Two years and €300 million later, racing's annual festival of quality and excess returns to its spiritual home with 14 Irish-trained horses scheduled to try and make a first dent in the almost €6 million of prize-money on offer during Royal Ascot week.
Pride of place for day one in front of the magnificent new facilities are the St James's Palace Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes but Irish hopes could be better realised in some of the other races.
Nevertheless, Aidan O'Brien pitches a trio of horses, headed by Kieren Fallon's mount Ivan Denisovich, into the St James's Palace where Kevin Prendergast also runs Decado. The latter has ground to make up on the likely favourite, Araafa, on Irish 2,000 Guineas form and like everyone else in the race Prendergast is looking on Araafa as the one to beat. Significantly, though, the veteran Curragh trainer quietly fancies his chances of doing so.
"The form of Araafa's last run was easily the best of his life so the assumption is he is best on soft ground rather than quicker which can help us," he said yesterday. "The ground is a bit of an unknown with our horse but he has a good action so I can't see why he won't go on it. The Curragh was only his fifth start so he should improve."
Naturally enough, Prendergast's assumption is not one that Araafa's trainer Jeremy Noseda goes along with but trading at short odds might be an expensive pastime with the favourite.
Fallon's decision to side with Ivan Denisovich rather than the French Guineas runner-up, Marcus Andronicus, has to be significant but a value option against them all could be the French hope Stormy River whose jockey Olivier Peslier always rode the old Ascot track exceptionally well. This looks a chance for him to get off the mark on the new version.
Akimbo, fifth in last year's Queen Anne for Henry Cecil, is now trained by James Leavy and he joins the Ballydoyle hope Ad Valorem against a powerful home team. Proclamation's Sussex Stakes form from last season looks the best in the field and Godolphin have a fine record in the race.
The Con Collins-trained Dandy Man has already made his mark in Britain this year with a fine win in the Palace House at Newmarket last month. That gives him as clear a form chance as any of the home in the Kings Stand Stakes but after Choisir's breakthrough two years ago the dark horses this time have to be the two Australian raiders, Takeover Target and Glamour Puss. However, both will have to be able to go some to beat Moss Vale who looks in the form of his life after wins at the Curragh and Chantilly.
However, it could be in the juvenile department that Irish horses really make an impression with Holy Roman Emperor going in the Coventry Stakes after an impressive winning debut at Leopardstown three weeks ago. Fallon was clearly impressed by the performance and there should be significant improvement for the experience.
SELECTIONS
2.35, Holy Roman Emperor; 3.10, Moss Vale; 3.50, Stormy River; 4.25, Proclamation; 4.55, Prins Willem; 5.30, Rabatash (nap).
Five Irish to follow
Tomorrow
3.50: Princess Of Wales Stakes
Ace: His last run in Coronation Cup can be ignored as he sweated up badly beforehand. Ace has never won at Group 1 level but he will be suited by the drop back to 10f.
5.30: Sandringham Handicap
Polished Gem: It will be just a fourth start for Dermot Weld's filly but she is a full sister to the top class Dress To Thrill and a run behind Jazz Princess at the Curragh at the start of May should have put her right. Looks nicely weighted.
Thursday
3.50: Gold Cup
Yeats: Won the Coronation Cup last season and if he lasts out the marathon two and a half mile trip his class will make him dangerous.
Friday
3.10: King Edward VII Stakes
Fire And Rain: As a son of the Derby winner Galileo, the mile and a half of the "Ascot Derby" should be ideal and significantly, Aidan O'Brien is leaning towards starting him off in a competitive Group Two.
3.50: Coronation Stakes
Nightime: Her Irish 1,000 Guineas success was very impressive and Dermot Weld believes there may still be improvement in her.Five Irish To Follow
