The two I like in the Northumberland Plate are RIDE THE THUNDER and TEAM PLAYER. Both horses look suited by the test, but Team Player has already shown he can handle Newcastle’s extended staying trip and finish his race strongly. The four-year-old of Without Parole could still possess some improvement at this distance and is a major player.

Whereas Ride The Thunder has posted strong collateral form with the 105 rated Valiancy on his last two starts. Ride The Thunder put in a big run after more than a 200-day break on his seasonal opener after being gelded and if he improves with a fitness edge he may have a slight class angle on this field.

1pt win Ride The Thunder @7/1, 1pt win Team Player @7/1, 15:15 Newcastle, Saturday

Godolphin’s CATULLUS looked a different beast on return at Goodwood, bolting up by nearly 4 lengths after wind surgery and a gelding op. The operations have clearly done the job and an RPR of 110 puts him firmly in the picture here. With Buick back on, this runner has the look of one that can continue to progress is the stable’s first string over Morris Dancer.

He demonstrated a devastating turn of foot to put this to bed late. Big player with more to come.

COLORI FOREVER has progressed on every start this season and this som of Bated Breath a bit of More Thunder vibes about him. Strong traveller typically ridden out the back, he is often played late and did so in impressive style last time out over this course and distance. He looks well worth a shot in this company and is nice odds considering that it is impossible to know whete his ceiling lies.

1pt win Catullus @8/1, 1pt win Colori Forever @11/1, 16:20 Royal Ascot, Saturday

THE PRETTIEST STAR brings Group One form from the fillies division, which might just be the best on offer here. Coupled with the promise of more to come – her 1,000 Guineas fourth was not only her season reappearance but just her third career start – she has a very good chance at around 8/1. This trip might suit her better than the mile she raced at Newmarket as she’s by Starman, but she did prove she sees out longer distances pretty well which is a big help. Her yard also won the race last year so the omens bode well. I’ll also have a go on Aidan O’Brien’s first string NEOLITHIC. The yard have been in exceptional form this week and this horse has got an unexposed profile on faster ground. I don’t think he really saw out the mile last time out when outstayed by yesterday’s Hardwicke Stakes winner, and he beat the Queen Anne Stakes winner just three starts ago so there are reasons to believe he could be up to this.

1pt win The Prettiest Star @8/1, 1pt win Neolithic @20/1, 16:20 Royal Ascot, Saturday

Stronger than a lot of Group Ones, this is a top race. Kalpana holds excellent claims but this is truly wide open. The winner will need to run to a high level as there are too many highly rated horses for all of them to disappoint, so an improver needs a good prep and reason to get there. I’m drawn to BEST SECRET as he’s strong in the market and has two clear collateral form lines that suggest he can be up to this level. He achieved a similar level of form to what Kalpana did when they took their turn to beat West Wind Blows this season, and looking further back in his form he beat a horse that gave the top-notch Ombudsman a run for his money earlier this season. He’s four and has more scope to improve and his most recent run appeared his best, whilst his form in handicaps will always shield his true ability as he gets held up. At last year’s Royal meeting he had no run from the back in the Golden Gate Stakes yet still found fourth.

1pt win Best Secret @7/1, 3:05 Royal Ascot, Saturday

Previous winners of the London Gold Cup tend to do well at Royal Ascot and I was quite taken by the way LOST BOYS won the race after not getting the clearest of runs. He has since been acquired by Wathnan racing and looked a prospect that can continue to progress in search of his fourth win in a row. He has already proven his toughness in big-field handicaps and still likes on a feasible mark of 96 having taken a 7lbs rise in the weights for that success.

The other one who looks well-ahead of his mark is PERISHER for Joseph O’Brien. The son of Australia put in a career best on his first attempt over 1m 2f last time out at Naas and while he is yet to race on a quick surface, he showed a pretty decent turn-of-foot to win that contest. He goes in search of a hattrick but I think has been let in lightly by the handicapper with a mark of 91 and could be suited by this fastly run race.

1pt win Lost Boys @5/1, 1pt win Perisher @10/1, 17:35 Ascot, Saturday

Venetian Sun is a class act, but she is a short price here and if there is any vulnerability that she has it could be when the ground is really quick.

One that could run a huge race is ZANTHOS for Simon & Ed Crisford. She was a high-class two-year-old winning a Group 2 Rockfel Stakes on her last start beating the 1000 Guinease fourth. Her connections trialled her over a mile in the French 1000 Guineas and although she led at the 6f pole, she ultimately got tired up the straight on rain-softened ground. It looked worthwile to have a crack at that but I expect her to be seen to best effect over this trip as she is super quick and could get away from these with her draw in stall 1. Clearly, that isn’t always ideal, but Oisin Murphy will ride her aggressively and maybe can sneak away here from the field to claim a big success.

1pt each-way Zanthos 20/1, 15:05 Royal Ascot, Friday (1-4 places, 1/5 odds)

I’m not particularly interested in backing anything here that isn’t sired by Frankel or Sea The Stars. Not only do those two sires provide stamina assurances, but they both have a higher ceiling of potential for their progeny versus the likes of Camelot, New Bay and Zarak. Unfortunately that still leaves us with five to choose from. Of those, Action looks down the Ballydoyle pecking order and can be ruled out primarily because there’s no obvious reason why he would reverse placings with Dante winner ITEM, who looks a strong candidate in nearly every regard. He’s an unbeaten Frankel, won the best trial, is top rated, and remains unexposed. 5/1 is very solid. On balance, race favourite Benvenuto Cellini has to be taken on with rain forecast. He has a devouring stride perfect for this race but it’s long and low and might be much better suited to faster ground – which to an extent has already been demonstrated by his Doncaster defeat last season. Similar comments apply to Ancient Egypt whose trainer has sounded doubts over the ground – and he hasn’t shown enough class yet. The leaves Maltese Cross, who has a top attitude and is a perfect profile on striding, but looks far from the finished article and looks more of a place chance.

1.5pts win Item @9/2, 16:00 Epsom, Saturday

Conditions could be pretty testing tomorrow and that could suit Sparks Fly who finished third in this race last year. But it’ll be tough for her to give weight all-round in a race which can often be tight at the finish and while she sets the standard, she is one of the more exposed runners in here.

PACIFIC MISSION could kick-on significantly from her seasonal reappearance. Her two-year-old form saw her finish second in both the Group 2 May Hill Stakes and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, shaping like a potentially high-class miler with a potent turn of foot. That level of form — RPRs around 103–105 — puts her firmly in the mix here with any amount of progression from two to three-years-old and considering she gets 15lbs in weight allowance from Sparks Fly and 12lbs from the rest of the field, she looks well-treated.

Pacific Mission was not knocked about on her York run last month where she raced prominently only to fade late after a 196-day break, which strongly suggests she needed the outing. Andrew Balding’s runners often improve significantly for their first run of the season, and her trainer is in decent form. By Lope De Vega, her pedigree suggests she should be fine on soft ground.

Another of the more interesting ones in here is PINA SONATA for James Fanshawe. Her first run of the season represented a Listed success at Kempton where she had to find 13-14lbs on her market rivals. She won that fairly comfortably to show she is still progressing and in form which is more than you can say for a fair few of these. That was only her sixth start, so there may be more improvement to come, especially now she is a four-year-old and considering she used to be really keen in her races as she settled nicely on her first start.

There are a reasons to believe Epsom could suit her noting that she is sired by Pinatubo (who won at the track) out of a Galileo mare, so a mile and a bit should not be beyond her. And whilst her form is still well below several of these, she looks a bit of value and a possible improver here.

1pt win Pacific Mission @11/2, 1pt win Pina Sonata 13/2, 14:05 Epsom, Saturday

I don’t see a standout piece of form here in the Woodcote, there isn’t a Pinatubo or a horse of that quality in the line-up it appears and therefore the form of everything in here looks pretty close. Clearly Possessive was impressive on debut and has strong connections. I also liked the look of Wild Terrains debut but the form of that race looks suspect.

At much bigger odds, you can make a decent case for RLASTHOPE with Colin Keane an attractive jockey-booking. He ran well on debut in a big field before getting bumped at a crucial point. Rlasthope then followed that up with a really strong run behind Adonius who is now rated around the 100 mark and his last run in a large field saw him drawn out on the wing with no cover before finishing a close enough fourth.

He may not have the flashiest profile, but his recent efforts suggest a level of consistency and competitiveness that can get him into the mix here and the fact he has experience could give him a slight edge at this stage of his career. He looks a decent each-way play here.

1pt each-way Rlasthope @14/1, 14:05 Epsom, Friday (1/5 odds, four places)

Amelia Earhart has a quirky edge about her and I wonder whether they will be able to keep a lid on her tomorrow. Her form figures aren’t particularly exciting and her odds of 2/1 are clearly driven by jockey bookings than what she has done on track.

Ballydoyle run three in this and they could control the tactics here just like they did in the Prix Du Jockey Club when their horses finished 1-2-3 last weekend. It’s always worth looking at their second strings and I thought CAMEO was the most impressive trial winner of any in here. Aidan O’Brien trains and Wootton Bassett is a sire whose progeny often bring a mix of pace, stamina and class. Her Lingfield Oaks Trial win last time out was a proper piece of form, as she travelled smoothly, handled the track well, and stayed on strongly to win in authoritative fashion. That run suggested she can thrive over this trip and she reminds me a lot of previous Oaks winner Snowfall in terms of her profile.

THUNDERING ON also makes plenty of appeal with her case strengthened by the fact she is trained by Joseph O’Brien, whose fillies are often very well prepared for the big spring Classics. She took a clear step forward in her last run when landing the Salsabil Stakes at Navan, a performance that suggested she possesses both significant stamina and progression for the yard. As a daughter of Frankel, she has the pedigree to relish this trip, and that blend of class and staying power makes her a serious Oaks contender here.

1pt win Thundering On @11/2, 1pt win Cameo @8/1, 16:00 Epsom, Saturday