Few meetings can match Royal Ascot for sporting drama each summer and we are just days away now from the the best five days of horse racing anywhere on the planet.
The horses will of course take centre stage but we mustn't forget what it means for the jockeys to ride a winner on the biggest stage. The fight to be the top jockey at the meeting is always a fascinating side show and the usual suspects are expected to be fighting it out for the coveted award once again.
Few will be surprised to see Ryan Moore as the favourite to pick up the most wins at Ascot next week with the 34-year-old likely to be licking his lips and expecting a stellar few days. Moore does of course have the best job in the sport as the retained rider for Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle with rides on Rhododendron (Queen Anne), Hydrangea (Duke Of Cambridge), Sergei Prokofiev (Coventry) and Order Of St George (Ascot Gold Cup) just a few of his stand out bookings at this stage.
All things being equal, it is going to be hard to beat Ryan Moore this year.
If anyone can do it though, it is Frankie Dettori. The legendary Italian jockey has made his name at Ascot over the years and he certainly has enough potentially exciting rides to make a big run at the award.
Dettori will have the John Gosden artillery at his disposl which will see him in the mix for the majority of the big races with Cracksman perhaps the star of the show for the two of them in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
It has already been a stellar season for Godolphin following their famous Derby win with Masar, and the boys in blue are now targeting a strong performance at the Berkshire venue. Their two jockeys James Doyle and William Buick tend to split the top rides between the two yards which harms both their chances of being the top jock but don't be surprised if both are in the winners' enclosure on more than a couple of occasions.
Charlie Appleby in particular seems to be in flying form from a Sheikh Mohammed point of view at the moment and there is every chance we see the Godolphin v Coolmore rivalry continuing to grow once again.
Moore is certainly going to be the one to beat but with Dettori breathing down his neck we could be in for one of the most exciting top jockey races of recent years at the Royal meeting.
