6.10pm Extortionist proves king of the Castle
Extortionist provided rookie trainer Olly Stevens with a Royal Ascot winner in his first season with a licence as he rattled home to claim the Windsor Castle Stakes.
A winner at Nottingham on his debut before finishing fourth in a York novice event, the Qatar Racing-owned juvenile was a 16-1 shot for a wide-open five-furlong Listed event.
Johnny Murtagh, successful earlier in the day aboard Sole Power in the King's Stand, bided his time aboard the two-year-old, but he lengthened smartly when asked the question and got up late home to take the prize by a neck.
Supplicant (20-1) and 4-1 favourite Anticipated were second and third respectively. PA
5.45pm Well is too Sharp in the Ascot Stakes
Leading National Hunt trainer Jonjo O'Neill claimed the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot as Well Sharp carried the familiar silks of JP McManus to a determined victory.
All the talk before the race surrounded 4-1 favourite Tiger Cliff, aiming to give Lady Cecil a poignant winner following the death of her husband, legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil, last week.
The pace was unsurprisingly sedate in the early stages of the two-and-a-half-mile stamina test, but gradually quickened as they headed down the back straight the final time.
Well Sharp (9-1) emerged from the pack in the hands of Fran Berry and saw out the marathon distance well to score by two and a half lengths.
Tiger Cliff was a long way back rounding the home turn under Tom Queally and although he was making ground hand over fist in the home straight, it was all too late and he had to make do with an honourable second.
Tiger Cliff's owner, Henry Ponsonby, also had the third home - the Nicky Henderson-trained Lieutenant Miller. PA
4.35pm War Command makes it 4/4 for Ireland
Chris Cook: Aidan O'Brien has bagged his second victory on day one at Royal Ascot but not with the horse most people expected might do it for him. The Ballydoyle trainer had three runners in the Coventry, included the well-fancied Stubbs, but it was the 20-1 outsider of the trio, War Command, who came home six lengths clear.
O'Brien's other horse, Sir John Hawkins, ran on to be third behind Richard Fahey's Parbold, who met trouble in running.
4.20pm Approach wins thrilling St James's Palace Stakes
Chris Cook: Dawn Approach is back in the winner's enclosure after a thrilling battle with Toronado in the St James's Palace Stakes, the highlight of day one at Royal Ascot. He prevailed by a short-head at the end of a dramatic race, with favourite-backers kept on tenterhooks by a photo-finish and then a stewards' inquiry.
Despite his stablemate Leitir Mor setting a decent gallop, Dawn Approach failed to settle once more, albeit not so dramatically as in the Derby, when he lost his unbeaten record and finished last. As he made his challenge up the middle of the track in the home straight, he was pushed wide by the wayward Glory Awaits and in turn hampered Toronado on his outside.
Of the pair, it might be argued that Dawn Approach lost marginally more momentum but both rallied to fight it out through the final furlong. Toronado, so disappointing in the 2,000 Guineas, when hampered by a breathing problem, managed to sustain his effort this time and seemed sure to go past.
Instead, Dawn Approach showed tremendous toughness to hold on. He was immediately praised as "a great battler" by his jockey, Kevin Manning, who had been so dismayed about the colt bolting underneath him in the first half at Epsom.
Mars ran on to be third, ahead of the French challenger Mshawish. Most disappointing was Mars's stablemate from Aidan O'Brien's yard, Magician, the winner of the Irish Guineas, who faded out of contention in the final quarter-mile.
Sheikh Mohammed, owner of Dawn Approach, told Channel 4: "He's proved to me that he's the best miler in the world."
Jim Bolger, the winning trainer, praised for letting the horse take his chance so soon after the Derby flop, said: "Sure, that's the nature of the sport: you take chances and sometimes they work, sometimes they dont. But Sheikh Mohammed was a very willing risk-taker."
Asked about the interference in the straight, Bolger said: "He's a very tough horse, he was fortunate to survive that. I knew he wouldn't let me down."
At 5-4, Dawn Approach became the first winning favourite at this year's Royal Ascot. Animal Kingdom, the American-trained hotpot for the Queen Anne Stakes, ruined his chance by pulling too strongly in a race eventually won by O'Brien's Declaration Of War.
Shea Shea, the South African favourite for the King's Stand Stakes, was pipped close to the line by Sole Power, trained by Eddie Lynam. Irish-based trainers have now won the first three races at the meeting.
3.45pm Ireland 2, Rest of the World 0
Chris Cook: The big names from America and South Africa have let their backers down in the opening two races at Royal Ascot.
Animal Kingdom was most disappointing in the Queen Anne, racing freely and finding nothing from halfway. His connections were most deflated but confirmed this is most likely to be his final race. There simply wasn't enough encouragement for them to persist with more ambitious targets, so off to stud he will go. It was a brave try and we'll hope it doesn't put off other American challengers in the future.
The race was won by Declaration Of War, the hotly touted Aidan O'Brien beast who blew out so badly in the Lockinge last month. The trainer said he didn't have him fit enough and it appears to have been true.
Aljamaheer and Gregorian were the placed horses, suggesting this wasn't a great Queen Anne. Elusive Kate and Trade Storm were just behind.
Edward Lynam made it two wins for Ireland on the day by landing the King's Stand with Sole Power, who finished strongly on the stands' side to pip Shea Shea, who was over on the far side, by a neck. Christophe Soumillon, on the runner-up, simply said: "I was on the wrong side, behind the wrong horses."
Pearl Secret ran a blinder on his reappearance to be third.
The bookmakers are off to a flyer with the first two favourites downed.
3.40pm Sole powers to King's Stand victory
Tony Paley: Sole Power edged out South African raider Shea Shea to claim a late victory in an exciting finish to the King's Stand Stakes.
Winning rider Johnny Murtagh said: "Forty winners at Royal Ascot, I'm really proud of it. As a jockey this is where you want to be performing. It makes the Mondays and the Fridays a lot easier when you come to a meeting like this and ride great horses for good people. I'vejust been one of the lucky ones.
"Eddie [Lynam] told me to ride him like I normally ride him and to ride him like I owned him. He's got a great turn of foot if you can just conserve his energy. He's very willing and if he gets going too early he runs out of steam. You've got to time it to the best. I didn't see Shea Shea but I knew I'd hit the line well."
3.30pm Kingdom flops as War bombs in for O'Brien
Tony Paley: American superstar Animal Kingdom proved a bitter disappointment as Declaration Of War claimed victory in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of Royal Ascot 2013.
Winning rider Joseph O'Brien said: "I'm not really quite sure what happened in the Lockinge. Dad thought he wasn't quite as fit as he'd hoped to have him. He said he had him 100% today and he was bang on.
"I was going very well and I just went into the gap. It got a little bit tight, but he was going exceptionally well and quickened up well, but he idled when he got there.
"He's a very good horse. We thought that at Newbury and we were a little bit disappointed but we sorted a few things - all the lads in the yard have done a great job. It's nice to start off on the front foot."
Trainer Aidan O'Brien reported: "We are delighted. We thought the world of him last year. He just had an easy win first time at Leopardstown and then he went to the Lockinge. I left him unready and he wasn't ready for the race at the time, but he has made great progress since and has come back to what we thought and hoped he would be.
"He has a lot of speed, so Joseph waited as long as he could. He's a big powerful horse and when he asked him he put his head down and went through."
2pm Missing Mickael
Chris Cook: When Mickael Barzalona won the 2011 Derby as a teenager and then signed for Godolphin last year, I bet he wasn't thinking of riding at Thirsk and certainly not on day one of Royal Ascot.
But that's where he's been sent, to ride Waverunner (4.45) in a fillies' handicap. Many will see it as a major tip, though you could read too much into it; Godolphin are not over-supplied with runners at Ascot today.
Barzalona will be here tomorrow for Saint Baudolino in the Prince of Wales and Fire Blaze in the Queen Mary. Then he'll make the short hop to Kempton for the evening meeting, where he'll be on a Godolphin beast called Controversy. She was named in April last year but it turns out to have been a prescient bit of labelling.
12.45pm Remembering Sir Henry Cecil
Chris Cook: Before the royal procession arrives here today, there will be a minute's silence in memory of Sir Henry Cecil, the hugely gifted and popular trainer who died last week. He holds the record for most Royal Ascot winners by a trainer at 75, 10 more than anyone else now training, and loved this week.
His business is being sustained by his widow, Lady Jane Cecil, who has had five winners from her first 13 runners and is near the top of the Racing Post's 'hot' list on day one of Ascot. Her sole runner today is Tiger Cliff, the 11-2 favourite for a tricky handicap at 5pm, and his support will not be confined to those who have backed him.
The Cecil yard will have a few other chances of an emotional success this week, notably with Joyeuse, a classy-looking half-sister to Frankel, in Friday's Albany Stakes. That same day, the Queen's Vase, won seven times by Cecil, will have his name added to the race title and his widow has a big chance with Disclaimer.
The Guardian's obituary for Cecil is here and an appreciation of his life is here.
11.15am Today's races: an in-depth guide by Chris Cook
2.30 Queen Anne Stakes
A Group One race over a mile, all the way up Ascot's straight. This was the race in which Frankel was so impressive last year and the recent roll of honour also includes Canford Cliffs and Goldikova, with Barathea and Rousillon a bit further back.
Today's race revolves around the American raider, Animal Kingdom, a winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Dubai World Cup among other races. This has been his target for months and he appears to have scared off some opposition, while others have been injured.
He's even-money, which is better than the 8-11 of a few days ago, but still hardly value, for me. This is a horse making his European debut, running up a straight mile for the first time and it's not as though he's been unbeatable, even with his ideal conditions: his overall record is five wins from 11 runs and he's only one from four on turf, his sole win coming in a small-field race worth £18,000 to the winner. He's had two major injuries, from which a screw remains in a hind leg, and he's won a total of two races in the past two years.
If that makes him an attractive bet to you, then good luck. It seems like a leap in the dark to me and he'll have to be a very serious talent indeed to win this, even if the opposition isn't quite as strong as you'd expect.
Trade Storm is the each-way value for me, as a progressive type from the Newmarket stable of David Simcock, whose runners are always worth a second look. Aidan O'Brien runs Declaration Of War, who has a big home reputation but flopped horribly when stepped up to this level last time; "Maybe he wasn't quite fit enough," says the trainer. Sovereign Debt, still under-rated, was second in that race. Trumpet Major seems exposed as not good enough but represents the dangerous combination of Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes
3.05 King's Stand Stakes
Another Group One, this time a sprint, and another visiting favourite. Shea Shea was so good in winning two races in Dubai this spring that I wondered where the South Africans had been hiding this six-year-old. He made Sole Power look slow but Sole Power is one of the fastest in Europe when he gets a decent surface over five furlongs.
We haven't seen Shea Shea for more than two months, so there's something to be taken on trust. His trainer, Mike de Kock, reports him in fine form but has yet to train a Royal Ascot winner.
Shamexpress represents Australia, which has done so well in this race over the past decade. He's young and improving and the handicap he won last time has been a good trial for this, though he had a suspiciously low weight.
Reckless Abandon heads the home challenge, having won a two-year-old race over this course and distance at Royal Ascot last year. He also won a couple of Group Ones and ran an excellent trial for this race when third against some of these rivals on his reappearance.
That race was won by Kingsgate Native, who also won a Group One sprint at Royal Ascot five years ago. The ground might not be quite quick enough for him today, a concern that also applies to Swiss Spirit, second in that race.
3.45 St James's Palace Stakes
A third Group One on the bounce, this race over a mile on the round course will be one of the highlights of the week. Most Improved was a surprise 9-1 winner last year but this has often been won by favourites in recent times, like Frankel, Canford Cliffs, Rock Of Gibraltar and Giant's Causeway. Kingmambo, Kris and Brigadier Gerard are other big names who won this a wee while ago.
Dawn Approach would add his name to theirs if he could reproduce the form of his five-length success in the 2,000 Guineas. But, though he won with a degree of comfort, that was a hard-run race which will have taken plenty out of him and we may have seen the effects when he threw himself around in the early stages of the Derby, ruining any chance of stretching his stamina to a mile and a half that day. At odds-against, I think he's a fair bet but there's a significant risk of another flop and there's another risk, that he may not be suited by being asked to quicken up this short straight; Newmarket's straight mile may have been ideal.
Magician looks pretty good on the strength of his dominant successes at Chester and in the Irish Guineas, though that race panned out perfectly for him. His trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has won half of the last 12 runnings of this race and also fields a couple of interesting runners at bigger odds. Mars didn't get much of a run in the Derby but finished strongly into sixth in the Newmarket Guineas. George Vancouver blew out completely in both the English and Irish Guineas, so he's 66-1, which looks big in light of his win at last year's Breeders' Cup. Of course, he may not have trained on and he could do with a faster surface but, at those odds, I shall probably stick another few quid on him.
Toronado runs for Hannon and Hughes, who thought the world of him before he faded in the Guineas. They say his breathing let him down that day and a special bit is to be fitted this time, but it seems a rather fragile basis for hope when his odds are still pretty short.
4.25 Coventry Stakes
A Group Two (pshaw!) over six furlongs, this is the most significant two-year-old race of the week and it's done an excellent job of pinpointing future champions in recent years. Dawn Approach, Canford Cliffs and Henrythenavigator have all won since 2006.
Aidan O'Brien, seeking his seventh win, runs three, with Stubbs the most fancied and the most experienced, though to my eye he was still rather green when winning last time. Sir John Hawkins, a promising winner of his only start, is by Guineas winner Henrythenavigator out of Peeping Fawn, who you may remember winning four Group Ones on the spin in the summer of 2007.
Championship, for Hannon and Hughes, won a maiden race at Newbury that was also used to prep Canford Cliffs and Strong Suit, who both won this. Championship is said to have impressed with his physical progress since then, but Hannon also has the zippy Wahaab, a Goodwood winner, and Thunder Strike, unbeaten in three and a Listed winner on Derby day.
Thunder Strike was possibly lucky to beat Riverboat Springs, who failed to handle Epsom but made up an astonishing amount of ground once he'd sorted his knitting out in the final furlong. He appeals each-way.
5.00 Ascot Stakes
The first of many impossible handicaps served up this week, any one of which will make you justifiably smug if you find the winner.
This race, over a marathon two and a half miles, quite often falls to a jumps trainer: Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson, David Pipe, Martin Pipe (twice), Paul Webber and Tony Martin in the past decade alone. Think how galling it must be for Flat trainers, who'd give their right arm for a Royal Ascot winner, to see their winter rivals swanning in and lifting a trophy at a time of year when they've basically got their feet up.
It might be Jonjo O'Neill's turn today, via Well Sharp, who was third in a shorter handicap here a couple of years ago when with Michael Dods. O'Neill turned him into a hurdler and he won a couple of times last year but, returned to the Flat at York last month, he hosed up and I bet he can go well again, despite the extra 10lb.
Also running for the Jumping Game: Softsong (trained by Philip Hobbs, has been a bit disappointing), Investissement (David Pipe, third in the 2011 Ebor and back on a handy mark), Midnight Oil (WIllie Mullins, recently progressive over hurdles), Junior (Pipe again, won this in 2010 but getting on a bit at 10), Big Easy (Hobbs again and a serious player after recent hurdles success) and Lieutenant Miller (Nicky Henderson, in fine form on the Flat this spring).
The fav is the lightly raced Tiger Cliff, a promising winner at Newmarket last month and potentially a most emotional winner, since he represents the stable of the late Sir Henry Cecil, who died last week. More on the prospects of the Cecil yard later.
5.35 Windsor Castle Stakes
Another two-year-old race, which the market has found much harder than the Coventry. The past 10 winners included some returned at 100-1, 33-1, 20-1, 14-1 and 14-1.
The 33-1 was a horse sent over from America by Wesley Ward in 2009 and, since he had another two-year-old winner that week, we've learned to respect him. He hasn't managed to repeat the trick but he's back this year and runs Ogermeister. I'd say 7-1 probably understates his chance but he could really do with proper fast going. If that's how it looks after a couple of races today, consider Ogermeister.
At twice those odds, I like Ben Hall, who improved for the drop back to this distance of five furlongs when winning last time. He's got plenty of pace and could give the champion trainer, John Gosden, a first win in this race. Heck, Jonjo won this 23 years ago; what's Gosden been doing with his time?
More remarkably, Aidan O'Brien has never won this race. He fields the fancied Fountain Of Youth and Wilshere Boulevard, both winners last time . . . but perhaps it's the kind of race he uses for his second tier types.
11.10am Market movers
. . . brought to you today by Ladbrokes and Stan James.
Both firms report money for Trade Storm in the opener, 11-1 from 14s with Ladbrokes and 12s from 16s with Stan James. Declaration Of War is apparently weak, but there is still some support around for the favourite, Animal Kingdom.
Shea Shea is a strong favourite for the King's Stand, 9-4 from 3s with Ladbrokes, though Reckless Abandon has also been backed.
Stan James say the front three in the market for the St James's Palace are not being backed, with punters nibbling at outsiders, led by Dundonnell.
My Catch is 12-1 from 20s for the Windsor Castle with both firms after a promising second on his only start so far. He comes from the David Brown yard near Newark that won this race with Frederick Engels two years ago. Stan James also report interest for John Gosden's Ben Hall (14s from 16s) in that race.
10.45am Stickels predicts good to firm ground if rain stays away
Chris Cook: Chris Stickels, the clerk of the course, said: "If conditions remain dry, we could see some 'good to firm' come into the going description later today. We put on some water last week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, as it has been a pretty dry June. We have had only 9mm of rain so far this month. We have missed the thunderstorms. The ground seems to be very consistent across the straight course."
10.30am Weather and going news
Chris Cook: Welcome to Ascot, where it is cool but the sun is threatening to break through heavy cloud cover. It has been dry overnight and the going remains good. We've been told to expect possible showers this afternoon, which will be a theme of the week, I'm afraid.
It will be interesting to see what effect the going will have today. The new straight here drains well and it might end up slightly on the quick side, but my instinct is that conditions will not quite be ideal for those who like to bounce off a really sound surface.
Top jockey, top trainer
Just because I have it to hand, here's William Hill's betting list on who will do best over the next five days. We'll see how accurate this market turns out to be . . .
Royal Ascot 2013 Top Jockey: 2-1 Ryan Moore, 9-4 Joseph O'Brien, 4-1 Richard Hughes, 8-1 Jamie Spencer, 12-1 William Buick, 14-1 Paul Hanagan, 20-1 Silvestre de Sousa, 25-1 Joe Fanning, 33-1 Frankie Dettori, Kieren Fallon, 50-1 Johnny Murtagh, Kevin Manning, Pat Smullen, Tom Queally.
(Win Only) winner is the jockey with the most winners, with 2nds and then 3rds taken in to account in the event of a tie, dead heat rules apply if still a tie
Royal Ascot 2013 Top Trainer: 1-2 Aidan O'Brien, 4-1 Richard Hannon, 10-1 Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed Bin Suroor, 14-1 Mark Johnston, 16-1 John Gosden, 25-1 Jim Bolger, Roger Charlton, 33-1 Lady Jane Cecil, William Haggas, 50-1 Jeremy Noseda, Luca Cumani, Roger Varian.
(Win Only) winner is the trainer with the most winners, with 2nds and then 3rds taken in to account in the event of a tie, dead heat rules apply if still a tie
Royal Ascot starts here!
Chris Cook: "What a smashing, positively dashing spectacle: the Ascot op'ning day," as they sang in My Fair Lady. Like the well-dressed folks in the musical, I have never been so keyed up. Or, to put it another way, if I was a bell, I'd be ringing.
Five days of top-class racing starts this afternoon with three (that's right 3!) Group One races, back to back. There's no question, it's an unorthodox way to arrange things, considering we'll be rationed to one a day for the rest of the week.
But is it genius to arrange things in this way, with an enormous bang that gets everyone's attention, or is it no more than silly squandering of what should be treasured assets? Have your say in the comments below and let us know how you'd arrange things in your republic (it's just a game, ma'am, there'll never be a republic in this island).
First up is the Queen Anne, which, last year, meant Frankel and his 11-length demolition of Excelebration. This year brings another hot favourite, wreathed in glamour: Animal Kingdom will be the first Kentucky Derby hero that many in today's crowd will ever have seen in the flesh. No winner of that race has come to these shores since Omaha was the beaten favourite in the 1936 Gold Cup. Boy, those Americans can hold a grudge.
The second Group One, the King's Stand Stakes, is also marked for export. This sprint has been dominated by international raiders in the past decade, especially by Australians. This year's favourite is Shea Shea from South Africa.
Today's third race may be the most thrilling of the week, thanks to the presence of Dawn Approach, the handsome, enormously talented chestnut who must be regarded with the deepest suspicion after a lunatic display in the Derby. A well-backed favourite that day, just over a fortnight ago, he came out of the stalls as if someone had just hit his mother with a two by four, fly-jumping and fighting his jockey for every inch of rein.
Conditions today should suit him better and those close to him say he's much better now, thank you. So will he just snap back to being a professional racehorse or is he doomed to be mad for evermore? Are you backing Dawn Jekyll or Hyde Approach? Find out at 3.45pm.
Today's action is rounded out with a couple of races for highly promising two-year-olds (the Dawn Approaches of next year, if you like) plus a handicap over two and a half miles that will go on forever, by comparison.
My tipping preview is here. Think you can do better? Enter our tipping competition, below.
If you're watching the races at home, there's never been a better time to be you. Every race from Royal Ascot this week will be live on Channel 4, while there will also be a morning preview show and highlights in the evening. Horse racing works best as an escape from reality and, for the next five days, you really shouldn't worry about a thing . . .
Stan James tipping competition
You could win a £50 bet from Stan James by proving your tipping prowess on today's races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today's races at Ascot.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price. Non-runners count as losers.
Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 2.30pm. There are six races at Ascot today and you must post a single selection for each race.
Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here will apply, except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score.
If you don't win today, don't despair. We are running an identical competition on each day of the Royal meeting, up to Friday.
