Four for Royal Ascot: John Blance

I know I get into trouble for mentioning Hong Kong - I used to work there you know! - but I cannot ignore WELLINGTON in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. He is a four-time Group 1 winner in the territory at both 1200 and 1400 metres and his great run of success has only been halted by the emergence of Lucky Sweynesse, now rated the best sprinter in the world.

He has also not been helped by recent high-quality HK sprint races being run at a dawdle in the early stages. His trainer Richard Gibson, who is coming to the end of his tenure on the HKJC trainers' roster, has previous in this race when Gold-Fun finished 2nd in 2016 and this fellow can go one better off a strong gallop down the straight six furlongs.

The banker of the meeting looks like LITTLE BIG BEAR now he is back sprinting in the Commonwealth Cup. We all now know that both he and subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin were not at the races at all in the 2000 Guineas and his recovery mission at Haydock in the Sandy Lane Stakes turned out to be a very good effort indeed.

:: Royal Ascot 2023: Get PPs, previews, analysis, recaps, and more

Sitting close to a hot speed, he lengthened impressively to beat the running on and progressive Shouldvebeenaring - who was favoured by the pace dynamics - with the 2022 Coventry Stakes winner Bradsell a well beaten third. His Windsor Castle Stakes win here last year was the precursor to a glittering juvenile career and I am confident that he is just about the best of the three-year-old sprinters.

I would not be the world’s most ardent monarchist but even I will tip my hat to Charles III and Queen Camilla if KING’S LYNN wins the Wokingham in the royal silks. His four runs at Royal Ascot have all been in Group 1 company - two Kings Stands and two Jubilees - and have ranged from perfectly acceptable to very good, but this time around his trainer Andrew Balding has eschewed entries in those top-class races in order to focus on a crack at the handicap. His prep has gone well, he has dropped to a rating of 107 and, although that will mean a big weight, he will be there or thereabouts at an each-way price.

COLTRANE's versatility and confirmed stamina, not to mention class, will stand him in very good stead in the Gold Cup. He lumped a big weight to victory over the same course and distance a year ago in the Ascot Stakes before embarking on a very good career in group company, the highlight of which was a defeat of Trueshan in the Doncaster Cup.

His other efforts at Ascot have comprised a noble defeat against the same rival in a truly-run British Champions Long Distance Cup on soft ground in October - they came home at 97 percent of the average speed - and a display of push-button acceleration and sustained late speed to win a sit-sprint Sagaro Stakes on Trials Day. Without a retired Stradivarius, a sidelined Kyprios and an out-of-form Trueshan to worry about, he looks well placed to land the meeting's signature race.

:: Bet Royal Ascot racing on DRF Bets

John's Four for Royal Ascot

COLTRANE (Gold Cup, 4.20 Thursday)

LITTLE BIG BEAR (Commonwealth Cup, 3.05 Friday)

WELLINGTON (Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, 3.40 Saturday)

KING’S LYNN (Wokingham Stakes, 5.00 Saturday)