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ROYAL ASCOT is just around the corner and my brief selections for next week are at the bottom of this week’s editorial which takes us to Sandown Park, York and Chester et al this afternoon.

The main betting contest of the afternoon is the class two Handicap at 2.05 with a field of 16 set to go to post over the stiff mile. With plenty of rain around before today, any sting in the ground should be a thing of the past and that shouldn’t be a problem for the likely first two in the market, Dancing Magic and Dual Identity. The last named, a multiple course and distance winner, may just be in the pocket of the handicap and may well need a career best to land this and I just feel BILL SILVERS could improve past both of them.

The son of Farhh has not quite got home over a mile and quarter at Redcar and Goodwood, and this drop to a testing mile should prove perfect for him. A further 2lbs drop to a mark of 90 is a further plus and I just hope that Tudhope bides his time on the selection a little more. Of the remainder, I have the utmost respect for outsider Bluelight Bay who is nicely treated on his back end C&D form from 2023.

MR MONACO (1.30) takes a rise in class for the three-year-old, nine-furlong handicap, but the bay gelding has been absolutely crying out for this extra furlong and granted an end to end gallop, I can see him stepping up here at the main expense of top weight Mafnood.

STAR STYLE (3.15) was biting off way more than she could chew when contesting the 1,000 Guineas on just her second career start and was way too free out in front that day. In the main, her Newbury debut win hasn’t worked out, even though the sixth has won since, but a mark of 86 here could still underestimate her, and she gets a tentative vote over Jaarraf who looked in need of a stiffer test of stamina last time out when third to Monkey Island in what looked a fair novice at Newbury.

Over at York, I always like to have a punt in the Queen Mother Cup for lady amateur riders that opens the card at 1.50. Thundering had a horrible wide passage last time out and the key to him defying his 16 box draw here would be for Olive Nicholls to get him to settle. If she does then a place at the very worst looks a play here. But the draw and his hard pulling behaviour makes him second best in my book behind bottom weight STAR JASMINE.

With Richard Fahey’s team in such grand form this three-year-old could take another step forward on her first run over a mile and a half, but Sophie Smith has a lovely box to play from in stall three.

Orbaan is interesting off a mark of 83 in the seven-furlong handicap at 4.45, but he is so inconsistent that a rear end play is just as likely as a strong finishing flourish. Instead, the nod goes to BARLEY, who may just step up here dropping down to seven furlongs for the first time since his three-year-old campaign.

Tiriac will be a popular play to complete a hat-trick in the six-furlong finale at 5.20 and any further rain won’t prove a problem. But ANOTHER INVESTMENT may prove too good in a fast run race with dig. Only 5lbs above his last mark, as long as his draw doesn’t prove a negative he has solid claims.

The best bet at Chester is the old boy COPPER KNIGHT (nap, 2.10) from a lovely sit in stall two. Just 2lbs higher than when second to Democracy Dilemma here last month, the old boy still has another gold medal in him.

Royal Ascot picks

Tuesday

3.45 – King Charles III Stakes - Last year’s surprise Norfolk Stakes winner VALIANT FORCE was only half a length off favourite Big Evs in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and yet is five times the price of the market leader. He looks the each-way play here along with the progressive four-year-old Kerdos.

Wednesday

5.05 — Royal Hunt Cup — The 2022 Chesham Stakes hero, HOLLOWAY BOY looks a fascinating contender back on better ground following two runs on deep turf. A mark of 105 back in a big field at Ascot looks made to measure. I shall be having an each-way play at 20/1 and if he turns up a back up bet on PADISHAKH. The last named had some cracking form in France last year and will appreciate the return to a better surface here.

Thursday

4.25 — Ascot Gold Cup — With doubts about how much ability Kyprios still has I am going to have an each-way play on TRAWLERMAN who strikes me as a lung burster set to relish this step up to two and a half miles on ground with some give in it. He had the perfect warm up for this with a staying on third in the Dubai Gold Cup a couple of months ago; there could be more to come form the late maturing son of Golden Horn.

Friday

3.45 — Coronations Stakes — This looks a cracking renewal of this fillies’ three-year-old mile championship race with the Guineas’ winners across Europe locking swords. I think Fallen Angel is better suited to the Curragh than here, and prefer Elmalka who has the advantage of a bit of give in the ground, but the French heroine could trump them both. ROUHIYA overcame plenty of negatives to win at Longchamp, stall 10 and ground softer than she likes, and I think she has been ignored in the market place and may find a fitter Opera Singer a bigger danger than the classic winners.

Saturday

5.05 — Wokingham Handicap — I wouldn’t be surprised to see Saint Lawrence successfully defend his championship off just a 3lbs higher mark, but he does need a sound surface to achieve that. In the absence of “firm” in the going description I am more than hopeful of big runs from both runaway Haydock Park winner ENGLISH OAK and the classy FLAMING RIB. The last named was runner-up in the 2022 Commonwealth Cup and found the ground way too quick last year off a mark of 107, beaten seven-and-a-half lengths after racing prominently.