With a few low-key Saturdays in-between the Derby Festival at Epsom and Royal Ascot, thoughts are turning to the latter. There are lots of factors to consider in the Royal Ascot handicaps, including the draw on both the straight track and the round course, but that doesn’t stop us having horses in the back of our minds for these races and I’ve got a handful for you to consider when you’re conducting your research for the Royal meeting.

DAYSOFOURLIVES – Royal Hunt Cup, Wednesday June 19

DAYSOFOURLIVES gets further than the mile trip of the Royal Hunt Cup, but that’s rarely a bad thing in this type of race and I’m convinced what he really wants is a hell-for-leather gallop to aim at. He has run two excellent races on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile this spring despite not having the races run to suit and while he’s nudged up the ratings to 97 on the back of the efforts that should hopefully ensure him a place in the Royal Hunt Cup line up. He’s run two good races at Ascot from two runs, including a course and distance win, and if Marco Botti opts for the mile option come race week he’ll be very much on the shortlist.

ENGLISH OAK – Buckingham Palace Stakes, Thursday June 20, Wokingham, Saturday June 22

The Ed Walker yard are having a fine season and he’ll be hoping his good form extends to Royal Ascot where he’ll have some nice chances. One of them is ENGLISH OAK who bumped into a local specialist in Noble Dynasty at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting, but improved on that run significantly at Haydock when justifying 8/11 favouritism in a canter. Both of those races were over seven furlongs and I’d love to see him in the Buckingham Palace Stakes over that distance on the Thursday of Royal Ascot, but he was beaten a head by Rohaan over six furlongs at Ascot last October, so the Wokingham will inevitably be on the table for him, too. Either way, this lightly-raced son of Wootton Bassett has the potential to be group class and his new mark of 100 might not stop him laying down a stern challenge wherever he runs at Royal Ascot.

INDELIBLE – Sandringham Stakes, Friday June 21

Having backed INDELIBLE for the Oaks at big prices last year I was delighted to see her win on Oaks day – in a mile novice stakes at Doncaster’s evening meeting two hours after Ezeliya had scorched to Classic success on the Epsom Downs. Being out of the Oaks second Midday, I had hoped she might blossom in the spring and be aimed at an Epsom trial, but, unlike quite a few Ralph Beckett-trained fillies, she was clearly slow to come to hand. Indeed, that Doncaster win on May 31 was her seasonal reappearance, but she did it by a cosy half-length despite market weakness (she was sent off at 9/1) and given it was her third racecourse appearance she earned a handicap mark on the back of it. A rating of 91 could be too tempting for connections, who usually go black-type hunting straight away, to ignore, and, while I still think this filly will improve once she tackles a trip, she could easily take in the Sandringham on her way to 10 furlongs and further.

EQUITY LAW – Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes, Friday June 21

I loved the way EQUITY LAW went about his business when winning at Sandown at the end of April, the son of Equiano improving for being gelded and his seasonal reappearance to run out a ready winner in what looked a good sprint handicap. Andrew Balding knows the family very well and I don’t think it’s any surprise that we didn’t see him in May as a 3lb rise to 86 leaves him on a very attractive mark indeed.

It looks like he’s been saved for a decent pot and he should just sneak in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes, the 0-105 handicap over five furlongs for three-year-old sprinters. He’s the perfect fit for the race now he’s getting the hang of things and it wouldn’t surprise if he motors through the handicap ranks this summer.

GILDED WATER – Golden Gates Handicap, Saturday June 22

Another 3yo-only handicap that’s fairly new to the meeting, the Golden Gates Handicap is the penultimate race of the week and there’s a horse owned by HM The King & HM The Queen that could be a player in it this year; GILDED WATER. Trained by William Haggas, this gelded son of Fastnet Rock was unraced at two but quickly qualified for handicaps by running three times between the middle of April and the end of May, his promising runs at Newmarket and Windsor over a mile rounded off with a hugely impressive win at Chepstow over 10 furlongs on his third start. That ensured an opening mark of 92, but it’s the least he deserved and it should ensure him going for a high-profile race on handicap debut. Given his owners, this race, over 10 furlongs, looks perfect for him.

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