Romanised is 8/1 in places for Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes and that seems to completely underestimate his chance. His win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, with a superb sustained run from the back - notably on good to firm - puts him in with a proper shout and is at least the equal of Tip Two Win's second in the Newmarket version. In fact, on a line through Gustav Klimt, sixth at Newmarket and third at the Curragh, that puts him almost alongside Saxon Warrior. Without Parole could be a very good horse but there is nothing like Classic form and Romanised looks one of the value bets of the week. ()
We have Sands Of Mali who I really like in the Commonwealth Cup but that's a Group One and I think Sabre might be our best chance of a winner in the Windsor Castle. He's a colt I've always thought a lot of and he ran well in the National Stakes when things didn't necessarily fall right for him. You never know what you're going in against at Ascot but I've won the Windsor Castle before with a horse that wasn't as good as this fellow.
Hydrangea has an obvious chance in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes on Tuesday despite being beaten on her reappearance at The Curragh. Like so many of Aidan O’Brien’s horses, she should improve for that run and any reproduction of her two Group One victories or close second to stable companion Rhododendron in the Prix de l’Opera last autumn should put her in a different league to the opposition here. ()
I really like Battaash, but there are a few concerns with him ahead of the King's Stand. The most important one is keeping a lid on him pre-race amid the atmosphere and fanfare of the opening day of Royal Ascot. The second is his best two performances have come with significant cut in the ground. Lady Aurelia loves it fast, she loves Ascot and the reports from Wesley Ward couldn't be any more positive about her current well-being. At around 3/1, she looks lovely banker material. ()
We won't be getting rich with this one but Sir Michael Stoute's charge is worth the wait. He's a typical Freemason Lodge improver and showed the benefit of his Sandown reappearance when running away with the Aston Park Stakes at Newbury. He's open to more progress over a mile-and-a-half and can take this before going onto contest even more prestigious prizes through the summer and autumn. ()