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As usual it starts with the Queen Anne G1 which follows the route of the Royal Procession.
That's from the Queen Anne gate where the 1600m straight races depart from, This year the going is reported as good and there will be 11 runners lining up. There are four runners who were in the Lckinge recently but the field us actually quite open.
We like Sardinian Warrior who was second in the Prix d'Ispahan, won on trials day over C&D and has the services of Christophe Soumillon who is in tremendous form and is at 13/2. Rosallion is favourite at the moment as he likes Ascot but we don't have a lot of confidence in him. Diego Velazquez is having his first run since last September but the Ballydoyle runners and always well prepared and 12/1 is very tempting.
A soon-to-be-Aussie runner Carl Spackler has recently arrived from America after bring purchased by Yulong and he is bringing very good form with him having put in a great run in the Makers Mile. Ciaron Maher has taken over from Chad Brown and says the horse is in excellent condition. J Mac has the ride and 15/1 could be well worth a few bob.
Another "Aussie" is Docklands who was second in this race last year and has been racing well of late. Harry Eustace said after the last run that he would put an Aussie jockey on him and so Mark Zahra gets the ride and their 25/1 is quite generous.
The Coventry Stakes is for the 2yo with 21 going round and we suggest try and find the champagne bar as this will be a difficult race for many of these babies. For the record Post Modern is on 7/2 for Al Jahani-James Doyle – he won his debut run by 5 lengths. Military Code is on 4/1 for Appleby-Buick and is up in trip. He's by Wooton Bassett and Gstaad by Starspangled Banner is on 9/2 for O'Brien-Moore with stablemate Warsaw on 13/2 with Lordan riding and he's another Wooton Bassett.
The King Charles III Stakes is G1 over 1000m with 23 runners. Our own Asfoora won this last year and has a win and a second from warm-ups at Morphetville this year. Henry Dwyer and Oisin Murphy reunite and she is on 9/2 as is Believing, George Boughey's consistent filly who has Ryan Moore in the irons.
Mgheera is another talented filly from Ed Walker's yard and Buick has the ride. They are on 9/1.
We have a few roughies here which with the large fields are worth adding to multiples and they are Bucanero Fuerte on 18/1 following a recent win at Naas, Prime Art 25/1 and Aesterius with J Mac riding for Archie Watson and they are on 40/1.
The St James's Palace Stakes is G1 over 1600m and has 7 top 3yos running. We really cannot look past the three Guineas winners – Field of Gold on 8/11 Gosden-Keane, winner of the Irish and second in the UK versions, Ruling Court winner of the UK Guineas on 11/4 Appleby-Buick and Henry Matisse 7/2 winner of the French version for O'Brien-Moore.
