A top class seven race card on offer for the opening day of Royal Ascot and already the debates have started on social media as to which horses have the strongest form. The (3.05) Group 2 Coventry Stakes for two year olds has really sprung into life lately with professional punter Johnny Dineen stating that 7/2 second favourite Asadna, who recorded an excellent (109) speed figure at Ripon, would be a “million to one” in his eyes and that the second placed finisher Fifty Grand Slater “wouldn’t be worth a Mars Bar”. As a fellow Irishman, we are known for our slight exaggerations to get our point across and also to entertain the gallery. There can be no doubt Johnny is great entertainment value, but his comments have stirred up the debate between the “visual punters” and the “clockwatchers”. I like to think punters that are looking to improve can have both skills, an awareness of the clock and a good eye for the replays and form. River Tiber v Asadna won’t be the defining moment of this debate, and at least we have had some entertainment in the lead-up to tomorrow’s eagerly anticipated clash.

(2.30) Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)

The market looks to have this right on recent form as a match-up between Modern Games and Inspiral both available around the 2/1 mark. For a bit of value outside these two I will have a small interest on David Simcock’s Light Infantry. This horse has been second three times in Group 1 events and was just beaten a neck behind Inspiral in last year’s Prix Jacques Le Marois on the straight track at Deauville. He has since had a brief spell in Australia racing just once, when finishing sixth in The Golden Eagle, and has had three runs this year back in the UK with David Simcock. He was beaten fair and square by 4L behind Modern Games in the Lockinge, but on examination of the sectional times we can see that he lost all chance with a very tardy start. It was interesting that he led in his last race the Group 1 Prix D’Ispahan when just going down by a head to Owen Burrow’s likeable Anmaat. He does appear to be one of those frustrating characters that always finds a way to lose, but he has shown that if he can get out of those stalls better (like he did behind Inspiral at Deauville last year) he could outrun his price.

(4.20) St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)

English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean looks the solid favourite here at 2/1. It is interesting though that we have Paddington the Irish 1000 Guineas winner in here at second favourite around the 9/4 mark. The bookmakers have decided that a 3L beating of Roger Varian’s Charyn in that race warrants this price on form. Well if that’s the case, I would like to put forward another horse with the same formline but at five times the price. Isaac Shelby has been very much overlooked, mainly because of his defeat lto in the French 2000 Guineas by Marhaba Ya Sanafi. Brian Meehan’s chestnut colt broke the clock (120) in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury when beating Charyn by 3L on his seasonal debut. I was wary of rowing in with him just 22 days after such a huge effort, and in the circumstances I think he did very well in France. His pedigree indicates that a mile should be no problem and with a nice draw in stall (4) and with champion jockey William Buick taking over, everything looks in place for a solid performance.

(5.00) Ascot Stakes (2m 3f 210y)(Hcap 2)

Willie Mullins seems to hold the favourite for a lot of these staying events and rightfully so looking at his record at the track. Bring On The Night’s second place finish behind this year’s Gold Cup favourite Coltrane, looks the best piece of form on offer. At 2/1 though I am happy to look elsewhere for a bit of value and will side with the James Fanshawe trained Novel Legend. The selection finished runner up to Zinc White over the extended 18f at Chester in a Class 2 Handicap last month. The time of this race is very strong and the winner looks a huge danger. The draw in stall (19) just puts me off him though. Danny Muscutt will have to ride him a bit more forward from stall (1) to get a decent position, and hopefully he can have a better starting position on Zinc White than he did lto. It was noticeable that he was racing a path wider than Zinc White for the early part of that race and is also 2lbs better off at the weights. The improving son of Nathaniel has been first or second in his last five races, and it is hoped that he can produce another strong performance.

1pt e/way Light Infantry (20/1 4 places Betvictor/Bet365, 3 places Generally) 2.30 Ascot

1.5pt e/way Isaac Shelby (10/1 Paddy Power/Betvictor 9/1 Generally) 4.20 Ascot

1pt e/way Novel Legend (10/1 7 places Skybet 6 places Paddy Power/Unibet) 5.00 Ascot