By Tom Collins Tuesday, June 16 Copper Horse Handicap  Aeronautic Trainer Joseph O’Brien has made an excellent start to the 2026 flat season with his two primary wins coming on British soil thanks to Thundering On’s scintillating Oaks victory and A Piece Of Heaven’s courageous Chester Cup strike. A successful Royal Ascot awaits, and he may get off to a good start with Aeronautic in Tuesday’s finale. Aeronautic hasn’t won for nearly two years, but he shaped with promise when fifth in this race last season off a mark of 96, just 1lb lower than what he will run off this season, and can be marked up given how the race developed. That renewal of the Copper Horse Handicap was run at a decent clip from the outset and Aeronautic was inconvenienced by being forwardly placed. He kept galloping to the line, but more efficiently ridden rivals overhauled him late.  He has performed admirably in a handful of handicaps at Goodwood, Curragh, and Meydan over the last 12 months and warrants a second look in what appears to be a wide-open affair. His chance of winning would drastically increase with a slightly more patient ride.  Wednesday, June 17 Royal Hunt Cup La Botte We all remember La Botte flashing home for second in the 2025 Britannia, right? If you don’t, I will jog your memory. On just his fourth career start, La Botte came to Royal Ascot as a well-fancied handicapper with the potential of becoming a Group-race stalwart if he performed up to expectation. If it wasn’t for a troubled trip and the line coming two strides too soon, he would have powered into the winner’s enclosure with the world as his oyster.  Surprisingly, his exploits in Listed and handicap company since have been underwhelming and belief may be beginning to dwindle, even in his most faithful supporters, but a return to Ascot on good ground off just a 3lb higher mark has an obvious possibility of reigniting that fire.  La Botte is an unexposed performer who relishes chasing a fast pace and therefore this year’s Royal Hunt Cup should set up perfectly for him.     Kensington Palace Stakes Miss Nightfall Royal Ascot handicap markets tend to favour horses with recent winning form. That is completely understandable, but value hunters will know that it can lead to enticing prices being offered about other challengers who have warmed up for their seasonal targets with strangely quiet runs. Take Miss Nightfall, for example.  James Fanshawe’s filly hardly appeals on recent form figures - she was well beaten in a seven-runner race at Yarmouth when last seen in April - but her eyecatching sixth-placed finish in the Sandringham at this meeting 12 months ago would give her excellent claims of hitting the frame in this year’s Kensington Palace.  Able to race off the same mark of 89, Miss Nightfall is worth a second look if she is given an advantageous draw.  Friday, June 19 Palace Of Holyroodhouse Westport George Boughey is set for a fantastic week in the sun with stablestar, Bow Echo, looking to remain unbeaten in the St James’s Palace Stakes. He will also send out Westport, who will don the famous yellow and black silks of the Exors of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse on Friday. Those of you looking for a Group horse in a handicap would be advised to scan Westport’s profile.  Rated 96 and now entering this sphere for the first time, Westport will have to showcase maturity against far more talented foes than he has ever faced. However, his turn of foot and high cruising speed should stand him in good stead in a race that may be seen as a stepping stone to bigger targets.   Boughey won the Golden Gates Handicap in 2022 with the well-backed Missed The Cut, who boasted a very similar profile with just three novice starts to his name. Westport might be the next ‘good thing’ for this hot stable.  Saturday, June 20 Wokingham Stakes Completely Random Turf probably isn’t this five-year-olds favoured surface given he has won four of his eight all-weather starts compared to just one of his 11 grass outings. However, he is rated 11lb lower on this surface which makes him look particularly well treated if he brings his A-game to Royal Ascot this year.  You only have to go back 12 months to find Completely Random's career-best turf performance. He finished a never-nearer fifth of 28 in this very race off this very mark. After being heavily punted into 7/1 fourth-favourite, the then-four-year-old finished his race off powerfully after trailing the field throughout the first three furlongs.   Rider Callum Rodriguez knew that he had set his mount a stiff task at the halfway stage and had to make an early move, which led to Completely Random posting the fastest sectional between the three-furlong and two-furlong markers (10.89s). Despite that inefficient and early surge, Harry Charlton’s sprinter managed to sustain his effort all the way to the line and was only beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths.   Completely Random warmed up for this assignment with an eyecatching performance in the Victoria Cup over seven furlongs here in May when tenth of 28 runners. The return to a shorter trip should see him return to his best.