NEWMARKET
1.50pm Newmarket: Finest Sound looks the obvious one to me and looks a very solid favourite. He bolted up first time out at Haydock and then really bumped into one at Royal Ascot. He has gone up 12lb for those two starts, but he deserved to, and the rain this week won’t have done his chances any harm.
2.25pm Newmarket: Fantail won well on her debut at Chelmsford back in November and performed very creditably under a 7lb penalty on her return at the same track, especially as she was far too keen there. A first-time hood may solve that issue, and a mark of 85 looks fair.
3.00pm Newmarket: This looks an impossible race in truth, but Seventh Kingdom did look good when winning on his debut at Doncaster. And the Frankel colt has the pedigree too.
3.35pm Newmarket: I will have to qualify my comments here. My initial fancy was Sceptical over this easier 6f, as I think that will enable him to reverse the Diamond Jubilee form with Hello Youmzain. But if it is still riding soft by Saturday afternoon then I would have to side with Kevin Ryan’s sprinter instead.
4.10pm Newmarket: Motakhayyel has gone up 7lb for his win in the Buckingham Palace, but I thought he dominant there and he could be a lightly-raced colt going places. I will put in a good word for Sir Busker too, especially of the ground rides testing over this 7f. He loves a strongly-run race.
ASCOT
2.05pm Ascot: This is the kind of race you could look back on and think what a good thing Melnikova was off a mark of 83. I rode in the race she won on her debut at Kempton and she stood out at the start and won what was a decent race very well, after which she was sent off favourite to beat Quadrilateral at Newbury. She didn’t of course, but she ran well enough and is bred to be a lot better than her mark.
2.40pm Ascot: I like our horse Carlos Felix in here. I will be disappointed if he doesn’t go close. He shaped really well over a mile at Doncaster last month and the step up to 1m4f should suit him. Moving a horse up 4f in one hit is rare for David, but his half-sister finished second in a Park Hill over 1m6f and this trip should suit him.
3.15pm Ascot: Mohaather was the big eye-catcher at Royal Ascot and I think he will confirm just how unlucky he was not to finish a good deal closer in the Queen Anne.
3.50pm Ascot: Mountain Peak impressed me when winning at Haydock last time and a 7lb rise may not prevent him following up. Hopefully, he is drawn in the right place.