TUESDAY, JUNE 19

Rather than talk about the Royal Ascot winners, I shall try to highlight some of those who have run well further down the field, with the occasional negative for those nearer the front.

In the King’s Stand, Green Manalishi and Moorhouse Lad showed that they are capable of winning in lesser company. Both ran well in the Dash at Epsom. Here, Green Manalishi could not quite summon up the reserves to get out of the mid-division while Moorhouse Lad, rated only 93, showed up well for three furlongs.

Ramonti won a substandard Queen Anne and I will be opposing him next time. He looked sure to be beaten until yards from the line when Jeremy hung right and Turtle Bowl rallied on the outside. A horse who looks like he needs company, Ramonti was helped by Turtle Bowl and had his head down in the right place.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Traffic Guard was a little unfortunate not to be third in the Jersey, having made a strong bid to win the race. He was collared near the line by Arabian Gleam.

You can forget Count Trevisio’s finishing position of 21st in the Hunt Cup as his jockey eased right off him in the closing stages, reporting that the horse lost his action. He looks as though he is best when able to dominate a small field and should be rated much higher than this performance suggests.

Francesca D’Gorgio did by far the best of those who raced nearer the stands in the Queen Mary, improving markedly on a poor run at Nottingham. She looks the sort to win soon while Lady Avenger again looked as though the sixth furlong is necessary, staying on strongly from a bad draw.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

Ea was the most impressive loser of the week. Away from the pace in the Britannia, he blitzed those with whom he raced for the main part of the race, sprinting clear of his side before edging right to join the far side leaders inside the final furlong.

He finished about six lengths clear of the next home from his group, Farleigh House, and I will be rating him capable of becoming an easy winner soon.

Man Of Vision did not seem suited by making the running in the King George V and his position of tenth will be improved upon when he is ridden with a little more restraint.

Dansant was never in a position to be competitive. Being taken to the rear at the start meant that a decent stalls position was negated, yet Dansant still showed by coming home strongly that he should be able to win races off this mark of 90 when he is not given such a mountain to climb.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

I fancied Aide Memoir to run a big race in the Albany and so she did. She deserved to finish third rather than fourth, being caught by the conservatively-ridden Baffled.

Spice Route may have wasted a handicap win by running fifth in the King Edward VII and I would expect him to go up around 8lb from his mark of 95 as a result.

I am sure that Majestic Roi can win a good prize over seven furlongs and she will do better on faster ground that she encountered in the Coronation Stakes. Held up in rear, her smooth run on the outside petered out in the final furlong in the style of a non-stayer. Worldly Wise does not look like a ten-furlong horse to me and he should prefer being dropped back to a mile after showing up well for a long way in the Wolferton.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Bygone Days and Firenze were away from the main action in the Golden Jubilee and both emerged with credit. Bygone Days’ jockey accepted that he was not going to be able to reach the principals from a long way out and the horse was not subjected to a hard ride as a result. Firenze, meanwhile, was totally unsuited by the way the race was run. In an event in which the first four home were in the first five throughout, Firenze was at the back of the field and on the wrong side. She came home strongly as usual yet finished only ninth. If her handicap mark of 103 does not suffer too much she should go well in races like the Stewards’ Cup.

Baron’s Pit was having only his 22nd run in the Wokingham and that is not many for a seven-year-old sprinter. If that suggests he has had his problems, he still managed to run a blinder for in-form Ed Vaughan, finishing second of those who raced down the middle of the track, just behind Grantley Adams, who ‘won’ that particular race.

Eddie Fremantle

Racing Correspondent

The Observer Newspaper