3 Group One races at Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot, which starts today and goes on until Saturday, is the most eagerly awaited flat meeting of the year and the 2008 fixture is well up to standard. Today´s card kicks off with 3 Group One races (!) all of which look highly competitive. The Queen Anne Stakes over a mile for older horses at 15.30 CET is likely to go abroad as there is a very strong French and Irish challenge. Alain de Royer-Dupré sets a poser by running two, Sageburg (Olivier Peslier) and Darjina (Christophe Soumillon); Sageburg defeated his better-fancied stable companion last time, but is likelyx that the filly will be better stuited by today´s trip and going and can turn the tables this tables this time.

Spirito del Vento (Jean-Marie Beguigné/ Christophe Lemaire) is another in-form French challenger, but on ratings is below the other pair. Aidan O´Brien spearheads the Irish challenge with 3 runners, with stable jockey Johnnyn Murtgah on the ex-Australian Haradasun. However Jim Bolger´s Finsceal Beo (Kevin Manning) may turn out to be the best of the Irish, while Peter Chapple-Hyam´s Tariq (Jimmy Fortune) looks the pick of the home contingent. The King´s Stand Stakes over 5 furlongs at 16.05 is probably the best sprint race of the entire season and has in recent years been dominated by Australian sprinters. There are two in the line-up this year, Takeover Target (Joe Janiak/ Jay Ford), who won here in 2006, and Magnus (Peter Moody/ Damien Oliver), third here last year. Last time out they finished first and second in a valuable race in Singapore, with Magnus fancied to reverse placings this time. Best of the Britsh should be Jeremy Noseda´s flying filly Fleeting Spirit (Ryan Moore), who broke the course record last time at Haydock, but Benbaum (Mark Wallace/ Pat Smullen) and Kingsgate Native (John Best/ Jimmy Quinn), first and second in the Abbaye last year, cannot be left out if calculations, while Equiano, a rare Spanish runner, is also interesting.

The St.James´s Palace Stakes at 16.45 for 3yo milers, is theoretically the best race of the day and sees the hottest favourite of the meeting in the line- up - Aidan O´Brien´s Henrythenavigator (Johnny Murtagh), winner of the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas and arguably the world´s best miler at present. Stubbs Art (David Elsworth/ Seb Sanders) was third in both those classics, but can hardly be expected to do any better today, while Ravens Pass (John Gosden/ Jimmy Fortune), 4th at Newmarklet, could finish closer this time. Falco (Carlos Laffon-Parias/ Olivier Peslier), easy winner of the French 2,000, looks the main danger, but it will be a big surprise if Henrythenavigator gets beaten today.

Betting Forecast:
1.Race: Haradasun - Sageburg - Darjina
2.Race: Fleeting Spirit - Takeover Target - Kingsgate Native
3.Race: Henrythenavigator - Falco - Raven`S Pass
4.Race: Orizaba - Himalya - Art Connoisseur
5.Race: Bukit Tinggi - Liberate - Galient
6.Race: Silver Shoon - Bushranger - Brae Hill