ROYAL ASCOT - DAY 3 (THURSDAY)

It's Gold Cup day and the halfway point of the meeting. The team runs through Thursday's card and previews all seven races. 14:30 - NORFOLK STAKES

Charles Darwin’s form and connections make him the natural selection here with the 4th of Cardiff By The Sea in the Queen Mary franking his latest win at Navan but he could end up very short for a horse front-running to date.

The market is lop-sided as a result and there are plenty of attractive each-way alternatives for four places.

Naval Light’s chances were not advertised by Old Is Gold in the Windsor Castle and also looks short despite a promising debut.

First Legion stays 6f and will benefit from a strong pace at 5f but looked the winner on merit at Sandown over 5f and should go well.

Sandal’s Song is also a threat given his faster time than Lennilu on the same card at Gulfstream Park and in beating Patrick Biancone’s Squire who had hoped to be Ascot-bound.

FIRST LEGION (E/W)

SANDAL’S SONG (E/W)

(Alan Morris)

15:05 - KING GEORGE V STAKES

Merchant saw out the trip with supreme confidence and relative ease when upped to 12f at York last month, beating a subsequent winner by four lengths and with 4th, 5th, and 6th all making the frame next time out, the form looks worth following. He could have plenty more to offer over this type of trip and has conditions to suit, so I’m hoping for another big run here.

There are Dangers aplenty, with the Aidan O'Brien trio Serious Contender, Propose and Light As Air all worthy adversaries, and Lightening Mann also considered for each way purposes with the step up in trip expected to suit.

MERCHANT (WIN)

(Dean Kilbryde)

15:40 - RIBBLESDALE

This renewal of the Ribblesdale is a very open affair with ,all runners stating good cases. Charlie Johnston is aiming to hit the heights of his father's training success, and I like his runner Caspi Star who was third to the Oaks winner Minnie Hauk at Chester, and the Camelot filly with Zoffany as the dam's sire can go well here. With Silvestre De Sousa onboard, it ticks boxes. Others to consider in the contest are Garden of Eden, Ryan Moore teams up with the Ballydoyle trained Saxon Warrior sired filly, she won readily at Naas just a month ago and can improve from there. Another filly to be on the mark is Life is Beautiful the Gosden trained filly is by Night Thunder and dam's sire is the legend Galileo. She was second in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket to Falakeyah, who was impressive and goes in the Coronation tomorrow.  

GARDEN OF EDEN (E/W)

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (E/W)

(John Arnold)

16:20 - ASCOT GOLD CUP

The jewel in the long-distance race calendar, the Ascot Gold Cup never disappoints. Trawlerman cannot be discounted, who can forget his titanic battle with Kyprios. A nice win at Sandown puts him bob on for this as well. Candelari is one of the new kids on the block and is already a Group One winner in France. However, this is a much more difficult contest. This leads us to Illinois. The absence of Jan Brueghel suggests that connections have faith in him to do the business. He’s got to stay but everything suggests that he will.

ILLINOIS (WIN)

(Kieran McHugh)

17:00 - BRITANNIA STAKES

A typically red-hot renewal of this three-year-old handicap over the straight mile. Harry Eustace landed the prize two years ago with his stable star Docklands, who recent gave him a first Group 1 success as a trainer when landing the opening Queen Anne Stakes earlier in the week, and he could well claim it again with the unexposed La Botte. An impressive winner of a Newcastle novice event over the winter, he caught the eye when fourth behind the subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year in Listed company at Newmarket last time, staying once nicely through the line after travelling powerfully on the wrong side of the track. That form looks to be working out well and off an opening mark of 99, he can land the spoils. The dangers could come from Haydock scorer Teroomm and Ralph Beckett's Consolidation.

LA BOTTE (WIN)

(Sam King)

17:35 - HAMPTON COURT

After running in the French Classics the last twice, this Group 3 is a decent drop in class for the market leaders. They were third and fourth in the French Derby, with just a head between them at the line. Both Detain and Trinity College have solid form, but the quicker ground could be a bit of a question mark, as they’ve generally looked better on softer going. They’ve got the talent to be involved, but I’ve got doubts about the conditions.

One that could go well at a big price is Sea Scout, now dropping back in trip. He didn’t seem to stay the Derby trip last time out, especially with the strong pace set by Lambourn. He actually beat Trinity College over this distance in April, and while their form has gone in different directions since, I don’t see why he’s such a big price in this field.

SEA SCOUT (E/W)

(Toby Darby)

18:10 - BUCKINGHAM PALACE

I will apologise to all readers in advance as although it's perhaps too many runners, I'm finding myself giving four selections in this cavalry charge to round off the day.

Roi De France is a horse I was convinced would run a big race in yesterday's Royal Hunt Cup but connections decided this race was a better fit. I'm not convinced that was the right call but I can't abandon him, especially as he's got the eye-catching jockey booking of Ryan Moore.

The horse I thought was mapped out for the race is Never So Brave. He's been raced sparingly this year and I imagine that's been with this race in mind as the seasonal target.

At bigger odds Witch Hunter and Holguin I've been certain have a big race in them but they've just been hard to place. This might be more a case of heart ruling the head with this duo but I know 'sods law' will strike if I abandon them on the biggest stage.

Of the rest Ramazan might be overlooked and can go well at decent odds and so can Divine Libra who, if near their best, has enough in the locker to outrun their odds.

ROI DE FRANCE (E/W)

NEVER SO BRAVE (E/W)

WITCH HUNTER (E/W)

HOLGUIN (E/W)

(Rory Paddock)