Circus Maximus showed his adaptability when dropping back in trip to land the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With the Queen Anne, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes and the Coventry all on one card, day one of Royal Ascot can claim to be the best day’s racing of the entire year, and the renewed rivalry of Irish 2000 Guineas first and second, Phoenix Of Spain and Too Darn Hot, in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes sets the tone for a fabulous five days at the Berkshire track.

Some say pleasure deferred is pleasure enhanced but that is very much not the case when it comes to Royal Ascot.

Darren Norris It’s not often the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 proves superior to the English equivalent but the unexpected presence of Newmarket absentee Too Darn Hot in today’s line-up has elevated today’s Curragh feature to cracker status.

Watching Aidan O’Brien’s Hermosa land last Sunday’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket was a bitter pill to swallow.