Royal Ascot: Timeform's top-rated horses across the five days

Ratings are not the be-all-and-end-all of everything in racing, however they provide a good indication of a horse’s place in the hierarchy of equine talent. They are often an excellent pointer towards working out from where the best performances of Royal Ascot are likely to emerge.

In the absence of the very best horses from the rest of the world, notably Australia’s supermare Winx and America’s now-retired Gun Runner, Timeform’s ratings ahead of Royal Ascot are dominated by the English-trained Battaash and Cracksman, both of whom have a rating of 136.

Cracksman was runner-up in both the English and Irish Derby, before winning his final three starts in 2017, namely the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, Prix Niel at Chantilly and Champion Stakes at Ascot (most impressively, by seven lengths from Poet's Word).

He started the season well in the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp and then stretched his unbeaten record to five when scrambling home against the well-ridden Salouen in the Coronation Cup at Epsom at the beginning of the month. He is very much the one to beat in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, now returned to the venue of his most authoritative performance to date.

Battaash, meanwhile, has entries in both the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday, and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes – over a furlong further – on the Saturday of the meeting.

He secured a fourth win of a very successful 2017 campaign when blitzing the field in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Chantilly (beating Marsha by four lengths) and added another win on his reappearance, getting up late on in the Temple Stakes at Haydock (by a head from Washington DC) after missing the break.

The Wesley Ward-trained Lady Aurelia stormed clear in the King’s Stand 12 months ago, with connections deciding to target the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August rather than attempt a quickfire double in the Diamond Jubilee directly after; incidentally, the last horse to complete the famous Ascot double was the Australian sprinter Choisir in 2003.

Lady Aurelia warmed up for the defence of her crown with a slightly disappointing defeat at Keeneland in April, but is expected to be cherry ripe for this assignment.

The 134-rated Enable was the leading three-year-old filly last season, but she suffered an injury setback last month so will miss Royal Ascot. There’s a potential clash to savour amongst this year’s crop of classic-generation fillies, though, with the winners of the English, Irish and French Guineas all set to run in the Coronation Stakes on Friday.

Billesdon Brook vastly improved when winning the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket (by one and three quarter lengths from subsequent Group One winner and Prix De Diane fancy Laurens), and her big price that day (66-1) may mean that the form is underestimated.

Alpha Centauri resumed her progress when winning the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh. Teppal, meanwhile, took the step up in grade in her stride after eight months off when winning the French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp.

All three are leading contenders, but they could have it all to do if Clemmie arrives here in peak form. She looked an excellent prospect when reeling off a hat-trick on her final three starts as a juvenile, and this daughter of leading sire Galileo left the impression she would come into her own over this longer trip aged three; Aidan O’Brien’s filly looks sure to take plenty of beating if coming on as expected for last month’s return at the Curragh.

Other fascinating clashes over the week include the likes of Stradivarius, Torcedor and Vazirabad taking dead aim at Order Of St George in the Gold Cup on Thursday, with Stradivarius fancied to improve past the 2016 winner.

He was very progressive last season, his wins including the Queen's Vase at this meeting, and the fact that he was still full of running at the line when winning the Yorkshire Cup last month suggests that the longer trip by a whole six furlongs won’t be a problem.

Perhaps the best value bet of the week, however, comes in the very first race of the meeting – the Queen Anne Stakes. It looks one of the most open renewals in recent years, with several you can make a legitimate case for, but the one that makes the most appeal is the French raider Recoletos.

He was thought good enough to take on Cracksman in the Champion Stakes at the end of last season and has looked better than ever this year, making his breakthrough at Group One level in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp (by one and three quarter lengths from Almodovar) last time. He remains unexposed at a mile, and is preferred to the Lockinge Stakes one-two Rhododendron and Lightning Spear.