Royal Ascot: Five horses to follow on Day One

Tipster: Nic Doggett.

Best odds: 4-1.

An intriguing race to kick off the meeting, with Opera Ballo, Zeus Olympios and Damysus all likely to be towards the fore in a race that lacks an out-and-out front-runner. 

That might work against the likes of Notable Speech and Docklands who have both got fine turns of foot, but the hope is that MORE THUNDER will be able to cope with a stop/start race given he has done most of his winning over sprint trips. 

He split Notable Speech and Zeus Olympios at Newbury, but both of those had race fitness on their side, and he’s expected to progress plenty this year for an owner whose patience was often rewarded with the horse’s previous trainer Sir Michael Stoute. 

Tipster: Alex Scott.

Best odds: 11-4.

Bow Echo was a devastating winner of the Betfred 2000 Guineas, but Group One-winning juvenile Gstaad is capable of reversing form at Ascot.

Aidan O'Brien's colts that have ran in the season's opening Classic have invariably improved for their run in recent years and that was evident again this season when Gstaad ran a fine race at Newmarket to finish second, but then bolted up to win the Irish equivalent by three lengths.

He is already a winner at the track, albeit on the straight course over six furlongs, and may well take another step forward. Drawn away from Bow Echo last time, he may have finished closer had the two raced closer together, and Gstaad edged right-handed in the closing stages which also did little to help his cause.

I'm pretty certain he wasn't as fit and ready as the winner on the Rowley Mile, and with last month's impressive win in Ireland now under his belt, he is worth siding with.

Tipster: RaceiQ nap of the day (Andy Stephens).

Best odds: 40-1.

Siempre Arturo is unproven beyond a mile and a half but that seems factored into his massive price. 

He caught the eye when fifth in a good 12-furlong handicap at Ascot last month, when he stayed on strongest of all in  race run more than three seconds quicker than the RaceiQ Par. 

The third, Occupation and sixth, Valedictory, have been good winers since. In fact, the latter would have been a likely leading fancy for this had he not been balloted out.

Siempre Arturo's stamina reserves are unknown and he was also entered in the Copper Horse (over 1m 6f) but missed the cut. He has been staying on well at the end of several of his 1m 4f races and this contest can often be falsely run.

Jason Watson has had 7 winners from 56 rides at Ascot in the past 5 years, showing a £182.70 profit to a nominal £1 stake.

Tipster: Ross Millar.

Best odds: 11-1.

Roger Varian's charge was denied racing room at a crucial time last year when finishing fourth.

Lightly-raced since, he caught the eye when doing best of those ridden patiently at Goodwood on his return.

With race fitness behind him and granted a clear passage, he's capable of going close. 

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 2-1.

This staying handicap has been won by the favourite on three out of the six runnings; a 2-1 favourite has finished a close second, and a 4-1 second favourite has also scored, so it is difficult to look beyond the front of the market for me. 

Valiancy will be a strong favourite and rightly so for me. He won a seriously strong handicap over this distance at Haydock on his final start last season and reappeared with a win over a slightly shorter trip at Hamilton in May.

He looked very much as though he would improve further when stepped back up, and he will get a very strongly-run race here which will suit as well.