Revenge on the menu as extravaganza kicks off with a mighty bang

Some say pleasure deferred is pleasure enhanced but that is very much not the case when it comes to Royal Ascot. Come 4.30pm today, three of the week’s eight Group 1s will already have been contested as the biggest week in the Flat racing calendar kicks off with an almighty bang.

But the good news for racing fans is that after the St James’s Palace Stakes hero returns to the winner’s enclosure there’ll still be 26 races to go. As a consequence, there’s an endless supply of compelling stories to savour through the week. Here’s a sample.