Jessica Harrington made the classic breakthrough when Alpha Centauri stormed to victory in the 2018 Irish 1000 Guineas and Albigna, who is also owned by the Niarchos Family, can emulate her former stable companion by taking today’s renewal at the Curragh.

On good-to-firm ground Sioux Nation’s form reads 2111 and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Scat Daddy colt can enhance that record by landing the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, set to be run on his ideal conditions, on the penultimate day of Royal Ascot 2018.

ROYAL ASCOT will never capture the imagination in the same way as Cheltenham, but it is a good second and from next Tuesday through Saturday, the greatest flat meeting in the world will be the focus of much of our attention, writes Pat Keane.