Dave Nevison's Royal Ascot tips: my best bets for day one

Even though this four-year-old has now won five Group One contests in four different countries, I am still not sure Modern Games gets the accolades he deserves. I’m hoping he will change that if he wins the traditional Ascot curtain raiser.

Charlie Appleby hasn’t ducked any challenges and Modern Games showed himself very effective over the straight mile in the Lockinge at Newbury when beating Chindit 1½ lengths.

William Buick has obviously chosen him ahead of Native Trail for this and good to firm conditions look set to be ideal for him.

Mastering top class filly Inspiral will be difficult but she never really reproduced her Coronation Stakes form in three subsequent runs last season and has a bit to prove now.

I am pretty certain the Mullins team will have watched last year’s running of this race to work out what to tweak in order to get Bring On The Night home in front this time.

Like plenty of others, I thought I was cheering home a winner when he hit 1/3 in running a furlong or so out, but we had bargained without the battling qualities and class of Coltrane, who just would not be denied.

I am going on a recovery mission this time around and am hoping Ryan Moore is even braver when making his late challenge.

I will also be backing Calling The Wind each-way and will be very disappointed if he doesn’t pick up place money at least.

Richard Hughes seems to have decided on this handicap rather than try for a third time to win the Queen Alexandra later in the week and he certainly has the stamina reserves for this.

With a better run through last time he might have won the Chester Cup. The booking of Billy Loughnane looks significant to me as two of the past three renewals of this tightest of handicaps has been won by an apprentice and there is no better 3lb claimer around than Loughnane.

This is another fiercely tight staying handicap and I am sticking with the Ed Bethell yard, who have done me well so far this season.

Chillingham looks to have been set aside for this after two impressive wins at Thirsk so far this spring, where he has demonstrated a useful turn of foot.

He steps up in trip here but that is no worry given his pedigree. In fact, it looks set to suit him well, plus he is versatile regards ground.

With Willie Mullins having both Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore tied up for this, there should be each-way value elsewhere in the field, and hopefully Chillingham will go off at a decent price.