HIGHLAND FLING FOR ASCOT WIN

Highland Reel is a tentative call to win an underwhelming renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

With white-hot favourite Postponed out of the reckoning due to a respiratory issue, the five-runner affair looks substandard and wide open.

But Aidan O’Brien’s colt probably has just as much chance as Royal runner Dartmouth - and should be available at bigger odds.

French challenger Erupt is interesting, as is Wings Of Desire, but it could feasibly boil down to another showdown between the Queen’s colt and Highland Reel.

Dartmouth seized the day at Royal Ascot, when he defeated the Ballydoyle inmate by a head in the Hardwicke Stakes.

Both horses would have been better on a sounder surface, but perhaps O’Brien’s well-travelled four-year-old has that little bit more beneath the bonnet.

Make no mistake, Dartmouth is still improving, yet Highland Reel was not in a particularly good mood in the Hardwicke and still nearly won.

The son of Galileo was sweaty and restless entering the stalls, and then raced very keenly in the early exchanges.

Indeed, once Seamie Heffernan’s companion became embroiled in a fight, he hardly looked energised when Dartmouth went the front.

But then, suddenly, he finally realised what it was all about and got stuck in deep inside the final furlong.

Heffernan also lost his whip two furlongs from home, which probably had no impact on the final result but certainly did not help, while Highland Reel also carried his head to the left one side when he was shuffled right by the winner.

Dartmouth was nonetheless on top when it mattered, but an argument can be made to suggest the runner-up did not run to his very best form which has seen him land huge prizes in America and Hong Kong.

That was also Highland Reel’s first start since April, whereas the winner was at Chester in May, so one would assume O’Brien might now have his representative at fever pitch - which did not appear the case at the Royal meeting.

Oodles of dough in the kitty for the Gigaset International Stakes, in which Bossy Guest can cause a bit of a rumpus.

Trained by Mick Channon, who has had a splendid season, the four-year-old colt looks to have no chance on the formbook.

Dig a little deeper, though, and quite a compelling case can be made for this son of Medicean.

Third in the Jersey Stakes over this course and distance last June, Bossy Guest has been aggressively campaigned in top races but is now back in handicaps off a mark of 103.

Channon must have also been pleased with his Royal Hunt Cup run on ground that was softer than ideal as he got to within three lengths of the winner, Portage.

Next up was the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket, where he was essentially detached for a long way in the race but ate up stacks of late ground.

Bossy Guest finished 11th, but he was only beaten four and a quarter lengths, while Silvestre de Sousa’s reappointment is obviously a big plus.

He has been badly overlooked in the betting and is worth each-way support as a bare minimum.

It would also be folly to pass over Tanzeel in the Sky Bet Dash at York.

His form since winning this race by two lengths a year ago has been chequered at best, but the Charlie Hillstrained five-year-old finds himself running off just a 2lb higher mark back on the Knavesmire.

Having found seven furlongs too far at Newmarket earlier this month, he will be much happier over this shorter trip.

A tongue-tie, which served him so well at York 12 months ago, has also been reapplied by his wise connections.

It would be a big shock if Time Test came unstuck in the Sky Bet York Stakes.