Vahorimix to steal milers' crown

Racing's rulers may have jumped into the sport's grave and started throwing soil at each other, but today there springs from the dirt the finest racing on the British turf. The political squabbling over funding can be forgotten for the next four days as the calendar gives us Royal Ascot, the unparalleled fusion of tradition and top-quality racing.

They have been racing in this privileged quarter of Berkshire for almost 300 years ­ primarily as a venue for the Royal meeting ­ but this year is different. There will be no transportation of the monarch and carriage-loads of hyphens from the Golden Gates today or tomorrow. The vehicles, and their horsepower, are in training for pomp elsewhere, tomorrow's state opening of Parliament.

If the Queen is less meticulous than usual in her role it will be because she still aims to attend the sports and will take a short-cut through the High Street favoured by her subjects.

The landscape is also on the move. There are plans to introduce a road tunnel which would erase disruption to humans and horseflesh on the straight mile. There is also a contribution to consumer comfort by the swapping of today's Duke of Edinburgh Handicap and Coventry Stakes, which becomes the last race on the card. This enables cars to leave the centre of the course after the fifth race.

This will also be the last Royal Ascot before sweeping changes to the site are started. By 2007 it is anticipated that the course will be transformed. The trusted old buildings and grandstands will be replaced and resited, the course moved some distance north.

Today, though, we can think just about horses and an afternoon which is rivalled by probably only the Breeders' Cup day in its sustained excellence. Two Group Threes, a brace of Group Twos and the Group One St James's Palace Stakes is quite a useful skeleton to a card.

The main race is the traditional stopping-off point for Guineas winners and there is no disappointment this time. There are appearances from the Irish and French 2,000 winners and the British victor is not there it is only because Golan is much more than an eight-furlong specialist. Tamburlaine, his nearest victim at Newmarket, represents the Rowley Mile form.

With this cast list, it is odd to see the winner of a Listed race as favourite. Dandoun may be a promising beast but this is surely taking anticipation too far.

Better to consider the horses which kickstarted the season for the twin monoliths of the Coolmore and Godolphin empires. Black Minnaloushe won a private gallop for the Irish 2,000 Guineas, leading home an Aidan O'Brien trio of Mozart and Minardi. Earlier, though, Black Minnaloushe had been outflanked by Godolphin's Noverre and André Fabre's Vahorimix in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp. Vahorimix (next best 3.45) was unlucky in running that day and now looks the best value option.

The Queen Anne Stakes is always a stirring introduction and among those to consider are Medicean, who has a Group One penalty to lug round, and Shibboleth, who is on his way back after injury. Most persuasive, though, on form and sentiment is John Gosden's Valentino. Gosden should have been sending Clearing for today's main race, but the game colt shattered a pastern on his final workout on Monday and had to be destroyed.

Valentino (2.30) is a heavyweight when he puts his mind to it and the form of a short-head defeat to Giant's Causeway in the St James's Palace Stakes a year ago gives him a persuasive chance today.

There are plenty of regulars in the King's Stand Stakes and it could pay to take a chance with a new boy, Dietrich (3.05), who is the chosen mount of Michael Kinane. In the Duke of Edinburgh, it is best to go for an improving horse from a yard proven at the meeting and in form. Geoff Wragg's GALLERY GOD (nap 4.20) fills the criteria.