Far and away the most prestigious race meet anywhere in the Thoroughbred world is the five-day Royal Meeting held each June at Ascot in Berkshire, England. The latest iteration takes place from Tuesday, June 19th, to Saturday, June 23rd, and is expected to draw in excess of 300,000 visitors to view some 500 horses in action in 30 selected events. Fortunately, the region is forecast to have a dry spell during the meeting, with a mix of sun and clouds overhead and temperatures ranging from 21 Celsius to 26 Celsius on the ground. In short, ideal conditions for high-class sport!

Queen Anne, monarch of England from 1702 to 1714, instituted the first meetings at the venue, just West of London, and it is to commemorate her name that the opening event is named the Queen Anne Stakes. A Gr.1 event over a mile, the race is for four-year-olds and older over the Straight Mile course and has drawn 15 acceptors. It is set to open the meeting with a bang at 2:30 p.m. BST (7:00 p.m. in India) on Tuesday afternoon (June 19th).

Rhododendron (by Galileo), fresh off a win in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, is the nominal favourite at 11 to 4, but faces a formidable task. She is sure to be tuned to the minute by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland and will have the services of Ryan Moore, but this is not a case of easy pickings! Jockey Olivier Peslier is bullish about the chances of his mount, Recoletos (by Whipper) – the four-year-old has won both his starts in France in 2018, including the Gr.1 Prix d’Ispahan. Benbatl (by Dubawi), a course winner, has shown vast improvement with three wins from his four appearances this year, all at Meydan in Dubai. Lightning Spear (by Pivotal) was a shade unlucky not to catch Rhododendron in the Lockinge – beaten just a short head – and is on offer here at 7 to 1. And then there is Yoshida (by Heart’s Cry), sporting the Justify silks, who has been sent over from the USA by Bill Mott, known to pick his spots carefully. Jose Ortiz has flown in to take the mount.

The third race of the afternoon, at 3:40 p.m. (8:10 p.m. IST) is the Gr.1 King's Stand Stakes over 5 furlongs. As usual it has drawn a large number of runners, with 14 of the fleetest equines anywhere in the world declared for the scurry. Although the customary challenge from Australia is missing, the race features the highest rated sprinter anywhere in the shape of the mercurial Battaash (by Dark Angel), representing Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, and a worthy opponent from the USA in Lady Aurelia (by Scat Daddy). Punters have not yet been able to differentiate the chances of the pair, with both quoted as 2 to 1 joint favourites. The last-named has twice been sent to Royal Ascot by her wily handler Wesley Ward, who snared the Queen Mary Stakes with her in 2016 as well as this very race last year. The contest between the duo has been long anticipated and is likely to set one’s pulse racing.

While many feel it is a two-horse race, in a sprint there is little time to recover from a slow start or a troubled passage, so it’s quite possible that another runner will attract attention at the wire. Several of the remainder of the field deserve a mention. Blue Point (by Shamardal) is one the best sprinters around and represents the in-form stable of Charlie Appleby, though one will have to ignore his last effort when he dwelt, made a feeble challenge and fizzled out. Both Washington D.C. (by War Front) and Mabs Cross (by Dutch Art) tend to finish late which means their pilots, Ryan Moore and Paul Mulrennan respectively, will have to time their efforts with razor-sharp precision if they are to get there in time. Although winless this year, the 33 to 1 Bucchero (by Kantharos) has 10 victories under his belt in the USA – trainer Tim Glyshaw has taken the effort to ship his ward all the way across the Atlantic and presumably feels he is rounding into peak form.

Forty minutes later comes the Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes, for three-year-olds, with ten declared to start. Unlike the Queen Anne Stakes, this is contested over the Round Mile, but like its counterpart, it makes for an intriguing puzzle. Guineas form is represented by the hero of the Irish 2000, Romanised (by Holy Roman Emperor) and the runner-up, U S Navy Flag (by War Front), the latter just rounding into the form that made him the champion 2-y-o of 2017. Better fancied than both is the runner-up to Saxon Warrior in the Qipco 2000 Guineas in England, Tip Two Win (by Dark Angel), from the small Berkshire yard of Roger Teal. His trainer has professed to be pleased by his ward’s progress – the grey will be ridden by David Probert, who made such a favourable impression on fans of the Indian Turf last winter with 11 wins from 41 rides.

Incidentally, none of those named so far is the best-backed in this event, that honour going to the unbeaten Without Parole (by Frankel) from John Gosden’s yard. This exciting colt has been bred by the same father and daughter team of John and Tanya Gunther that bred 2018 US Triple Crown winner Justify. Frankie Dettori rides the 5 to 2 chance.

In contrast to the surfeit of Gr.1 races on the Tuesday, Wednesday (June 20th) sees only a solitary event of that calibre, but what a cracker it promises to be! The £750,000 Prince Of Wales's Stakes (10 furlongs) is set for 4:20 p.m. (8:50 p.m. IST) and brings together 4 four-year-olds and 5 older horses. It sees the reappearance of Cracksman (by Frankel), unbeaten in 5 starts since the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby last July, and Cliffs Of Moher (by Galileo), who finished one place ahead of him – by just a neck – in the Investec Epsom Derby of 2017. Earlier this month Cracksman had a Houdini-like escape in the Coronation Cup after banging his head in the starting gate when at short odds. He is likely to start as an odds-on choice yet again.

Often trainer Martyn Meade has felt that his charge Eminent (also by Frankel) could beat Cracksman, but this has yet to happen on the track. He is back for another shot. Winner of the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic in March, Godolphin’s Hawkbill (by Kitten’s Joy) would have been amongst the leading fancies here had he not run poorly behind Cracksman last time out. He is good enough to rebound. Ten times champion trainer in England Sir Michael Stoute has a brilliant record at Royal Ascot and fields Poet’s Word (by Poet’s Voice), a consistent sort. And last, but not least, Aidan O’Brien has this target in his sights through the medium of Hydrangea (by Galileo), who misses an alternate engagement in the Queen Anne Stakes in favour of an appearance here. She appeals as an “each-way” choice at 10 to 1.

More on the rest of Royal Ascot 2018 in a couple of days….