We are a week away from Royal Ascot getting under way, and while ladies up and down the country will be finalising their hat choices, and the men are polishing off their top hats in preparation for the five-day Flat racing extravaganza, we opt to stick to the equine side of the Royal meeting, and have picked out FIVE horses to watch out for during the summer showpiece.
1. Ribchester - Queen Anne Stakes
An impressive winner of the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot 12 months ago, the Richard Fahey-trained Ribchester has catapulted into the higher echelons of Group 1 milers, and having also won the Prix Jacques Le Marois last season, he was one of the stars on Flat fans' lips heading into the new campaign, and he certainly didn't disappoint on his first outing.
A dominant three-and-three-quarter length winner of the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, the Godolphin raider will aim to record back-to-back Group 1 wins on British soil, and he is a red-hot favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes, which will be the curtain-raiser to Royal Ascot, and it's hard to see many rivals challenging him in that contest, with Lightning Spear his main danger.
2. Churchill - St James's Palace Stakes
Aidan O'Brien will unleash a sensational team at this year's Royal Ascot, but the master of Ballydoyle's premier raider will be dual Classic winner Churchill, who will be aiming to add to his emphatic victories in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas by landing a victory in the St James's Palace Stakes, which is another top notch Group 1 on Tuesday afternoon.
Seven wins in a row has seen the son of Galileo rocket up the Flat rankings, and he is arguably the most exciting runner within O'Brien's yard at the moment, and his clash with Barney Roy next week could be one of the highlights of the week, but having downed that rival earlier in the season then it's hard to not see Churchill securing his spot as the primary colt in the three-year-old ranks.
3. Lady Aurelia - King's Stand Stakes
Lady Aurelia took punter's breath away last year at Royal Ascot, as the Wesley Ward-trained speedball trounced her rivals by seven lengths in the Queen Mary Stakes, and the sprint sensation will make a hotly-anticipated return to the Berkshire venue on the opening day, as she lines up in the King's Stand Stakes.
One of the highlights of the entire British Flat season, this five-furlong sprint attracts the leading speedsters from across the globe, and if she can emulate her authoritative display from 12 months ago then she will be tough to beat, but the likes of Acapulco and Marsha will be two leading rivals in what is a juicy betting heat for punters to enjoy.
4. Caravaggio - Commonwealth Cup
Another hot sprinting talent is Caravaggio, who is the second Aidan O'Brien inmate to make it on to our five to watch list, and the unbeaten son of Scat Daddy has blitzed his rivals in sensational fashion throughout his career, and is a shade of odds-on with some bookmakers for the Commonwealth Cup, which sees the leading three-year-old sprinters line up.
A two-and-a-quarter length winner of the Coventry Stakes last season, Caravaggio has blossomed as his career has gone on, and his impressive four-length win at Naas last time out should have tuned up for this Royal Ascot tilt, and while Harry Angel will be an interesting adversary he can storm to Commonwealth Cup glory.
5. Winter - Coronation Stakes
Winter will be the third O'Brien hotpot lining up at Royal Ascot next week, and the dual 1000 Guineas winner will be arguably the most fancied of the Ballydoyle raiders taking their chance over the five days, and it's hard to not see her easing to victory in the Coronation Stakes, where she is already an odds-on favourite for the crown.
She outclassed stablemate Rhododendron in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and then followed that up with a four-length win over Roly Poly in the Irish equivalent, and if she heads to the Royal meeting in similar fettle then she could be punter's banker of the week, as she aims to continue on her meteoric rise up the ladder.
