IT is a pity that Inns Of Court has not made it to final declaration stage for today’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but Blue Point and Le Brivido are intriguing inclusions.

It is worth rolling the dice with both horses, the former stepping up in trip from the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday, the latter stepping down significantly in trip from the Queen Anne Stakes. The step from King’s Stand to Diamond Jubilee is not that unusual, and Blue Point has high-class form over six furlongs, but the step from Queen Anne to Diamond Jubilee is.

Then again, Le Brivido is a pacey individual, he won the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs and he won over six and a half furlongs in France as a juvenile and he won over six furlongs in France as a three-year-old. He is a fascinating addition. And the step from Derby to St James’s Palace Stakes is also unusual, and look how that one turned out.

That said, it looks like City Light has been trained for today’s race, and he looks over-priced at 8/1. Stephane Wattel’s horse did really well to finish second to Merchant Navy in this race last year. Slowly away, he finished off his race strongly and just failed to catch Aidan O’Brien’s horse.

He didn’t win in three subsequent runs last season, but he shaped well on his debut this term when he got to within a half a length of Inns Of Court in a listed race at Maisons-Laffitte in April.

It is probable that the Diamond Jubilee has been on the trainer’s mind since last year. He has been campaigned much more sparingly this term than he was last term in the run up to Royal Ascot. Last year, he ran three times before Royal Ascot, including in the all-weather Championships at Lingfield in March, when he first came to attention in Britain in beating Kachy.

He goes into today’s race a fresher horse than he was going into last year’s race. The stiff six furlongs at Ascot suits him well, as does the fast pace that he should get. And we know that he handles the terrain well. He has plenty in his favour, and he could be a little under-rated.

Under-rated

Defoe could also be a little under-rated in the Hardwicke Stakes. Roger Varian’s horse may not have got due recognition for winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom last time, but he beat a high-class horse in Kew Gardens, the Grand Prix de Paris winner, the St Leger winner, and the pair of them finished well clear of the talented Salouen, who goes well at Epsom.

That was probably a career-best from Defoe on his third run of the season, his third run since being gelded. He is five now, but he is progressive, and he could progress again.

Lah Ti Dar was well backed yesterday, but she was behind Defoe at Epsom – for all that she may not have handled the track – and she was behind Kew Gardens in the St Leger, all of which leaves her with a little to find with Defoe now. She is now almost the same price as Roger Varian’s horse and, while she is a classy filly, she is probably shorter now than she should be.

Masar is obviously a fascinating runner, last year’s Derby winner racing for the first time since. A repeat performance would take him very close, but you just feel that, if connections were happy that they had him back to that level, he might have run in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes instead of in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes. He may well win, and it will be great to see him back, but he is short.

Recommended

Defoe 3:40 Ascot, 1 point win, 4/1 (generally)

City Light 4:20 Ascot, 1 point win, 8/1 (generally)