WHEN Robson de Aguiar returns to Royal Ascot next week, it will be different to any other year he has passed through those hallowed gates.

There have been some fine results for the highly-respected horseman at the Berkshire venue in recent times through his role in the Adrian Murray operation, none more so than Valiant Force’s 150/1 shock in the 2023 Norfolk Stakes. However, the 2026 Royal Meeting signals his first chance to have Ascot runners in his own name.