BATTAASH

Charlie Hills

King’s Stand Stakes

Tuesday

One of the features of the royal meeting is the competitiveness of the racing, with the best of Europe meeting an increasingly strong international challenge, and that makes it a tough place to make money for the ordinary punter.

However, some horses stand out in their respective divisions, and despite a big entry, the King’s Stand could boil down to a match between Battaash and last year’s winner Lady Aurelia. The latter was impressive a year ago but her season petered out a little thereafter with a disappointing run in the Breeders’ Cup following her last-gasp defeat by Marsha in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

The now retired Marsha provides an interesting line between the main contenders as she was ahead of both in the Nunthorpe when Battaash failed to give his running after getting above himself in the prelims but she ran her race in defence of the Prix de l’Abbaye only to find an on-song Battaash four lengths too strong. That race suggested that when he’s concentrating on the job in hand, Charlie Hills’s gelding is without peer at the minimum trip, and with doubts over his main rival, he looks the banker on the opening day.

Lady Aurelia came here a year ago after an impressive win in the Giant’s Causeway Stakes at Keeneland, but was a rather disappointing second in the same race this year, and there is a feeling that she might not be quite the force of old. Perhaps she is just getting a little windier with age, and Wesley Ward is a master at prepping his horses for this meeting, but she needs to be better than ever to retain her crown.

FIRMAMENT

David O’Meara

Royal Hunt Cup

Wednesday

I’ve been with Firmament before at Ascot, and he keeps running well without getting the cards to fall right for him, with his latest run coming in the Victoria Cup last month when it transpired that he had virtually no chance from his high draw. He did stay on well to be second best of those who raced on the stands’ side, and that form was boosted when the horse he followed, Gilgamesh, won well at Yok on his next start. He’s been eased a little bit more by the handicapper, and appears as good as ever, so should make his presence felt in the Hunt Cup granted a favourable draw, while quick ground would also aid his cause. He ran well off a mark of 109 in the Balmoral Handicap here on his final 2017 start and his current rating of 101 is one he can certainly win off granted the rub of the green, for a change.

STRADIVARIUS

John Gosden

Gold Cup

Thursday

It might seem sacrilege to oppose old favourite Order of St George here, and the six-year-old deserves to head the betting, but Stradivarius looks to be a worthy challenger if the weather stays fine. John Gosden’s Goodwood Cup winner looked to have progressed another chunk when winning at York on his return, not extended to beat Desert Skyline in the Yorkshire Cup, and his demeanour as much as anything suggests he will stay the longer trip at Ascot. He relishes fast ground and has a professional attitude allied to a smart turn of foot for a stayer and that could test the ante-post favourite to the limit.

ALPHA CENTAURI

Jessica Harrington

Coronation Stakes

Friday

The Coronation Stakes could be one of the hottest contests at the meeting, assuming all the intended runners make it to the start, with the winners of the French and Irish 1000 Guineas set to meet, as well as the beaten favourite for the Irish and Newmarket versions. Throw in last year’s best juvenile filly, and you have a tremendous race in prospect.

She may have been a relative outsider on the day but Alpha Centauri had always looked a top-class filly in the making and proved that point at the Curragh with her previous defeats easy to forgive in retrospect. She will go well granted good or quicker ground.

DANZENO

Michael Appleby

Wokingham Stakes

Saturday

Danzeno is something of an Ascot specialist and would look well handicapped on the form he showed when placed in the British Champions Sprint over this course and distance in 2015 and he was a winner over five furlongs at the track last summer in a highly competitive affair.

He failed to fire in Meydan earlier this year, and has taken time to find his feet subsequently, but he caught the eye when third behind George Bowen at York on his latest outing, and it looks like he’s beginning to hit top form, as is his canny trainer.

A mark of 102 is no gimme, but looks lenient on the seven-year-old’s best form, and this track is likely to be where he next comes good, be it here or later in the campaign.