Corporal Maddox is set to end drought in style

Now with Jamie Osborne and carrying the colours of the prolific Dr Marwan Koukash, the five-year-old son of Royal Applause is enduring a lengthy drought, but he served notice that his turn is imminent when making the frame at Goodwood last time.

Beaten half-a-length by the reopposing Shifting Star, he is weighted to make up at least some of the ground now, while the runner-up, Piscean, has gone under at Epsom since and is not nearly as well treated on the all-weather.

Corporal Maddox has only tried the surface once before, showing an ability when staying on late in the day on his return to action in April and he should be cherry-ripe on his fourth start back.

Jamie Spencer is an interesting booking for the Conor Dore-trained Chjimes in the Lingfield Marriott Handicap.

Now an eight-year-old, he is another who has never really hit the heights expected of him following a promising start to his career but he won over course and distance three outings ago and will appreciate the drop back down from seven furlongs.

Spencer also has strong claims on Louphole, who will strip fitter for his recent return in the Watch Royal Ascot On At The Races Handicap (Div 2), while the first instalment sees Pastoral Jet aiming to confirm the glimmers of promise shown at Kempton during the winter.

Ed Dunlop and Ryan Moore are a force to be reckoned with and team up with Cyrus Sod in the ATR Royal Ascot Microsite Now Live Handicap.

A son of Nayef, he was backed into favouritism on his handicap debut at Windsor last month and went down fighting, finishing on the heels of the place-getters after looking the likely winner entering the final furlong.

With that in mind, the extra couple of furlongs in prospect here should see him in an even better light and he remains open to bags of potential improvement.

He contests the last of three turf races that are subject to a 6.30am inspection, and the card at Salisbury also hinges on an early look although, should the meeting go ahead, Oojooba will appreciate the give underfoot.

Roger Varian’s daughter of 1000 Guineas heroine Ameerat made a successful start to her career in testing conditions at Haydock, after which she was sent off joint-favourite for a Listed event.

She came up short there, and the ground was too heavy for her on her Sandown comeback, but she travelled with plenty of zest and is definitely the one to beat in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing EBF Margadale Fillies’ Handicap.

Juvenal signed off his first campaign with a third place to Dante hero Bonfire so it was a little disappointing he could not return with a victory at Newbury.

But his second placing will have given connections plenty of encouragement and natural improvement looks likely to make him the one to beat for champion trainer Richard Hannon in the Custom Security Services Of Verwood Maiden Stakes.