Royal Ascot is now in full flow with two fantastic days of action behind us and the Gold Cup looming large on Thursday afternoon.
The day- three contest is of course the centrepiece of the meeting and race everyone wants to win. Can Frankie Dettori land a ninth Ascot Gold Cup on his final appearance in the race, three decades after his first?
Alongside the big race, Thursday's features include the Norfolk Stakes and the Ribblesdale Stakes.
Looking ahead to Friday and the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes are the Group 1 offerings on day four.
Enda McElhinney has selections across both days as Royal Ascot 2023 motors beyond the halfway stage.
Thursday
2.30 – Norfolk Stakes
Day three kicks off with the Norfolk Stakes, a speed test over five furlongs for two-year-olds. Wesley Ward has won the race twice since 2013 and the US-based trainer brings across impressive Keeneland winner American Rascal this year.
He's the first foal out of dual Royal Ascot winner Lady Aurelia and that April debut certainly suggested he's inherited plenty of her speed. He sports an array of headgear now and while he could be good, he'll need to very smart to deny the claims of ELITE STATUS for Karl Burke and Clifford Lee.
He won on debut at Doncaster (5f, soft) in early May and was immediately given the chance to impress further in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown a few weeks later. He torched some useful rivals there, winning by five lengths, and with further improvement on the cards, he's very much the one to beat.
Of those at bigger prices, His Majesty is worth a second glance for Aidan O'Brien – his Irish form brings Noche Magica into the picture too – while Malc impressed for the Richard Fahey team on debut at Carlisle last month and his trainer is looking to win this race for a third straight year.
4.20 – Ascot Gold Cup
This is the big event of the entire week and it's a truly wide open Gold Cup. Coltrane has a terrific Ascot record, with three wins and a second here. Andrew Balding's charge has looked as good as ever this spring and he stays this trip – something a few of his rivals cannot say with certainty. He's the one they all have to beat.
His old sparring partner Trueshan – the only horse to beat him here – will love the recent rain that has fallen but he's been out sorts lately and comes here off the back of a wind op. Alan King's runner would be the first seven-year-old first-time winner of this great contest in a century – a stat that also pours cold water on the hopes of Irish duo Broom and Echoes In Rain for Aidan O'Brien and Willie Mullins respectively.
Subjectivist won this in 2021 and while he's had injury problems since, his Dubai Gold Cup run in March offered hope he can be a player again for Joe Fanning and Charlie Johnston.
Four-year-olds have dominated this race, with eight wins in 11 years, and this year they are represented by St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov, unbeaten Courage Mon Ami and Ballydoyle filly EMILY DICKINSON.
The first-named pair are respected, with Frankie Dettori on unbeaten thrice-raced Courage Mon Ami, but Aidan O'Brien has won this race more than any other trainer and he pinpointed it some way out with this Dubawi filly.
She returned in the Vintage Crop at Navan with a fine display and her subsequent Leopardstown setback can be forgiven as she was forced to make the running. This extended trip could be right up her alley and any rainfall is a positive. She might be the one going best of all when they turn for home.
Selection: Emily Dickinson @ 5/1
Next Best: Eldar Eldarov @ 4/1
5.35 – Hampton Court Stakes
Group 3 fare here and a contest in which John & Thady Gosden have a strong hand with Epictetus and TORITO, both in the colours of George Strawbridge.
Epictetus won a Derby Trial at Epsom in April but has come up short since in the Dante and the French Derby. He drops in class now and could find that a big aid. Frankie Dettori is on his back but it's the other Kingman colt, Torito, that appeals.
He and Benoit De La Sayette readily won an Epsom handicap this month over this trip off a mark of 95, making it 2-3 for the season with Derby seventh Artistic Star the only horse to best them when the pair pulled miles clear in a Sandown novice in May. There should be plenty more improvement in him and he's well worth a go in this company.
Of the others, not much went right for Waipiro in the Epsom Classic, Ed Walker's Australia colt out the back after a tardy start and eventually plugging on for sixth. He was progressing nicely before that and can get back on an upwards curve now.
Friday
2.30 – Albany Stakes
The opening contest on Friday is the Albany, a fillies' Group 3 over six furlongs and a race in which CARLA'S WAY can confirm the immense promise of her debut effort at Doncaster this month.
This breeze-up purchase cost connections £350,000 and they have reason to believe it was a good investment following that Town Moor display.
She was keen early and gave Jack Mitchell little option but to lead. It didn't prevent her from repelling nine rivals with some ease at the line and that form was handed a boost when runner-up Star Of Mystery easily won at Haydock next time. With progress assured now, the daughter of Starspangledbanner can give Simon and Ed Crisford a Royal Ascot winner.
Matrika won on debut for Aidan O'Brien and can have a say as the trainer looks for back-to-back Albany successes but more of a danger could come in the form of Richard Fahey's Pretty Crystal. She was a ready winner on debut at Ripon this month and Oisin Orr has talked positively of her chances.
Next Best: Pretty Crystal @ 25/1
3.05 - Commonwealth Cup
Little Big Bear is going to be extremely popular for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore having won the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last month on his return to sprinting. He got an easy enough time of things there and while Bradsell winning the King's Stand Stakes here on Tuesday was a form boost, he still looks short enough in the betting in what is a deep renewal of this race.
Sakheer now emulates the favourite in dropping back in trip and that has proved no bad thing in this race in the past, so Roger Varian's Mill Reef winner has to be shortlisted but the same sentiments go for LEZOO, winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in September having bagged the Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes over this course and distance in July.
She had figures of 11211 last season and appeared not to see out a mile in the 1,000 Guineas on her comeback. She moved well in the race to the point where stamina gave way and with Frankie Dettori belatedly amongst the winners late on day two, this filly can be a key Commonwealth Cup player back at six furlongs.
Next Best: Little Big Bear @ 6/4
