in the Wokingham Handicap, run over the same course and distance later on the day.

William Haggas’ filly ran in that Greenlands Stakes last time, the race that Mitbaahy won, she finished fifth in the race, two and a half lengths behind the winner, when she had to be checked a little through the closing stages of the race.

The Cheveley Park filly was a progressive filly last season as a three-year-old, her first season to race. She won four of her seven races, and she proved her ability to operate on fast ground when she won her maiden at Leicester in July.

She started off this season by winning a listed race over six furlongs at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting in early May, when she won fairly comfortably in the end from Funny Story, who was only just beaten in another listed race at Salisbury next time, with the first three nicely clear of her rivals.

That run earned her place in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes last time, and she proved that she deserved her place in that type of company with a fine run, finishing on the heels of horses rated in the hundred-and-teens.

She should appreciate the drop back into handicap company this afternoon, and a rating of 102 looks more than workable. Her draw in stall one is not ideal, on the wing, but Inisherin was drawn in stall one in the Commonwealth Cup yesterday, and Out Do won the Wokingham from stall one in 2017.

Tom Marquand gave Donnacha O’Brien’s filly Porta Fortuna a fine ride yesterday to win the Coronation Stakes, and he could go close on Unequal Love in the Wokingham today.

Shartash, 3.45 Ascot, 13/2 (generally), 1pt win

Unequal Love, 5.05 Ascot, 16/1 (generally), 1pt each-way