Horse Racing tips: Our top pundits Cheat Sheet for Champions Day at Ascot

TRUESHAN took this impressively 12 months ago and Alan King’s five-year-old is  the one to beat again on the back of his taking victory over Stradivarius in Longchamp’s Prix du Cadran.  William Haggas’s lightly-raced Hamish is feared most  now he gets his first chance over 2m with ground conditions to suit too.

STRADIVARIUS is too big a price here against old rival Trueshan. Two miles on a better surface he may well have too much pace for the opposition under Frankie Dettori.

The top two in the market should be playing ‘cat and mouse’ up front, but HAMISH looks like he’ll get his ideal conditions and to me has more of a finishing ‘kick’ than the other two. He beat Hukum in a sprint finish at Kempton and is still progressing.

STRADIVARIUS should enjoy the ground at least as it was heavy in France but it still looks a big ask for him to turn round the deficit around with Alan King’s runner. However, the drier the ground the better his chances. Over this two mile trip, he’s my pick.

I don’t see Stradivarius getting the better of Hollie Doyle on TRUESHAN. Stradivarius set the benchmark for a long time but I don’t think he’s the horse he once was.

ROHAAN seemingly comes alive over this C&D and the manner in which he sluiced through the pack in the Wokingham suggests he is well up to winning a race like this. He gets the nod ahead of the tough Dragon Symbol and the classy Art Power.

No horse deserves a big sprint success more than DRAGON SYMBOL and the conditions are absolutely ideal. Has the class to score if a hard  season hasn’t left its mark.

DRAGON SYMBOL is one of the unluckiest runners to grace the turf this season and is long overdue a first Group One success

CREATIVE FORCE could be a big player. He won the Jersey Stakes at the Royal meeting so handles the track, the ground holds no worries. He has a very good each-way chance at least.

Good to soft ground brings CREATIVE FORCE into the mix. He won the Jersey here over 7f and was second at Goodwood in July – and there was give in the ground on both days.

SNOWFALL hasn’t quite scaled the same heights of late that saw her complete the English/Irish Oaks double, yet she was far from disgraced when finishing sixth in the Arc at the start of the month and this looks a good opportunity for her to resume winning ways back against her own sex. Albaflora and the improving Invite can also feature.

I’ll back ALBALFORA each-way. She was stuffed by Snowfall in the Yorkshire Oaks  but her Ascot form is excellent and the juice in the ground will be right up her street.

SNOWFALL is someway clear on official ratings of 120 which makes her virtually impossible to oppose. Probably has most to fear from course and distance winner, Albaflora.

Dual Oaks winner SNOWFALL  faces her own gender and that’s worth noting.  Ballydoyle must be very keen to get a winner on the day after she  finished sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a fortnight ago.

It all depends on how strong SNOWFALL is, the rest only become relevant if she has an off day. This was never the main target for Snowfall and it’s a bit of an afterthought having finished sixth in the Arc two weeks ago.

Potentially the race of the day, with established top-notcher PALACE PIER taking on the up-and-coming Baaeed. The former has a score to settle in this race having met with his only defeat here a year ago and the level he is consistently capable of tilts the scales his way. Baaeed is unbeaten and  2020 winner The Revenant deserves  serious respect, too.

John Gosden’s  PALACE PIER has only been beaten once in his career (in this race) and may have too much for Baaeed.

Palace Pier and Baaeed will be all the rage at the head of the market, but MASTER OF THE SEAS comes in under the radar, despite posting an excellent second to Poetic Flare in the 2,000 Guineas earlier this season.

PALACE PIER to win but the three-year-old Mother Earth is a big price considering she is a 1,000 Guineas winner and gets the age and gender allowance.

I’m going to go with THE REVENANT is an each-way punt. He was unlucky at Longchamp and got into an impossible position to win from. He’ll love a little cut in the ground and he’s got a good draw too.

MISHRIFF found Adayar too strong when the pair met in the King George at this course back in July, but there must be a good chance the tables will be turned over this shorter trip. There isn’t much between the pair judged on their peak efforts. Last year’s winner Addeybb can place.

I expect MISHRIFF to win but feel Al Aasy  is too big a price and will have a few quid on each-way as well.

MISHRIFF drops back down to 1m 2f under what should be his ideal ground conditions and he can confirm the King George VI Stakes at Ascot with Adayar, despite being 7lbs worse off.

MISHRIFF is a class act who has improved with every run this season. His win in the Juddmonte Stakes at York showed how good he is over this 1m 2f trip. He is going to be tough to beat and arrives pretty fresh after a break.

I’ve been taken with ADAYAR since he won the Epsom Derby and the Arc didn’t put me off him. He was too fresh and went for home too soon at Longchamp. Mishriff is a very good horse and it’ll be a good battle.

A very competitive handicap but it’s still hard to see past SUNRAY MAJOR who was a convincing winner in a big field over 7f here on his recent handicap debut and can take the next step up the ladder now. His stablemate King Leonidas is another low-mileage sort who should have more to offer so he’s feared most ahead of Nugget.

I’ll back ALDAARY each-way for William Haggas and Jim Crowley.  He hacked up back on an easy surface at the track last time and looks more than a handicapper.

KING LEONIDAS  put up a brilliant performance on his return to action off a mammoth layoff and this contest has obviously been a target. His stablemate is well fancied too and Kenzai Warrior could be an each-way play.

SIR BUSKER fits the bill. We could yet see the jockeys title race go to the last contest at Ascot and Oisin Murphy for one will hope I’m right about the William Knight-trained runner as he get the leg up.

Joseph O’Brien’s RAISE YOU had a great run last time out at Galway and is rated 104. He’s won off 101 at the Curragh and they’ve been targeting a big race with him and this could be it.