BRIDGEFIELD IN THE HUNT FOR HONOURS

Go Go Go Horserace: BRIDGEFIELD IN THE HUNT FOR HONOURS. With Epsom behind us we can turn our focus fully on the five days of Royal Ascot with everything simmering away nicely over the last couple of months. The racecourse officials have worked wonders in attracting Black Caviar to these shores, ensuring that the two highest rated racehorses in the world will be lining up in Berkshire later this month.

Of course, Frankel (who runs in the first race of the meeting) and Black Caviar are both going to be sent off at long odds-on but a little fun could be had in including the pair in doubles and trebles with other ante-post selections. It's fantastic being able to watch a superstar in action but having them carrying a few pounds of your money can only add to the enjoyment.

The first part of the equation, namely finding your ante-post winner, is the more difficult part of course and race don't come much more taxing than the Royal Hunt Cup which has seen three winners returned in excess of 25-1 in recent years.

James Fanshawe currently dominates the market for the race which is no surprise given his big-race double at the meeting last year allied with the fact that he has twice won this handicap. Primaeval is progressing rapidly while Dimension, it seems, has long been deemed capable of better than he's shown on the track and connections may well have had this race in mind since he won here last September.

The former has done most of his racing over seven furlongs and has appeared to be stretched by a fast run mile in the past. Stamina is a slight concern for my selection, Bridgefield, but that is more than compensated for by his price which is a general 25/1 and 33s with Coral.

The four year old was highly enough regarded by his owners, Godolphin, to run in last year's UAE 2000 Guineas in which he finished a respectable fourth but it's his form in handicaps on these shores that really takes the eye.

After winning a conditions race at Newmarket he finished a three length sixth behind Casual Glimpse and Dimension - to whom he was conceding a stone - over seven furlongs at Goodwood. He then came home in midfield once again in another seven furlong handicap at this track, the form of which looks rock-solid with Smarty Socks, Eton Rifles and Pastoral Player three of those ahead.

The son of Speightstown lacked the pace to cope with those speedsters but looked much more at home at York in a Listed handicap won by Fury when comfortably faring best of those held-up.

The early indications are that the Knavesmire form will stand the test of time and it's encouraging that he ran as well as he did given that the stable endured a pretty torrid meeting. On recent evidence, the step up to a mile should suit, he's entitled to come on for last month's run - his first since January - and he's certainly well enough handicapped.

The King's Stand Stakes is the only race on which they're currently betting on the opening day and Bated Breath currently heads the market following his Temple Stakes win at Haydock. The drop to five furlongs - an experiment with the intention of avoiding Black Caviar - may well prove to be the making of him but he only had a neck to spare from Sole Power who was a shade unfortunate.

On her latest start, the Australian mare Ortensia had comfortably accounted for Eddie Lynam's globetrotter by one and a half lengths in Meydan. The seven year old is in the form of her life at present and has had this race as her target for a long time having flown in from Dubai in April.

Her preparations are reported to have gone smoothly, Australian trained sprinters have won four of the last nine renewals and there's still no sign of a British sprinting star emerging. Just on a line through Sole Power alone, the 6/1 that is generally on offer looks more than fair with so little depth to the domestic challenge.