Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne has been stood down from riding after she tested positive for a banned substance at a meeting at Swan Hill racecourse on June 11.

A twenty-runner maiden opens tonight’s card at Naas, and Sheila Lavery’s Mr Scarlet gets the nap to set punters off on the right foot.

Arguably the best week of racing of the year gets underway this afternoon, when Royal Ascot kicks off with the Queen Anne Stakes. 

Freddy Head has been lucky enough to have trained some of the best milers of recent years and Solow is rapidly heading towards the top of the list after taking his unbeaten run to eight in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood yesterday.

Connections of Solow would relish the opportunity of seeing their excellent colt go toe to toe with Gleneagles in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Golden Horn is likely to be long odds-on for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday after just five horses were left in the mile-and-a-quarter showpiece at the five-day stage.

Emotion overflowed for Frankie Dettori as he celebrated another magnificent milestone by clinching a 50th Royal Ascot winner with a last-gasp success aboard Osaila in the Sandringham Handicap.

Gleneagles confirmed his position as the star miler of his generation after handing Aidan O’Brien a record-breaking seventh success in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday.

Night Of Thunder may have done little to boost the Lockinge form in yesterday’s Queen Anne Stakes, but that’s no reason to doubt Integral’s claims in today’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes, at Royal Ascot.

French star Solow ground out victory in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Queen Anne Stakes is an intriguing race with which to start Royal Ascot, and the Richard Hannon-trained Night Of Thunder looks to represent tremendous each-way value.

Racing fans are in for a real treat if the clash between Solow and Able Friend in the Queen Anne Stakes lives up to the hype.

I’ve been to the Melbourne Cup, Breeders’ Cup, Hong Kong International Races and Dubai Carnival — all fantastic festivals in their own right — but none of them top Royal Ascot.

Dual 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles heads a field of six for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow.

SOLOW (Queen Anne Stakes, Tuesday)

Godolphin have snapped up Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Pleascach and she will carry their colours when she runs in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.

Make Believe, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, is set to take on dual Guineas victor Gleneagles at Royal Ascot after he was supplemented for Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Cirrus Des Aigles is unlikely to defend his crown in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom after breaking a shoe at Longchamp on Sunday.

Hans Holbein bids to give Aidan O’Brien a third successive triumph in the MBNA Chester Vase and his sixth in all when facing five rivals on the Roodee tomorrow.

Only four remain in today’s feature at Glorious Goodwood, the Sussex Stakes, but the leading players stand their ground and that provides an opportunity for the John Gosden-trained Kingman to prove himself the star miler across the generations.

Here’s a horse to follow for the rest of the season, Aidan O’Brien’s American import, Verrazano.

Sole Power is set to return to Royal Ascot on Saturday after he achieved the first leg of a coveted sprint double by winning the King’s Stand Stakes for the second year running yesterday.

Richard Hannon admitted to a palpable sense of relief after Toronado lived up to every possible expectation in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Bookmakers will be shouting for a couple of shock results on the first day of Royal Ascot to kick-start what promises to be the biggest betting week of the summer.

Toronado leads the way for Richard Hannon in the opening race of Royal Ascot tomorrow as one of 10 horses declared in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Declaration Of War will retire to Coolmore Stud in Co Tipperary after he has signed off his racing career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday week.

Declaration Of War will retire to Coolmore Stud in County Tipperary after he has signed off his racing career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday week.

Aidan O’Brien reports the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes as “definitely a possibility” for Declaration Of War following his heroics at York on Wednesday.

Declaration Of War has jumped to a prominent position in the betting for Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown after owners Coolmore suggested the colt was a “possible” runner.

It would have to be described as one of Jim Bolger’s finest hours. That performance by his Dawn Approach, in the St James’ Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, was quite extraordinary.

Dawn Approach got his career back on track with victory in an incredible finish to the St James’s Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot yesterday.

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.

Hot favourite Animal Kingdom will face a maximum of 14 rivals in Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes, the opening event of Royal Ascot.

Epsom hero Ruler Of The World will be Aidan O’Brien’s big hope for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 29.

Kieren Fallon is looking forward to taking the ride on Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Little Mike as he makes his Dubai debut on the Super Saturday card at Meydan.

Frankel was at his majestic best as he made it a perfect 14 victories in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Willie Carson saluted John Dunlop as “one of the true legends of the sport” after the veteran trainer announced he is to retire at the end of the current British Flat season, the end of a career that saw him send out over 3,500 winners.

Frankel has long ceased to be a lucrative betting option but very few will be hoping for anything other than another impressive victory for the world’s top racehorse as he lines up in the Qipco Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.