Royal Ascot - Thursday

After short priced favourites Frankel and So You Think won their respective races on the opening two days, Fame And Glory will be looking to follow suit on Gold Cup day.

Thursday at Royal Ascot kicks off with the Norfolk Stakes. Mick Channon runs the much fancied favourite Cay Verde who won a listed event last time out at the Curragh comfortably. The Bahamian Bounty colt had previously won his maiden over course and distance at Ascot impressively beating Tuesday's Royal Ascot winner Hototo. Aidan O'Brien runs Gale Force Ten who won his maiden over 6f at the Curragh and is open to further improvement. Annunciation is highly regard by Richard Hannon but will find it hard to reverse form with RECKLESS ABANDON for Clive Cox.

The Ribblesdale Stakes has a number of runners from the Oaks looking to take compensation here. Musidora winner THE FUGUE found trouble at Epsom and come from near the back to take third. Shirocco Star and Vow 2nd and 4th respectively in the Oaks should run their race and Kailani for Godolphin maybe better suited to a flat track like Ascot. Momentary for the Queen and ridden by Hayley Turner will be looking to go one better than Carlton House in giving the Queen a Royal Ascot winner in her Diamond Jubilee year.

The Ascot Gold Cup looks a four horse race on paper with the Godolphin pair of Opinion Poll and Colour Vision, Sadler's Rock and last year's victor Fame And Glory. Sadler's Rock won the Doncaster Cup on his only start over two miles, beating Opinion Poll by 4 lengths, and has to be respect. Colour Vision finished behind Opinion Poll and Fame And Glory on Champions Day last October but seems to have improved over the winter and won a decent Sagaro Stakes from Red Cadeaux in May. FAME AND GLORY looks the class act in the race though and should be too good for these.

29 runners go to post in the Britannia Stakes Handicap and the race is a wide open affair with the current favourites trading around 10-1. The William Haggas trained FAST AND FREE looks unexposed and has to be respect. Ryan Moore comes in for the ride and he should go very close. Prince Alzain ran on strongly in the closing stages at Epsom and could be one for a place. Nawwaar has some fair form on his three two year old starts and although he is making his seasonal debut could be one to look out for in the betting. The John Dunlop-trained colt is currently around 25-1.

There are plenty of unexposed/ improving types in the Tercentenary Stakes. Starboard for John Gosden and William Buick is the likely favourite. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Tales Of Grimm will be suited by stepping up to 10f. Wrotham Heath could be a likely type to win a few Group 3 events over the summer. MUKHADRAM for William Haggas won a decent maiden at Newmarket last time out. The front two were clear on the rest and the runner up has won very well since. An interesting runner could be Cavaleiro for Mark Tregoning and Hayley Turner at 33-1. The colt finished a few lengths down to Derby runner up Main Sequence in the Lingfield Derby Trial but found the Derby a step to far. Could run a big race.

The final race of day three is the King George V Stakes and the Godolphin-trained Anomaly may be hard to pass. The Pivotal colt ran on strongly to win last time out at Newmarket and will appreciated the step up to 12f. Nicholascopernicus has been improving steadily since November and could be a danger. Mark Johnston always has good horses in these events and runs Fennell Bay and Prussian. ROUGEMONT, trained by Richard Hannon has been a bit of an enigma but is capable of winning an race like this and 25-1 looks far too big.

The rain thats around will almost certainly scupper a few chances today.The two year nold events dont hold much interest for me and tjhe minefield handicaps arent for the faint hearted,if you stick to the better quality events then you can turn a profit.The Ribblesdale is a very good renewal,The Fugue probably should have won The Oaks and as such she is almost a winner without the group one penalty but shes priced accordingly,if it pours then i think Kailani can hit the places at a decent price.She didnt handle the undulating track and quicker ground at Epsom,this test is more for her.
Fame and Glory is the class act in the Gold Cup and should be able to handle the opposition,although a real slog wouldnt suit.Like So you Think yesterday any evens or bigger is a good bet.