By his own standards he’s positively loquacious, singing the praises of his horse to the high heavens. When quizzed about his splendid record-breaking achievement in riding nine winners this week (with one day to go), he’s typically modest. “I’m very lucky because I get to ride the best horses,” he says. There’s a reason you get to ride the best horses, Ryan.

1 Aloft (R L Moore) 5-2 Fav
2 Tommy Docc (P Makin) 33-1
3 Future Empire (James Doyle) 12-1
13 ran
Also: 20-1 Vive Ma Fille 4th
Non Runners: 4,15
CSF: 100.42
Tricast: 872.16

Vive Ma Fille continues to lead them along at a leisurely saunter, followed by Havisham in second. Vive Ma Fille drifts on the run-in, edging over to the near side. Aloft takes up the running in the centre and holds on to win for Ryan Moore. The 5-2 favourite takes the final race of the day to give Ryan Moore his record-breaking ninth winner of the week. It’s also trainer Aidan O’Brien’s ninth winner of the meeting. Aloft wins the Queen’s Vase Handicap.

They’re off and running in the Queen’s Vase Handicap and the early pace is extremely slow. Vive Ma Fille leads them along, followed by Havisham, Yarrow and Antiquarium ...

Here’s a two-mile race for three-year-olds, rather a niche contest which perhaps acts as a consolation prize for those who tried to breed a Derby contender but erred rather too much on the stamina side. Nothing will happen quickly here.

Aidan O’Brien has had three winners in the past decade and his Aloft is well fancied, having been second in a Group One last year. One could be put off by the fact that he’s been unable to race until this advanced stage of his three-year-old career, as well as by the fact that he now seems to need a tongue tie and cheekpieces. On the other hand, Ryan Moore’s up.

For good measure, O’Brien also fields Bantry Bay, who stayed on nicely to score at The Curragh last month. The Queen’s Fabricate is here and will be a strong contender if he stays this far. It is slightly surprising that he wasn’t tried instead in the King George V yesterday but connections regard him still as “a baby” and perhaps the challenge of that bigger field at a shorter distance was thought to be too much.

Antiquarium runs for Godolphin after three wins on the bounce but this is likely to require something a lot better than the minor handicaps he’s been winning. Tommy Docc is interesting after a storming success in the Edinburgh Gold Cup but he has even more to prove here. Mark Johnston’s pair, Vive Ma Fille and Yorkidding, are outsiders but must be worth a second look, since the trainer has won half of the last 10 runnings of the Vase. Yorkidding faded into 11th in the last race here yesterday.

1 Arab Dawn (R Hughes) 6-1 Jt Fav
2 Ajman Bridge (A Kirby) 8-1
3 Astronereus (P J Dobbs) 8-1
4 Libran (B A Curtis) 20-1
17 ran
Also: 6-1 Jt Fav Dashing Star
Non Runners: 5,13
CSF: 50.78
Tricast: 401.85

Ajman Bridge’s jockey dropped his whip on the run-in before finishing second by about a length. Would a couple of backhanders have made a difference to the outcome? Possibly, we’ll never know. That’s a 34-1

Kelinni leads them past the half-mile-to-go mark, then into the home straight. Kelinni hugs the rail, but is passed by Arab Dawn, who leads from Ajman Bridge. Arab Dawn wins the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap Stakes under Richard Hughes for Hughie Morrison.

Dashing Star stays wide under Ryan Moore, having come out of Stall 22, keeping his options open. Kelinni tows the field along, Moore and Dashing Star have tucked in behind the leader, followed by Ajman Bridge ...

The 17 runners are being loaded into the stalls and we’ll be off very, very shortly. Stay tuned ...

• Dashing Star 7-1
  
• Arab Dawn 7-1
  
• Igider 7-1
  
• Ajman Bridge 8-1
  
• Watersmeet 8-1
  
• Astronereus 9-1
  
• Gold Trail 11-1
  
• Kelinni 16-1
  
• Azurite 16-1
  
• Warrior of Light 16-1

20-1 bar

View the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes betting

Since it’s a tricky handicap, where better to start than with Ryan Moore, who has provided punters with a simple answer already this week to the Royal Hunt Cup, the Britannia and the Ascot Handicap? This time, he’s on Dashing Star, whose odds began at 16-1 but are already shortening, shortening, shortening. David Elsworth’s horse hasn’t won for a couple of years but he went close for another rider last time and a big effort would hardly surprise. Astronereus and Arab Dawn meet again, having finished first and third at Newmarket last month. Arab Dawn has not always looked a stout stayer at this distance but punters appear to have faith in him. Ajman Bridge is on a long losing run but looks better than ever this year and ran well the last time. At the bottom of the weights, Igider comes from an in-form yard, won by five lengths last time and has a jockey in Graham Lee who should not lack confidence, having won the Gold Cup yesterday.

He’d been instructed to leave it late and timed his run to perfection, swooping to collar Found by a hose with just a stride to spare. Lucida came from last to third to place after a slowish start in one of the most thrilling races of the week so far.

1 Ervedya (C Soumillon) 3-1
2 Found (R L Moore) 13-8 Fav
3 Lucida (K J Manning) 3-1
9 ran
Also: 50-1 Miss Temple City 4th
CSF: 8.32
Tricast: 15.45

Arabian Queen leads them into the home straight as Ryan Moore begins to make his move on Found. Found tries to surge ahead in the home straight and takes the lead but gets nailed in the closing strides by Ervedya. Ervedya wins the Coronation Stakes for jockey Christophe Soumillon and trainer Jean Claude Rouget.

Away they go, with Arabian Queen taking up the running, from Yasmeen, Miss Temple City and Found. Towards the halfway stage, first and last are separated by 10 or 11 lengths ...

Lucidia is being kept apart from the other horses behind the stalls as the rest are loaded, while Irish Rookie is sweating up quite a lot. Gah!

The nine four-legged lady competitors are cantering down to post, with Ryan Moore on board the favourite, Found, still looking for his first winner of the afternoon. Having picked six hail mary selections in a bid to claw back a 40-point deficit in the Guardian Sport Royal Ascot tipping competition, I had the winner of the last at 10-1 and am on Irish Rookie in this one. “Hard to see her turning the tables here,” is the Spotlight verdict in the Racing Post.

• Found 9-4
  
• Lucidia 3-1
  
• Ervedya 3-1
  
• Arabian Queen 12-1
  
• Irish Rookie 16-1
  
• Sperry 16-1
  
• Yasmeen 20-1
  
• Local Time 33-1
  
• Miss Temple City 66-1

View the Coronation Stakes betting

From the wires: Muhaarar streaked clear in the inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Winner of the Gimcrack at York last season before making a winning reappearance in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, the Charlie Hills-trained colt was far from disgraced in finishing eighth from a wide draw in the French 2000 Guineas.
Back at six furlongs, Dane O’Neill’s mount raced on the far side of runners and quickened clear in impressive fashion to claim the first staging of this Group One prize by an emphatic three and three-quarter lengths. Limato battled his way to second place ahead of Anthem Alexander in third.
American challenger Hootenanny was the 9-4 favourite, but weakened rapidly from a furlong out and finished well beaten under Ryan Moore.

O’Neill said of the 10-1 winner: “It was all very easy, it was a bit surreal. He didn’t half pick up/ He’s never done an awful lot wrong, he just didn’t really stay in France. You can see now he looks a decent sprinter in the making. I had a look to my left and there weren’t any real dangers so I decided to make my own move. To be on a nice horse like this in the first running of the race is great.”

A top-class mile race for three-year-old fillies, this race works best when attracting the winners of the 1,000 Guineas from England, France and Ireland. Only the French winner, Ervedya, has turned up this time and she is worth plenty of respect, having overcome a wide draw and made up plenty of ground to land her Classic.

Oddly, punters prefer the two fillies who were second in the English and Irish Guineas. Found (Moore) is the favourite and, in fairness, she beat Ervedya last year, though it is possible that the French filly has improved more. Found ran a fair race in the Irish Guineas but couldn’t peg back Pleascach, who was herself beaten here yesterday in a longer race. Lucida was beaten less than a length in the Newmarket Classic by a good winner in Legatissimo, who came within inches of following up in the Oaks. Lucida will try to end the week in style for her trainer, Jim Bolger, who has suffered a couple of disappointments here this week with Round Two and Pleascach.

“It was all very easy, it was a bit surreal,” says Dane O’Neill. “He’s never done an awful lot wrong. He looks like a decent sprinter in the making. This is nice to get this one for the boss [Hamdan Al Maktoum, the owner]. In the first running of this race, it’s nice to be on one like this.” O’Neill’s weigh room colleague Paul Hanagan chose the wrong horse today, picking Adaay from the two Hamdan Al Maktoum runners.

1 Muhaarar (Dane O’Neill) 10-1
2 Limato (James Doyle) 9-2
3 Anthem Alexander (P J Smullen) 8-1
18 ran
Also: 9-4 Fav Hootenanny, 33-1 Salt Island 4th

CSF: 54.04
Tricast: 397.87

Muhaarar wins the Commonwealth Cup[, streaking well clear of the field. Dane O’Neill roder the winner for Charles Hills.

Tendu completely misses the break, while El Valle was also slow out of the traps. Goken takes up the running early doors, with Cyclogenisis tucked in behind ...

They’re going behind the stalls for the third race of the day, so they’ll be a bit late off.

• Hootenanny 11-4
  
• Limato 6-1
  
• Anthem Alexander 7-1
  
• Tiggy Wiggy 8-1
  
• Adaay 9-1
  
• Muhaarar 10-1
  
• Tendu 14-1
  

16-1 bar

View the Coronation Cup betting

The first running of this Group One sprint for three-year-olds, which has attracted a large field and plenty of quality. Hootenanny looks like starting as favourite, thanks in part to the build-up of punters’ cash behind Ryan Moore, who rides him. Trained by Wesley Ward, this American raider won a lesser race here last year and went on to Breeders’ Cup glory. He won on his reappearance and has strong credentials, though he is on the wrong side if the far side of the course really is the place to be, as at least three races this week have suggested.

Limato had been the favourite, despite getting beaten by Adaay at Haydock last time. His fans believe he will turn that form around on this faster surface, though it is possible that Adaay has the best draw of the major contenders in stall six. Tiggy Wiggy is a lovely filly with masses of pace and it will be most surprising if she is not to the fore at some stage. But this is likely to be run at a very strong pace and it might be that others have more energy left at the finish than she does.

“If you feel like blowing our trumpet,” he writes, “the Guardian is the only tipster in the Racing Post’s selection box to have had both of the first 2 winners here today.” Our trumpet, he says. It’s very much your trumpet, Chris. Consider it blown, so to speak.

“We didn’t go that hard. Frankie wasn’t going that well in front of me,” says Jamie Spencer, being interviewed by his ex-wife, Emma Spencer, on Channel 4. “His work a week ago was fantastic and I thought he’d go well if we could get him through the preliminaries. When I first came to England, David [Simcock, trainer of Balios] was the assistant and probably the laziest assistant I’ve ever seen. He’s done a great job here.”

I’m paraphrasing a wee bit there, but it was a great interview in which Jamie Spencer touched on the fact that he’d been watching the highlights each morning and the pair’s three kids had been asking why he wasn’t winning any races. That’s Spencer’s first win of this meeting after some rotten luck and near misses, it’s also Simcock’s first Royal Ascot winner as a trainer. Frankie Dettori pulled up the favourite Stravagante, who is lame.

1 Balios (J P Spencer) 3-1
2 Mr Singh (James Doyle) 8-1
3 Father Christmas (J P O’Brien) 16-1
7 ran
Also: 11-4 Fav Stravagante, 4-1 Ol’ Man River 4th
CSF: 27.58

Balios wins from Mr Singh for jockey Jamie Spencer, coming from last to first with a well timed run.

Stravagante looks like he’s being pulled up by Frankie Dettori, he’s way out the back of the field. Mr Singh takes up the running, with Balios breathing down his neck ...

Balios was last into the stalls and last out as Magic Dancer takes up the running from Mr Singh , Father Christmas, Ol Man River, Festive Fair, Stravagante and Balios. They’ve seven furlongs to go ...

• Stravagante 10-3
  
• Ballos 7-2
  
• Ol Man River 9-2
  
• Festive Fare 9-2
  
• Mr Singh 10-1
  
• Magic Dancer 12-1
  
• Father Christmas 20-1

View the King Edward VII betting

Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes got day three of Royal Ascot off to a flyer as Illuminate landed the Albany Stakes. American raider Laxfield Road predictably blazed a trail for the first half of the six-furlong contest, but her stride began to shorten from the two-furlong marker and she was eventually swamped.
Illuminate, the 4-1 favourite following an impressive debut success at Salisbury, quickened up well to take the lead and had plenty in the tank to hold off Ashadihan by a length and a half. The French-trained Elegant Supermodel was third.

The reigning champion jockey retires at the end of this season and was desperate for a winner at this meeting. His wife is being interviewed on Channel 4 at the moment and is getting very choked up, while his brother-in-law Richard Hannon also shed a couple of tears after saddling this winner for him.

A mile and a half race for three-year-old colts (and geldings), this is the ‘Ascot Derby’ but the quality of the field generally pales by comparison with Epsom and that is the case again this year. Stravagante (Frankie Dettori) is the most interesting, having powered home in a handicap at Epsom in the style of a horse who was just starting to get the hang of the game.

Ol’ Man River was supposed to be a Derby candidate but he has been terribly disappointing in both starts this year. Ryan Moore rides for the first time today and perhaps he can spark some life out of a horse who won a Group Two last year. This is certainly an easier option than his last two assignments. Festive Fare (Godolphin) didn’t have any obvious excuses for his first defeat last time but that is good form and it might be good enough here. Balios is very unexposed and likely to step up considerably on his reappearance second but will need to do so.

Under Frankie Dettori, Laxfield Road came out of the stalls like a bat out of hell and scorched into a lead of about 10 lengths, forcing a strong gallop from the chasing field. Behind her, Richard Hughes rode a patient race on Illuminate, coming through to win for his brother-in-law Richard Hannon by a couple of lengths.

1 Illuminate (R Hughes) 4-1 Fav
2 Ashadihan (J P Spencer) 12-1
3 Elegant Supermodel (A Hamelin) 20-1
18 ran
Also: 20-1 Fireglow 4th

Non Runner: 12
CSF: 49.90
Tricast: 928.14

Laxfield Road gets reeled in and Illuminate takes over. Illuminate wins the Albany for Richard Hughes, while it’s a photo for second.

Jersey Breeze gets aways fast, with Laxfield Road setting off at a speedy gallop to go clear of the field. Laxfield Road has a lead of about eight lengths at the halfway mark!!! That’s too quick, surely ...

They’re loading the stalls for the first. Some of these inexperienced little babies are a little nervous, but none are playing up. We’ll be away soon ...

• Illuminate 9-2
  
• Laxfield Road 6-1
  
• Back At The Ranch 8-1
  
• Spanish Romance 8-1
  
• Tutu Nguru10-1
  
• Our Joy 10-1
  
• Ashadihan 12-1
  
• Jersey Breeze 14-1
  
• Azhar 16-1
  

20-1 bar

View the Albany Stakes betting

The recently-retired champion jump jockey is back on the racecourse for the first time since hanging up his whip, sitting opposite his wife Chanelle in one of the carriages in the royal procession. He won’t be winning this one with a late surge, although every fibre of his being is probably desperate to clamber up front, grab the reins and send the four horses leading his carriage galloping down the home straight straight to cross the winning line in front of that carrying the Queen ... who is wearing a yellow hat.

A sprint race for two-year-old fillies, this is not one of the Royal Ascot races that the American trainer Wesley Ward has ever won (he had the runner-up last year) but it looks like he’s determined to change that, as he fields Back At The Ranch and Laxfield Road.Both are winners in their native America and Back At The Ranch is bred to improve for this switch to grass from dirt.

Illuminate represents the Hannon stable that has won this race twice. She was good enough to score on her debut but is likely to be sharper on this second start, as are nearly all of her stablemates. The runner-up from that race has since won a Listed contest in Ireland and it is at least interesting that Illuminate is by Zoffany, a young stallion whose progeny have already won two other juvenile races this week. Ryan Moore doesn’t have a ride in this race, which will doubtless be a tremendous relief to the bookies.

Ryan Moore 8
William Buick 2
Frankie Dettori 2
Graham Lee 1
Maxime Guyon 1
Martin Harley 1
Jim Crowley 1
James Doyle 1
Pat Smullen 1

Aidan O’Brien 4 wins
Roger Charlton 1
David Wachman 1
Ed Dunlop 1
Charlie Appleby 1
Robert Cowell 1
Freddy Head 1
Mark Johnston 1
Willie Mullins 1
John Gosden 1
Richard Hannon 1
Charles Hills 1
Wesley Ward 1
David O’Meara 1
Dermot Weld 1

2.30: No12 Mirage

5.00: No John Reel, No13 Sennockian Star

5.35: No4 Fabricate, No15 Yorkidding

Ryan Moore’s name is coming up in about half of all conversations here at Royal Ascot just now and a couple of firms are offering prices on how many winners the jockey will have today. Bear in mind when looking at these that he doesn’t have a ride in the opening race.

‘No winners for Moore’ is a best price of 7-2 with Paddy Power, while Betfred offer 5-4 about one winner and 11-4 about two. They’ll give you 10-1 about Moore riding three or more winners, though, given that he only has five rides, you’d probably be better off combining his various mounts in accumulators if you fancy him to have another great day.

Ryan Moore rides:

3.05 Ol’ Man River 9-2
3.40 Hootenanny 100-30
4.20 Found 7-4
5.00 Dashing Star 9-1
5.35 Aloft 9-4

Here’s a two-mile race for three-year-olds, rather a niche contest which perhaps acts as a consolation prize for those who tried to breed a Derby contender but erred rather too much on the stamina side. Nothing will happen quickly here. Aidan O’Brien has had three winners in the past decade and his Aloft is well fancied, having been second in a Group One last year. One could be put off by the fact that he’s been unable to race until this advanced stage of his three-year-old career, as well as by the fact that he now seems to need a tongue tie AND cheekpieces. On the other hand, Ryan Moore’s up.

For good measure, O’Brien also fields Bantry Bay, who stayed on nicely to score at The Curragh last month. The Queen’s Fabricate is here and will be a strong contender if he stays this far. It is slightly surprising that he wasn’t tried instead in the King George V yesterday but connections regard him still as “a baby” and perhaps the challenge of that bigger field at a shorter distance was thought to be too much. Antiquarium runs for Godolphin after three wins on the bounce but this is likely to require something a lot better than the minor handicaps he’s been winning. Tommy Docc is interesting after a storming success in the Edinburgh Gold Cup but he has even more to prove here. Mark Johnston’s pair, Vive Ma Fille and Yorkidding, are outsiders but must be worth a second look, since the trainer has won half of the last 10 runnings of the Vase. Yorkidding faded into 11th in the last race here yesterday.

View the Queen’s Vase betting

Since it’s a tricky handicap, where better to start than with Ryan Moore, who has provided punters with a simple answer already this week to the Royal Hunt Cup, the Britannia and the Ascot Handicap? This time, he’s on Dashing Star, whose odds began at 16-1 but are already shortening, shortening, shortening. David Elsworth’s horse hasn’t won for a couple of years but he went close for another rider last time and a big effort would hardly surprise.

Astronereus and Arab Dawn meet again, having finished first and third at Newmarket last month. Arab Dawn has not always looked a stout stayer at this distance but punters appear to have faith in him. Ajman Bridge is on a long losing run but looks better than ever this year and ran well the last time. At the bottom of the weights, Igider comes from an in-form yard, won by five lengths last time and has a jockey in Graham Lee who should not lack confidence, having won the Gold Cup yesterday.

View the Duke of Edinburgh betting

A top-class mile race for three-year-old fillies, this race works best when attracting the winners of the 1,000 Guineas from England, France and Ireland. Only the French winner, Ervedya, has turned up this time and she is worth plenty of respect, having overcome a wide draw and made up plenty of ground to land her Classic. Oddly, punters prefer the two fillies who were second in the English and Irish Guineas.

Found (Moore) is the favourite and, in fairness, she beat Ervedya last year, though it is possible that the French filly has improved more. Found ran a fair race in the Irish Guineas but couldn’t peg back Pleascach, who was herself beaten here yesterday in a longer race. Lucida was beaten less than a length in the Newmarket Classic by a good winner in Legatissimo, who came within inches of following up in the Oaks. Lucida will try to end the week in style for her trainer, Jim Bolger, who has suffered a couple of disappointments here this week with Round Two and Pleascach.

View the Coronation Stakes betting

The first running of this Group One sprint for three-year-olds, which has attracted a large field and plenty of quality. Hootenanny looks like starting as favourite, thanks in part to the build-up of punters’ cash behind Ryan Moore, who rides him.

Trained by Wesley Ward, this American raider won a lesser race here last year and went on to Breeders’ Cup glory. He won on his reappearance and has strong credentials, though he is on the wrong side if the far side of the course really is the place to be, as at least three races this week have suggested.

Limato had been the favourite, despite getting beaten by Adaay at Haydock last time. His fans believe he will turn that form around on this faster surface, though it is possible that Adaay has the best draw of the major contenders in stall six. Tiggy Wiggy is a lovely filly with masses of pace and it will be most surprising if she is not to the fore at some stage. But this is likely to be run at a very strong pace and it might be that others have more energy left at the finish than she does.

View the Commonwealth Cup betting

A mile and a half race for three-year-old colts (and geldings), this is the ‘Ascot Derby’ but the quality of the field generally pales by comparison with Epsom and that is the case again this year. Stravagante (Frankie Dettori) is the most interesting, having powered home in a handicap at Epsom in the style of a horse who was just starting to get the hang of the game.

Ol’ Man River was supposed to be a Derby candidate but he has been terribly disappointing in both starts this year. Ryan Moore rides for the first time today and perhaps he can spark some life out of a horse who won a Group Two last year. This is certainly an easier option than his last two assignments. Festive Fare (Godolphin) didn’t have any obvious excuses for his first defeat last time but that is good form and it might be good enough here. Balios is very unexposed and likely to step up considerably on his reappearance second but will need to do so.

View the King Edward VII betting

A sprint race for two-year-old fillies, this is not one of the Royal Ascot races that the American trainer Wesley Ward has ever won (he had the runner-up last year) but it looks like he’s determined to change that, as he fields Back At The Ranch and Laxfield Road. Both are winners in their native America and Back At The Ranch is bred to improve for this switch to grass from dirt.

Illuminate represents the Hannon stable that has won this race twice. She was good enough to score on her debut but is likely to be sharper on this second start, as are nearly all of her stablemates. The runner-up from that race has since won a Listed contest in Ireland and it is at least interesting that Illuminate is by Zoffany, a young stallion whose progeny have already won two other juvenile races this week. Ryan Moore doesn’t have a ride in this race, which will doubtless be a tremendous relief to the bookies.

View the Albany Stakes betting

You could win a £50 bet from William Hill by proving your tipping prowess on today’s races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today’s races at Ascot.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price. Non-runners count as losers.

Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 2.30pm. There are six races at Ascot today and you must post a single selection for each race.

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Congratulations to Templegate, who won yesterday’s competition by picking Waterloo Bridge (12-1), Curvy (9-2) and War Envoy (10-1). Ryan Moore must be very popular at Templegate’s house!

Top day three scores:

Templegate +23.50
spiller +22.50
johnny909 +20
brownalebelly +15.38
CharlieBronze +15.38
kmill68 +15.38
ITLaw23 +15.38

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The Ryan Moore Show, which features a couple of dozen other top-flight jockeys in minor walk-on roles, seems likely to extend its run by at least one more afternoon at Royal Ascot today.

The man who has ridden four times as many winners as Frankie Dettori and William Buick, and eight times more than anyone else this week, is booked to ride five horses on the card: three favourites, a second-favourite and a live 10-1 chance in the big handicap. Just a single winner will make Moore the outright holder of the record for the most victories at a single Royal meeting in modern times, while two or more would nudge him ever closer to Fred Archer’s all-time record of a dozen.

Without an 1878 form book to hand, it is difficult to know exactly what Archer achieved during his Royal meeting for the ages, though he clearly had a very good time of things and rode an awful lot of the right horses. It is entirely possible that half a dozen were odds-on shots in five-runner races, however, and it may certainly be that Moore has already beaten more opponents in his eight victories than Archer saw off in his 12.

It was an interesting feature of Moore’s treble yesterday meanwhile that none started favourite and two went off at double-figure odds. That is unlikely to be the case today, but does imply that Moore is not just winning on the horses that should win anyway, but also making a difference on those that are not necessarily the best horses in the race. Royal Ascot has deliberately programmed the day’s most competitive handicap as the fifth race on the card all week, and Moore has won all three, on horses starting at 5-1, 8-1 and 10-1.

His first ride of the day, Ol’ Man River, has failed miserably to live up to the promise of his juvenile season in two starts so far this season, but Moore will be holding the reins for the first time today and if he can get this one home as well, the prices about his remaining rides are likely to collapse. Hootenanny, in the new Commonwealth Cup, has winning form over course and distance at this meeting last year, while Found, in the Coronation Stakes, was second in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last time out and with Moore aboard, likely to start at around 7-4.

If she gets much shorter than that, however, it could be time to start sniffing around a couple of her opponents, because this is a hot race and Found is not, on a strict reading of the form, the best filly in the field. Ervedya, the French 1,000 Guineas winner, recorded a faster time than the 2,000 Guineas winner on the same card at Longchamp after making plenty of ground from the rear. She is a decent price at 9-2, and could get bigger still if the bookies need to take evasive action after a couple of winners for Moore on the early part of the card.

Once again, the going across the straight course has changed after 5mm of water was applied to the track overnight. Yesterday, the stand side was slightly quicker than the far side, reading 9 on the GoingStick versus 8.9, but today the far side is 8.5 while on the near side it is 8.8. The centre, meanwhile, is also 8.5.