IT’S time to dust off the top hats and raid the wardrobe for the finest attire, for Royal Ascot’s five-day meeting gets underway on Tuesday, while fashion will be to the fore on Ladies’ Day on Thursday.

Around 500 horses are expected to contest the 30 races watched by around 300,000 spectators during the week, as well as millions more on television with live coverage being beamed to parts of America and Australia.

There are seven group one championship races during the five days including the Kings Stand Stakes on Tuesday and the Golden Jubilee Stakes on Saturday that form part of the Global Sprint Challenge. Horses and jockeys come to Royal Ascot from throughout Europe and as far afield as Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Last year’s meeting will also be remembered for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Yeates, who completed an unprecedented four timer in the Gold Cup and returned to a rapturous reception.

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels has reported the going is likely to be good, good to firm in places with the forecast looking to be set fair for the opening days of the meeting.

Champion jockey Ryan Moore, who mopped up the two classics last weekend with victories in the Oaks and the Epsom Derby, will no doubt have his sights firmly set on visiting the winners’ enclosure again at Royal Ascot, and is currently favourite to be the top jockey at the meeting.

Highlight of the opening day will be the possible clash of Aidan O’Brien’s Rip Van Winkle, Breeders Cup winner Goldikova and the Richard Hannon-trained Paco Boy in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Goldikova is the ante post favourite for the race, and his rider Olivier Peslier no stranger to the Ascot circuit having won 13 races at the royal meeting.

The jockey reported his mount won well on her reappearance and is a really good filly over a mile.

He added: “It will be interesting running against Rip Van Winkle and Paco Boy but I hope she is up to it, we know she travels well and the straight mile should not be a problem.”

It should be a cracking race for the opening day of the meeting, this column’s selection being the Wiltshire-trained Paco Boy to defy the overseas raiders.

Also on the first day there are two more group one races, the Kings Stand Stakes and the St James Palace Stakes.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Kingsgate Native could go well in the Kings Stand and Canford Cliffs could be the best bet of the week in the St James Palace Stakes.

  • LOCAL trainers Roger Charlton and Peter Makin got the week off to a good start at Salisbury with the Beckhampton-trained Sea Of Heartbreak, ridden by Steve Drowne, winning the EBF Margadale Fillies Handicap.

It was the three-year-old’s third win from her last three starts, and the manner of her victory could well see her in the winners’ enclosure again quite soon.

Charlton was back in among the winners later in the week when Striking Priorite won the two-year-old Maiden at Kempton.

The trainer was reported as saying: “I really didn’t know what sort of chance he had, as you never know what you’re up against, we have only run a few two-year-olds and this is our second winner.”

Love Match was another winner for the Beckhampton yard at Newbury on Thursday.

Hazytoo at 16/1 won the Axminster Carpets Apprentice Handicap for Ogbourne handler Peter Makin, by a neck from My Learned Friend, given a good ride by Debra England.

The lightly raced six-year-old, winning his first race for a year, could well be seen out again very shortly before being reassessed by the handicapper.

  • RACING merges with the World Cup today with several meetings showing the England game on big screens at the course.

At Leicester, their evening meeting kicks off earlier than usual to allow the last race to end five minutes before the big match, while at Lingfield the game will be screened in between races.

At York’s afternoon meeting racegoers can remain at the track after the meeting ends and watch the game.

However at Bath, general manager Jo Miller said: “We considered staying open, but with the two-hour gap between the last race and the kick-off it was deemed too risky, as people have plenty of time to get home and go to pub.

“Historically Saturday raceday has proved very popular with coach parties from Wales, who failed to qualify for the tournament.”

Feature race of the day at Sandown is the Scurry Stakes, run over five furlongs. The Wiltshire yard of Richard Hannon is in great form and could chalk up another winner with Duplicity.

Muwakaba could be a winner for the Ryan Moore-Sir Michael Stoute partnership in the totescoop 6 Handicap while former Manton trainer John Gosden could get backers off to a good start by winning the first race on the card with Beachfire.

York’s opening race is the Queen Mothers Cup for Lady Amateur Riders and could go to Spirit Is Needed ridden by Irish rider Nina Carberry for trainer Mark Johnston.

Jockey Seb Sanders is down to ride at Bath and could provide a winner or two for his boss Sir Mark Prescott, who has his yard in fine form.

Should any local racegoers still have a few pounds in the kitty following Saturday’s exploits then an attractive-looking card at Salisbury gets underway at 2pm tomorrow.

A bumper crowd is expected for the meeting with a mile and a half handicap that could go to local trainer Peter Makin with Mabuya.

The feature race on the card is the Listed Bathwick Tyres Cathedral Stakes run over six furlongs that could be won by Sirocco Breeze the mount of Ted Durcan.

Local jockey George Baker travels to Doncaster for just one ride and could be successful on the Chris Wall trained Flag Of Glory.