Royal Ascot ready for racing's 'biggest five days'

Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday with three top-level Group One races on the opening day kicking off the action in style.

Around 250,000 spectators are expected over five days for a meeting that mixes high-quality racing with summer fashion.

In the opening Queen Anne Stakes, Lead Artist is set to clash again with the three horses behind him in the Lockinge Stakes: Dancing Gemini, Rosallion and Notable Speech.

Top sprinters Asfoora and Believing head contenders in the King Charles III Stakes before the St James's Palace Stakes sees a fascinating rematch between this year's first two in the 2,000 Guineas - Ruling Court and Field Of Gold.

"It's the biggest five days in our sport - our shop window, where it's where you want to perform," William Buick, rider of Notable Speech and Ruling Court, told BBC Sport.

"Everyone turns up at Royal Ascot in tip-top shape, they want to win and it makes it ultra, ultra competitive. So Royal Ascot, to us - it is the be-all and end-all."

The weather is set fair for the week, with the going likely to be good to firm. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be hoping for a Royal winner with Reaching High in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday.

Field Of Gold went on to win the Irish Guineas after being a fast-finishing second at Newmarket to Ruling Court, who was a late withdrawal for the Derby at Epsom this month.

Buick feels the ground was softer than the official going description of good at Epsom. His mount will enjoy conditions at Ascot, with dry weather expected.

"He was never going to be able to run on his favourite ground at Epsom, which is fast ground. The call was made purely in the interest of the horse, nothing else. Royal Ascot should suit a lot better. The forecast looks like it's in our favour," he said.

Field Of Gold's run at Newmarket, where he made late ground but could not catch the winner, saw jockey Kieran Shoemark lose his role as number one jockey for trainers John and Thady Gosden.

Colin Keane was aboard for the Irish triumph and has since been appointed retained rider for owners Juddmonte.

Despite the controversy, Buick felt his mount was a worthy victor and Shoemark will bounce back.

"I thought my fella just kept pulling out more. He possibly handled the track a little bit better than Field of Gold, and I thought on the day he was a decisive winner," said the two-time champion jockey.

"I spoke to Kieran afterwards and he seems to have really taken it very well, and he's riding plenty of winners. He's going to put this behind him and he's going to carry on and have a very, very good career."

Buick, with 36 victories, is second behind Ryan Moore (85) and Frankie Dettori (81) - who is now based in the United States - among current jockeys for Royal Ascot wins.

And he would dearly love to be the week's leading rider, having come close and even matched Moore with five wins in 2012 but missed out due to countback on placed horses.

"I think Ryan beat me on seconds one year, didn't he? I was gutted. I thought I had it. That's one I'd love to tick off," he said.

14:30 Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) one mile

15:05 Coventry Stakes (Group 2) six furlongs

15:40 King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) five furlongs

16:20 St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) one mile

17:00 Ascot Stakes (Class 2 handicap) two miles, four furlongs

17:35 Wolferton Stakes (Listed) one mile, two furlongs

18:10 Copper Horse Stakes (Class 2 handicap) one mile, six furlongs

Wednesday: Aidan O'Brien, who has a record 91 Royal Ascot winners and has been the meeting's leading trainer 13 times, will look to increase his haul in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. O'Brien saddles Los Angeles, who again faces Anmaat after just edging him out to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Thursday: Ladies' Day features the Gold Cup where Buick rides 2024 runner-up Trawlerman. Hewill not have to tackle retired two-time champion Kyprios but has another strong O'Brien opponent in Illinois.

Friday: Buick is looking forward to partnering the "hugely talented" Shadow of Light in the Commonwealth Cup. The day's other Group One race, the Coronation Stakes, features in-form Zarigana for French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

Saturday: The meeting's final Group One race is the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Lazzat for Jerome Reynier and the Kevin Ryan-trained Inisherin are among those fancied, as is O'Brien's Storm Boy. More Thunder, trained by William Haggas, is a leading player in the Wokingham Stakes.

A tradition that began with King George IV in 1825 will celebrate its 200th anniversary.

The Royal Procession down the Berkshire track precedes the start of racing each day and King Charles III and Queen Camilla are again expected to attend.

They will hope to be celebrating success as racehorse owners with Reaching High, based with Willie Mullins - the first Irishman to train for the reigning monarch.

Reaching High was bred by the King's late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

One of the chief dangers could be stablemate Poniros - owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom - who was a 100-1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival in March.