Placepot picks for Royal Ascot day one: French horse has the X-Facteur

For any flat racing fan this is surely the biggest week of the year - I can't wait for the action to start at this year's !

I've got a perm consisting of 24 lines for you to consider, but I wish you the best of luck this week and with whatever you're playing on in Tuesday's Placepot!

The Group 1 Queen Anne kicks off the Royal meeting on the Straight course and I think we can keep things relatively simple in the opening contest as Facteur Cheval looks to hold rock-solid claims for his French trainer, .

The five-year-old produced a career best when winning the Group 1 Dubai Turf in March and, for me, that is the best piece of form in the race here and should entitle him to be the favourite. That Meydan performance came on quick ground, the gelding's first try on a much faster surface, and he demonstrated a potent turn of foot and held on well once challenged close home.

The stiff mile at Ascot suits the gelding very well, as shown when second here in the QEII on Champions Day back in October, he has a nice draw in stall seven and I'm very happy to lock him in as the cornerstone of this Placepot. 

The juveniles get their chance to shine in the Coventry Stakes and this looks the trickiest race to assess on Tuesday's card. Many have just one piece of form to their name here and the draw also becomes a factor with 23 runners set to line-up in this Group 2 event.

I'm therefore happy to have a few on side here, particularly with a sole selection played in leg one, and we'll start with Cowardofthecounty. The Kodi Bear colt was so impressive when winning on debut at The in April, staying on strongly to beat the highly-touted Whistlejacket, who has won subsequently and is now favourite for the Norfolk Stakes on Thursday.

Al Qudra and Catalyse are also expected to go well. The former won in good style when racing wide at Lingfield last time out and I like that he's been able to have three starts to date, with that racecourse experience sure to hold him in good stead. The latter could also be underestimated having won at last time for trainer . It may have been a low-key event but he travelled strongly throughout and impressed on the clock.

More Group 1 action swiftly follows with the King Charles III Stakes over five furlongs.

I don't think this is a vintage renewal - there is no horse rated higher than 114 in the field and there is definitely no standout performer in the sprinting division at this moment in time.

Twilight Calls

looks a fairly safe inclusion here under the guidance of . The gelding was second in this race in 2022 and fourth in last year's edition. This stiff track is tailormade for the six-year-old, who ran a good race on seasonal reappearance at in May, forfeiting ground at the start before getting going all too late in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes. His trainer, Henry Candy, hasn't had a winner since November which is an obvious concern, but what a story it would be if his stable stalwart could make it third time lucky in this year's renewal.

This stiff five furlongs would also look to suit Regional ideally and I think the six-year-old will take to the track on his first visit. 

The son of Territories has proved a bargain buy at just 3,500gns back in July 2021 and has not stopped progressing since joining fledgling trainer, Ed Bethell. The gelding capped a fine 2023 with Group 1 success in the Haydock Sprint Cup over six furlongs and returned last month with a creditable second in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at The over the same trip. That will put him spot on for this and he must go close once again.

We have one of the races of the week in leg four with the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes set to feature the English, Irish and French Guineas winners, as well as a deep supporting line-up. Of those Classic winners, I'll be looking to take on the Irish Guineas winner, . Richard Hannon's colt has been primed for two tough assignments already this season, running huge races in both and I just fear he may be vulnerable to fresher horses on this occasion.

One of those is Henry Longfellow, who disappointed on his only start of the campaign when running eighth behind the re-opposing Metropolitan in the French Guineas, but that was simply a non-event for the Dubawi colt, who suffered trouble in-running when too far back in a tactical affair. He is better judged on his juvenile form and it'd be no surprise to see him return to form here for Aidan O'Brien.

That being said, the unbeaten Notable Speech has been kept for this race following his Guineas victory at Newmarket and he created such a deep impression when winning from Rosallion last month. That was the Godolphin colt's first start on the turf, so there should be much more to offer from the son of Dubawi and he is taken as the sole selection here. 

The first handicap of the week is the Ascot Stakes over two-and-a-half miles and as ever, the Irish look to hold a strong hand with the top of the market dominated by overseas raiders. Indeed, has won this four times in the last 12 years, with a further six placed in that period, so his sole runner commands the utmost respect.

He's going to be a very popular Placepot selection though, so it may be worth taking him on considering his place in the market is sure to be skewed by his prominent connections and I'd be looking further down the card where Tritonic could be going under the radar for .

The seven-year-old was a fine third in this race last year from a mark of 100 and returns this time around from a perch of 95. He's had two quick runs in the spring to blow away the cobwebs, dropping 2lb in the process, and I'd say this has been a long-term target for his trainer, who won this race in 2020 with a similar type in .

Divine Comedy

was a Placepot inclusion at Haydock Park last time out and I see no reason to omit her on this occasion, either. She's a mare firmly on the upgrade for her progressive trainer and I think she will be a good differential pick for the Placepot. She has now placed in the first three in her last 12 races and seems equally adept on fast and slow ground.

The Listed Wolferton Stakes is the finale for Tuesday's Placepot and hasn't been a happy hunting ground for favourite backers with just three winning favourites since the turn of the century.

However, John Gosden has enjoyed recent success having saddled four winners since 2011 and his sole runner this year, Torito, is a horse who I have had in mind for this contest for some time. 

The four-year-old remains lightly-raced and unexposed following just six starts to date, picking up an injury when fourth at this meeting last year, in which time he has been gelded. There's plenty of untapped potential with this son of Kingman and he returned with a good third in a warm handicap at Newmarket last month and that should put him cherry ripe for this assignment. 

Ancient Rome

has looked progressive since joining in the summer of last year and has won two of his three starts in that time. He'd have to defy a Group 3 penalty here but looks to be underestimated in the market to me and should relish quicker conditions once again. The five-year-old enjoys racing right-handed and his prominent style should suit this test from stall 3.