Day One Royal Ascot Runners Preview

"Firmament has been very solid throughout his career, a very consistent horse that always runs his race.

"His run at Newcastle last time out was one of our better performances from a horse that was having his first run of the season and we expect him to take a step forward.

"The form from that race has been franked since, with fifth position going on to win next time out.

"He is 20/1 and is sure to run a nice race and be involved in the mix, but it is a very competitive handicap.

"If he does take a step forward like we hope from his first run, he should be there around the each way places."

"Shelir is very different as there is a lot of unknown around this horse as it is only his second run for us and we are still unsure which trip is best for him.

"He is a Listed winner over seven furlongs in Ireland, so we are going to have a go at the stiff seven as he did travel very well over a mile last time out on his first run for us.

"He is a big price, bigger than Firmament but that is probably fair with a lot of unknown about him.

"We are hoping he runs a big race and if things do click and we have got the right trip and conditions for him, he has the form in the book being a Listed winner as a three year old to suggest off a mark of 97 he could be bang there.

"It is very early days in this horses career with us."

"Escobar is the 80/1 outsider in the Queen Anne and there is one standout piece of form for him and that was winning the Balmoral Handicap last year, where he beat Lord North on the straight track.

"Thats the run that really justifies running him, on the rest of his form he really should be outclassed, but if he does turn up in that form where he did win the Balmoral quite impressively he should be there with some each way claims.

"He will be ridden with patience as we often try to do down there with him and hopefully things work out.

"If they go a strong gallop and get racing we will be hoping to see him travelling two furlongs out and then see what he finds.

"Overall we are taking a punt that he can reproduce his Balmoral form."

"Agincourt is a big price in the Duke Of Cambridge and we were happy enough with her first run from a poor draw at Kempton.

"We just wanted to give her a run with Ascot in mind.

"The ground has gone good to soft, we do feel she is better on a faster surface but she has won on good to soft so we can't but that down as a negative.

"We hope there is a strong gallop, we would like this filly to get a bit of cover early on.

"She won over a mile in a Listed race at Newmarket at the end of last season, so we think the straight mile should suit.

"It is a very hot race with plenty of high class fillies in it, which we do have a bit to find on form, but having a run under her belt she should take a step forward and she should be there with some sort of each way chance.

"We have four runners today with all of them having some sort of an each way chance, but if there is to be one with our best chance on the day of winning or hitting the frame it would be Firmament in the first race of the day after his very solid and consistent first race back at Newcastle."