Paul Lafferty at Royal Ascot

It is a beautiful sunny day at Ascot as the crowds beginning thronging onto the majestic course. It is a week where the greatest colt and filly are due to race. The excitement is palatable today because the unbeaten superstar Frankel is due to compete in the Queen Anne Stakes against a group of top class milers. The betting is out to see which one will run second and most of the pundits believe that the Aidan O Brien trained Excelebration will finish second. You can get just short of even money for Excelebration to win without Frankel but I believe course specialist Strong Suit from the powerful Richard Hannon stable is a better option at 2 to 1. 

Some fortunate punters managed to secure even money on the double with Frankel and Black Caviar. Let us not forget at at this meeting a year ago Frankel ran arguably his worst race in the St James Palace when hanging on to win by three quarters of a length. Tom Queally took the brunt of it and the runner up that day has done little to enhance his reputation. Henry Cecil now employs the services of stable mate, Bullet Train to ensure the gallop is from from the start. History has shown us that three other hot favourites at Royal Ascot, Tudor Minstrel, Ardross and Humble Duty have all trotted up.

For most people on the course it will be a chance to witness one of the greatest equine superstars in action and it is inconceivable to think that he might lose.

Another  important Group1 is the St James Palace Stakes over a mile. The race this year has attracted the biggest field in sixty years. There is no outstanding horse like Frankel last year. Irish Challenger, Power, is favourite at 7/2 and demands great respect. Jockey selections suggest that The Nile might be the best of the Gosden trio. lucayan has been supplemented at a cost of 25 thousand pounds so connections are quietly confident. There are few other horses that could upset the apple cart in this big field with the chance of course bias coming in to play. I am going with Power.

The big sprint is the King Stand stakes over a thousand meters and another big field faces punters. You  can get 6/1 the field. A few of these horses will look to compete on Saturday against the wonder from down under, Black Caviar. There will be a lot of interest in the Aussie horse, Ortensia who is that the top of his game having won a great race in Dubai last time out. It is an international affair with competitors coming from Hong Kong, France and Ireland. the Irish have not won this event for 25 years and this years hopes lie with the talented, Sole Power, even though it is rumored that the ground might end up unsuitable today. The Robert Collet entry is the flying French filly Wizz Kid who rarely touches her food when away from her box and she will will be whisked over today for the contest. A very open race.

At 5.25 South African time we see the running of the Coventry Stakes a Group 2 race over six furlongs.Aidan Obrien and Richard Hannon have won this race 6 times over the past 11 years and they are well represented again. Their leading chances seem to be Christoforo Columbo and Sir Prancealot. The horse that I am leaning towards is for the Bolger trained, Dawn Approach. Again it is a large field and track bias should be considered. 

Until later when the champagne has kicked in.