2:30 ALBANY STAKES

Everyone is looking forward to seeing the gigantic Alpha Centauri take her chance for Jessica Harrington. The daughter of Mastercraftsman is two from two, both wins coming at Naas, and of which her most recent was a seriously impressive five-length win in a listed contest. There is no doubt that she is the one to beat but it’s worth pointing out that last week Harrington voiced real concerns about the fast ground and even suggested she won’t run Alpha Centauri if she feels the ground is too quick. That has to be a worry if she does take her chance.

Alpha Centauri has been seriously impressive on both of her runs at Naas this season

Take out the favourite and this is an open contest but by far the most intriguing horse is Clemmie, a full-sister to Churchill. Like her brother she finished a promising third first time out in a good Curragh maiden and now arrives for a juvenile contest at Royal Ascot on her second start. But unlike Churchill, who was a well-backed odds-on favourite when he won the Chesham Stakes, we can get Clemmie at around 8/1 for this contest.

Wesley Ward runs two, Fairyland and Princess Peggy and the latter looked more impressive on debut but is a bigger price. She is a daughter of Scat Daddy who has had plenty of success with his progeny at Royal Ascot.

SELECTION: CLEMMIE NEXT BEST: PRINCESS PEGGY

3:05 KING EDWARD VII STAKES

This is a typical tricky contest, with the Derby also rans taking on horses who didn’t make it to Epsom, either well beaten in a trial or not ready in time. Crystal Ocean got beaten in the Dante at York, but ran with credit behind Permian and Benbatl, who themselves performed with credit in the Derby. That is probably the best piece of form in this race and it came on Crystal Ocean’s third start - so there should be more to come.

There were excuses made about the fitness of Sir John Lavery after his disappointing sixth in the Lingfield Derby Trial, but even so, he looks a short price now. Hugo Palmer’s Best Of Days is an interesting contender and was last seen winning the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September. That may well be an absence too long to overcome and so for the second vote, we go to the unexposed Call To Mind, owned by Queen Elizabeth. He did get beaten on his previous run at Newmarket but that was just his second start and he should be able to produce better now. He is by Galileo, out of Albany Stakes winner Memory, and up in trip here, he could improve enough to have a say.

SELECTION: CRYSTAL OCEAN NEXT BEST: CALL TO MIND

3:40 COMMONWEALTH CUP

Perhaps the most eagerly-awaited contest of the week. Caravaggio against the Godolphin pair Blue Point and Harry Angel.

Aidan O’Brien’s horse got quotes for the 2000 Guineas after his win here in the Coventry last year but with the speed he has displayed and the emergence of Churchill, he returns to Ascot attempting to win over the same course and distance as a three-year-old. He was very impressive on his comeback run at Naas and should improve for that outing like most Ballydoyle horses do. But the Coolmore horse faces stern opposition from chief rivals Godolphin and Blue Point is returning to a course and distance where he holds the course record. Harry Angel finished second to Blue Point in that record-breaking race last month and has since gone on to set another scorching time in a Group 3 race on firm ground at Haydock. That was a much improved effort from an already smart piece of form and Godolphin moved to buy Clive Cox’s colt soon after. He gets the vote to put it up to Caravaggio in what looks like a fantastic race.

SELECTION: HARRY ANGEL NEXT BEST: CARAVAGGIO

4:20 CORONATION STAKES

Winter is going to be very difficult to beat. The daughter of Galileo has come into her own this season and comes into this in tremendous form courtesy of her 1000 Guineas double. She looked even more impressive at the Curragh and showed at Newmarket that fast ground should pose no problems.

Winter impressed again in the Irish 1000 Guineas

There is a good international feel to this race with American raider La Coronel representing Mark Casse and French 1000 Guineas winner Precieuse representing Fabrice Chappet. Of those two the latter-mentioned is shorter in the betting but will have to deal with drastically different ground conditions to what she had at Deauville. La Coronel will have no problems with the fast surface but only has yet to win past Grade 3 level so will need to improve. Dabyah missed her Guineas engagement but looked impressive when winning a Group 3 at Newbury and she may be the one to put it up to Winter.

SELECTION: WINTER NEXT BEST: DABYAH

5:00 QUEEN’S VASE

Aidan O’Brien has won this race five times in all and has taken three of the last four renewals. He is represented by Belgravia and Wisconsin, of which the former will be ridden by Ryan Moore. He is bred to stay well, as a full-brother to Ruler Of The World and Giovanni Cannaletto, and this sort of test should suit him. He was beaten at Navan last time, but that was a good race, won by Naughty Or Nice, and which has also produced subsequent impressive winners Grandee and Haripour (reopposes today).

Michael O'Callaghan's Night Of Glory is one to consider at a big price

Time To Study may start favourite for Mark Johnston but he will probably need to improve a fair deal from his handicap win at Musselburgh. Desert Skyline possibly produced a better handicap performance when third to Drochaid over 10 furlongs on Derby day. He is up another four furlongs today so that is a question to answer while Count Octave disappointed in the Chester Vase on his previous run. It may pay to take a chance on one at a bigger price - Sword Fighter won this last season at 33/1 - and one to note is Michael O’Callaghan’s Night Of Glory, who fetched £340,000 at the Goffs London Sale on Monday. He was a little disappointing at Leopardstown but may be able to leave that effort behind him back on good ground and coming up to this trip.

SELECTION: BELGRAVIA NEXT BEST: NIGHT OF GLORY

5:35 DUKE OF EDINBURGH STAKES

This looks another tricky finish to the day but the race does possess a solid-looking favourite in the shape of Roger Varian’s Appeared. The son of Dubawi was gelded in the off season and came back with an emphatic win over this course and distance on his seasonal debut. He is up 10lbs for that but he doesn’t have many miles on the clock and could be a progressive horse now.

Knights Table would have got closer in his previous run in a listed race over this course and distance but for the fact that he got impeded late in the race. The handicapper dropped him 2lbs for that effort which means he is only 6lbs higher than the mark he had for his impressive handicap win at Ripon on his penultimate run.

SELECTION: APPEARED NEXT BEST: KNIGHTS TABLE