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WITH Royal Ascot only a month away, many charges are having their final warm up for the five-day festival at the Berkshire track and the Lockinge Stakes is quite a natural stepping stone to the Queen Anne Stakes on day one, although it is of course a big prize in its own right.

The 2024 2,000 Guineas hero, who finished fourth in both last year’s event and in the Lockinge, Notable Speech has been desperately disappointing since that classic success, largely because he needs to be delivered with perfect timing and ridden with precision.

He will have his preferred fast ground, while the rejuvenated The Lion In Winter, messed around by him flirting over the wrong trips last season, may finally have found his domain over a mile with a fluid comeback success in a Listed race in Ireland, but with much more on his plate this afternoon.

Damysus won the Earl of Sefton Stakes in good style but dropping back on trip requires a lot more here and he may not be able to deal with the speed of ZEUS OLYMPIOS (2.35). The last named was hugely progressive last season and returned with a solid run at Sandown Park when third in the Sandown Mile, looking in need of the run. The subject of some cracking home work reports since, this unexposed sort is taken to see off his rivals above with Jonquil a possibility of hitting the frame if the ground remains on the fast side of good following his smooth success in the Listed Paradise Stakes at Ascot.

Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby is going through a rather fallow period at the moment, but the tide will probably turn sooner rather than later and his WISE APPROACH (3.10) may step up on a rather one paced effort in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot, where he didn’t get the pace in the race to tow him into the contest.

Winner of the Rose Bowl Stakes over the course and distance last summer, I fancy that the son of Mehmas can bounce back here at the chief expense of the much-vaunted Albert Einstein. The Irish raider shaped as though the step back to six furlongs would be his port of call when running well over seven here last time out, and a trip to the Commonwealth Cup at the top of the market will suit either Aidan O’Brien’s charge or the selection, should they run out an impressive winner today in this Listed Carnarvon Stakes.

The London Gold Cup Handicap has always been a race worth following through the season with a field of progressive three-year-olds, many of which are stepping up to a mile-and-a-quarter for the first time in their careers.

Second to Ancient Egypt in the Newmarket Stakes at headquarters, My Love Is King looks sure to relish this extra yardage and an opening mark of 96 seems very fair on the balance of his form in his career to date, which also includes a novice second to the smart Maltese Falcon here. However, there are several each-way plays at bigger prices that look better value including Tierra Del Toro (possibly warming up for a run in the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot) and SAHARA KING (3.45).

A length behind Maltese Cross, who finished three-quarters of a length behind My Love Is King and is now a pound better off, he still looked in need of the experience that day, only hitting top gear once the race was over. A faster run event will suit this son of Too Darn Hot much better and he warrants an each-way play at around the 8/1 mark.

Of the remaining races on the Berkshire card, KORKER (4.20) could go close to ending a two-and-a-half-year winless run in this six-furlong class two handicap.

The seven-year-old has seen his handicap mark drop from a high of 107 to 93 during that period and merely found a seventh furlong too far to travel on his second start back at Haydock Park, so this drop back in trip on a sound surface should see him hit a season high and he is preferred to the likes of Newcastle winner Wiltshire and Brosay. The last named didn’t have the run of the race at Ascot and can be upgraded on that run.

STERLING KNIGHT (1.42) has a fair record at both Newmarket tracks through his career and shaped nicely over the course and distance last time out behind the well-treated Spanish Voice. A rating of 87 could see him go very close under top weight of 9-11. Back at a bare one mile, the bottom-weight Phone Tag looks sure to go well under Dougie Costello.

Course and distance winner Silver Ghost looks sure to run well in the class three handicap at 2.50 but may well be vulnerable to the likes of the evergreen Darkness and GOLDEN REDEMPTION.

The selection was a cracking second to Billyjoh despite being badly bumped at the furlong pole and has a cracking chance to step up here.

Elsewhere, CARAWAY (Thirsk, 3.00) may make up for being a disappointing beaten favourite last time out at Wolverhampton when he found himself out the back in a very slowly run race with little chance of making up the ground when the field quickened two furlongs from home. A faster run race should see this son of Gun Runner open his career account at the sixth time of asking.