Donn McClean

THE highlight of Royal Ascot so far? It has been some week, but probably Caravaggio. That was some performance, to beat Harry Angel and Blue Point like that. It was some race. Those three three-year-olds could prove to be the three best sprinters in Europe this year.

The older sprinters get their chance to stake their own claim today in the Diamond Jubilee, and Limato is the headline act. We haven’t seen Henry Candy’s horse in this part of the world this season yet, but he was seriously impressive last year in winning the July Cup and the Prix de la Foret, and he has Ryan Moore for company today.

He is short, however, and he was well beaten in his last two runs, in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita last November and in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March.

He could only finish fourth in the Lockinge Stakes on his debut last year. Of course, that was over a mile, but he did improve from that run to the July Cup. He does have his ground, but he is not invincible.

Magical Memory could represent some value against the favourite. Charlie Hills’ horse was sent off as favourite for this race last year on the back of impressive wins in the Abernant Stakes and the Duke of York Stakes on his first two runs last year.

While he could only finish fourth, he was only beaten a total of a half a length by the winner Twilight Son. And he probably did well to get as close as he did, he had to make his ground from the rear in a race that was dominated by the prominent racers.

He was well beaten in his last two runs last season, but he didn’t get a clear run in the July Cup, and the ground was softer than ideal for him in the Haydock Sprint Cup.

You can allow him those runs, especially given that he ran so encouragingly on his debut this season, back in the Duke of York Stakes.

Weak in the market beforehand, and racing on unsuitably soft ground from the wing, stall 12 of 12, he looked a likely winner when he was delivered with his run on the near side, before Tasleet kicked clear. Even so, it was a fine run from Magical Memory, and it should have left him spot on for today.

You can be sure that this race has been his target since the end of last season, a Group 1 race at Ascot over six furlongs on fast ground. The field is bigger than ideal, but he is probably well drawn in stall 18, just one of the stands rail.

It may seem like draw advantage has been oscillating all week between far side and near side, but the probability is that you just want to be close to a rail, you probably don’t want to be down the middle.

Tasleeet is obviously a danger, and this has been The Tin Man’s target, he should come on appreciably from his debut run in the Duke of York, when he was behind Tasleet and Magical Memory, and Comicas and Mobsta.

But Magical Memory threatened to go to the top of the sprinting tree last season, and there is every chance that he can resume that journey today.

WOKINGHAM

It is a similar scenario with the draw in the Wokingham Handicap, the Diamond Jubilee for handicappers. You probably want to be drawn high or low, so Edward Lewis’ draw in stall seven is more than palatable.

Progressive for John Gosden last season, the Kyllachy gelding has raced exclusively over five this season for David O’Meara. He has won twice, and he was one of the most eye-catching finishers in the Epsom Dash on Derby day in a field of eye-catching finishers.

Taken out of a big handicap last week, for which he was ante post favourite, it is interesting that he is stepping back up to six furlongs now for the first time for O’Meara in the Wokingham Handicap.

He finished off his races well over six furlongs last season, so the trip should be fine for him. Indeed, he could improve again for the step back up.

The handicapper raised him by just 1lb for his run in the Dash, and that is fair. He remains a progressive sprinter, and Josh Doyle takes off a useful 3lb.

RECOMMENDED:

MAGICAL MEMORY, 1 point win, 7/1 (generally)

EDWARD LEWIS, 1 point each-way, 16/1 (generally)