ALWAYS a brilliant start to the week with three Group One events on show and a Group Two as well, not to mention some crazy competitive handicaps to boot.

The big race of the day is the St James’s Palace Stakes at 4.20 and we have a superb renewal this year with the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas first and second, Bow Echo and Gstaad, set to reoppose. In the interim the last-named has gone on to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas in impressive style.

In the parade ring at Newmarket I thought that Bow Echo was trained to the minute while Gstaad was not as tight fit. The winner was given a lovely tow into that contest and once Billy Loughnane went for him, the reaction from his mount was instantaneous. Gstaad duly improved for that outing when he beat Distant Storm by three lengths in Ireland, had beaten him by eight lengths in the English version.

It really is a matter of which one of the pair has taken the biggest step forward again and with the short home straight jockeyship will of course play a major role. Common sense tells me that there won’t be much between them but this is no two-horse race.

Gstaad’s stable mate Puerto Rico should not be underestimated following his one-and-a-half lengths fourth in the French 2,000. He could well have his own way up front, so if Soumillion gets the fractions right then the partnership could be a danger to all. However, I think his optimum conditions are with some ease in the ground.

A fast pace up front would also favour Talk of New York, an impressive winner of the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown Park. He has a sharp turn of foot off a rapid pace as he showed that day, but I am not sure we are going to get a trail-blazing race. That last view leads me to think that GSTAAD, set to race closer to the pace than his two market rivals, may just have the edge, but I am tipping him with little conviction.

The King Charles III Stakes will see American Affair try to defend his title and he has been given the perfect prep for this. I think that this year’s renewal is on a par with 12 months ago and it is hard to see him not being involved in the finish.

Australian raider Overpass has the best global form and the market will tell us plenty as to how he has acclimatised, while if the 2024 winner Asfoora is back to her best, then the bay mare has to be respected. But I will go out on a limb and have an each-way play on BIG MOJO (3.40) at a double-figure price.

It is true that all his best form has come over six furlongs, but this is a stiff five and I expect Tom Marquand to keep hold of him for as long as possible before unleashing him at the distance. Hopefully he will be close enough to the five furlong horses to bring his requisite stamina into play.

The two-year-old Coventry Stakes has been dominated ante-post by Confucius from the all-conquering Aidan O’Brien yard and he was impressive when landing his maiden at Naas. However, the second and third have been beaten since so ROYAL HERITAGE (3.05) gets the call. He only won a minor race at Hamilton Park, but looked a juvenile with loads more under the bonnet that day after missing the kick, but then showing a fine turn of foot to go clear up the hill.

The one slight negative is that the victory only came six days ago, but James Doyle has chosen him in preference to Ruler’s Pride. Of the other runners, God Given Talent and Night In Vegas also come here with any amount of potential.

Of the other races on the card, last year’s third COMFORT ZONE (5.00) should once again run well in the stamina sapping Ascot Stakes, while back up to a mile-and-three-quarters, SING US A SONG (6.10) should be in the thick of things in the Copper Horse Handicap.