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Friday is the day where the fate of two short-priced favourites could be the deciding factor in the battle between bookmakers and punters for the week at Royal Ascot.

CORONATION STAKES

While there have been plenty of top-class horses that have run during the week, there have been a few significant absentees in the likes of Desert Crown, Haskoy and Mawj. The return clash between Mawj and Tahiyra in the Coronation Stakes (16:20) would clearly have been the highlight of the day, and now the way is left clear for Tahiyra to follow up her Irish 1000 Guineas win. Queen For You is the potential improver in the field, but it is hard to see Tahiyra getting beaten.

KING EDWARD VII STAKES

The general post Derby feeling was that there were two horses in Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel who stood apart from the rest. Having started at 66-1 for that race, King of Steel will instead line up as an odds-on favourite for the King Edward VII (17:35).

He may be slightly more vulnerable than Tahiyra, in that it is only 20 days since his Derby exertions after a break of over 220 days prior to Epsom. He had been ready to run before that when withdrawn in the Dante after getting upset in the stalls. Both factors are slight concerns, but he would still need to underperform by a large degree if any of those behind him in the Derby were to reverse the form.

Given Aidan O’Brien’s ability this season to get a horse back to form after a bad run, it is Continuous who could provide the main opposition despite his disappointing effort in the French Derby.

FRIDAY ASCOT SELECTIONS

However King Of Steel fares, it could still be a good day for his trainer Roger Varian.

JABAARA , like many in the Albany (14:30), has only seen the racecourse once, overcoming trouble in running to win at Newmarket in May. The other factor in his favour is his sire Exceed and Excel’s excellent record down the years at Ascot with an actual/expected ratio of 1.18. Exceed and Excel is well over 20 now, so there are not as many qualifiers coming through, but the likes of Mannacan would be a good recent example of an angle that has paid its way down the years.

Navassa Island rates as the main danger to Jabaara after her promising debut second. She made £240,000 at the Breeze Ups and was quickly sold on afterwards to reward her owners’ gamble in parting with such a large sum.

SAKHEER and Lezoo both shaped in the Guineas as if a return to sprinting would suit and, in coming up against Little Big Bear, it makes for the race of the day in the Commonwealth Cup (15:05).

Little Big Bear has already successfully returned to sprinting when winning the Sandy Lane at Haydock, partly aided by a golden highway, but Sakheer really impressed with his turn of foot last season when winning the Mill Reef at Newbury and is worth supporting to confirm that impression back in trip and on faster ground than in the 2000 Guineas.

Away from that pair, Godolphin look to hold a strong hand in the Duke of Edinburgh (15:40) with Live Your Dream and AL NAFIR . Preference is for the latter as Live Your Dream is another bounce candidate, especially as connections have chosen to run here rather than wait for the Northumberland Plate on Saturday week. Like a lot of the round-course handicaps so far this week, it could get messy with no obvious pace in the race so luck in the run will be crucial.

In the Sandringham (17:00) over the straight mile, MARKSMAN QUEEN shaped on her handicap debut as if this was a potentially lenient mark when second at Kempton. She has been raised 2lb but her pedigree suggests that fast ground should suit well. Her sire Dubawi has a good fast-ground record (A/E 1.14) and an even better one at the track (A/E 1.31) – both from big sample sizes.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

There are rather fewer potential candidates for a bet away from Ascot on Friday.

Vision Of Hope  (14:10, Market Rasen) and Pileup  (15:20, Market Rasen) came closest to making the cut, but just didn’t stand out enough to warrant including as bets.

SELECTIONS:

JABAARA (14:30, Royal Ascot)

SAKHEER (15:05, Royal Ascot)

AL NAFIR (15:40, Royal Ascot)

MARKSMAN QUEEN (17:00, Royal Ascot)