Royal Ascot comes under orders on Tuesday where five days of elitist nonsense is thankfully overshadowed by the best racing action you’re likely to find anywhere in the world this side of the Breeders’ Cup.
But with the rain-softened ground more likely to resemble Cheltenham rather than a Summer smash-up of Flat action we’ve told our tipsters to do a reverse ferret and start identifying the mud-larks rather than the fast-ground speedsters who will keep the champers flowing in the winner’s enclosure.
So the fab four of Matt Chapman, Paddy Power, our secret trader & Turftalk Tom have studied the form, hit up their contacts and could even leave the plush surroundings of the Royal Enclosure in their never-ending quest to bring you a stack winners over the next five days. Maybe.
For now, the dial is pointing in the direction of impressive Group 1 Lockinge winner Belardo in the opener while the panel are struggling to pick between the Classic winners The Gurkha (French 2,000 Guineas) and Awtaad (Irish 2,000 Guineas) in the St James’s Palace Stakes.