Disclaimer: Compulsive gambling can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt. If you have a problem with gambling and you’d like to stop, support and treatment is available. To find information, support and counselling on gambling addiction, please visit the NHS website: www.bit.ly/NHSGambling

I HAVE to admit, the Shergar Cup isn’t my favourite pastime in the world of horse racing, but the powers that be have decided to link one of the greatest racehorses of all time to a mundane team game and I can do nothing about it. Still, there could be a few shillings to be made from the event even though it didn’t fulfil the numbers that were originally designated for it.

What we do know about the Ascot meeting is that with the fair weather forecast set to continue, despite the watering, the ground will definitely be on the fast side of good. Returning to a mile and a half since winning at Goodwood at May, I fancy that HMS PRESIDENT will take all the beating in the opening event on the card at 1.00.

Dropped a pound by the handicapper for that run, I thought that this smaller field and a chance to be close to the pace throughout is a scenario I really like for this son of Excelebration – and he gets the nod over the likes of top weight Carolus Magnus, and further down the bottom of the list, Value Theory. The last named ran really well in a cracking fillies’ handicap at Goodwood and should be suited by this extra quarter of a mile.