Goldikova can be the star of day one with Fahey also set to thrive

She justified the decision to keep her in training at five with a fluid comeback success in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp and gets the nod over defending champion Paco Boy.

Richard Hannon's brilliant Lockinge winner is 2-2 this season, but this is a much stronger renewal than last year when he beat Cesare, while Aidan O'Brien's star miler Rip Van Winkle faces a stiff task on his first start since his Breeders' Cup flop last backend.

Nicconi is bidding to become the fourth Australian-trained winner of the King's Stand Stakes in the last seven runnings. He has followed the same path here as previous winners by taking the Lightning Stakes and is David Hayes's first runner at the meeting – a tip in itself with Frankie Dettori booked weeks in advance. The danger is Kingsgate Native.

The third consecutive Group 1 on the opening day card is the St James's Palace Stakes with Canford Cliffs out to gain revenge on Makfi, who ran out a shock winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmaket.

Although Canford Cliffs was only third, he has since proved more amenable to restraint, running out a brilliant winner of the Irish equivalent at the Curragh under Richard Hughes and is fancied to turn around earlier Classic form with the unbeaten French raider.

At the prices, though, there is some value to be had in Siyouni to cause a mini upset as he has been well backed ante-post with Sky Bet against the big guns and is no longer the sleeper in the market.

A narrow odds-on defeat at two behind Special Duty looks smart form now in light of the winner's subsequent 1,000 Guineas double this year, but don't write off Alain De Royer Dupre's colt as just a sprinter.

He ended his juvenile campaign seeing off subsequent 2000 Guineas runner-up Dick Turpin at Group 1 level in Longchamp's Prix Jean Luc Lagadere over seven furlongs and did not have things go his way this year in two starts, most notably when a beaten favourite in the French Derby.

Canford Cliffs was a runaway winner of the Coventry Stakes 12-months ago for Richard Hannon, whose Wiltshire stable are making all the right noises about Strong Suit doing the same.

The Rahy colt made a winning debut in the same maiden used as a stepping stone to top honours by his illustrious stablemate at Newbury in a decent time. Other home-trained runners to note include Elzaam, who lived up to his star billing making a winning debut at York for Michael Jarvis.

However, both are tentatively passed over as Aidan O'Brien's runners in the Coventry are worthy of the utmost respect. He saddles two in the Group 2 contest with preference given to Zoffany over Samuel Morse.

In-form local trainer Richard Fahey heads to the meeting with his strongest ever raiding party and rates Marine Commander (nap) one of his best chances of a winner all week in the closing Windsor Castle Stakes.

He overcame a poor draw to make a winning debut last month at Carlisle by a sizzling four-and-a-half lengths and the third has since come out to frank the form of a maiden won two years ago by subsequent Norfolk winner South Central.

Robin O'Ryan, assistant trainer to Fahey, rates US raider Metropolitan Man from last year's all-conquering stable of Wesley Ward as the big stumbling block to overcome for the home contingent.